trprt77 Review of Honor Thy Father

Honor Thy Father (1973 TV Movie)

Cheap attempt to cash in on Godfather

[2/10 · 4 August 2011]

I last saw this flick in the 70's, after having read the book it was based on. It didn't take long into the film to realize why it is not on many lists of great ( or good, or for that matter, even fair) gangster flicks. Joe Bologna as Bill Bonnano, Joe's son, is such a whiny character that is hard to see why anyone would pick him to lead a crime family, even if he is the boss' son. Not only is he constantly whining, he also doesn't have a clue as to what anyone is up to. Castellano basically reprises his role as Clemenza from the GF, although he does add hacking out his lungs to show a bit of difference in the two characters. Early in the film, when Joe Bonanno is hiding out to avoid subpoenas, he is shown staying in about the cheapest, flea bag motel that they could find ( which must have been all they could afford on the budget they had for this film). To think that a boss of one of NYC's 5 families would stay at some $20 a night dump is beyond comprehension, although he does manage to stay nattily attired in full suit while sitting in the room. Other discrepancies involve cars that don't fit the time frame, hair styles from the 70's being used in the early 60's, and other inappropriate mix-ups. The most idiotic part is the attempted hit on Bill, when the street is absolutely empty of any people or traffic ( in NYC no less), while Bill and his entourage park quite a distance away in order to walk down the street, where numerous gunman shoot at them with never emptying revolvers from multiple locations, yet never hit anyone. The film also has the older actors talk in a weird, stilted way that somehow Hollywood screenwriters and directors think make mafioso sound wise , unlike the way real street mafioso speak.