The Execution of Private Slovik

This article may lack focus or may be about more than one topic. Please help improve this article, possibly by splitting the article and/or by introducing a disambiguation page, or discuss this issue on the talk page. (February 2021)

The Execution of Private Slovik is a nonfiction book by William Bradford Huie, published in 1954,^[1] and an American television movie that aired on NBC on March 13, 1974.^[2][3] The film was written for the screen by Richard Levinson, William Link, and director Lamont Johnson; the film stars Martin Sheen,^[4] and also features Charlie Sheen in his second film in a small role.^[5]

Plot

The book and the film tell the story of Private Eddie Slovik, the only American military serviceman executed for desertion (during World War II) since the American Civil War.

Background

The film starred

• Martin Sheen as Pvt. Eddie Slovik
• Mariclare Costello as Antoinette Slovik
• Ned Beatty as Father Stafford
• Gary Busey as Jimmy Feedek
• Matt Clark as Dunn
• Charles Haid as Brockmeyer
• Kathryn Grody as Margaret
• Paul Lambert as Joe Sirelli
• Jon Cedar as Holloway
• Laurence Haddon as Piper
• Charlie Sheen as kid at wedding (uncredited)

Development

In 1949, a Pentagon source revealed to Huie a European graveyard containing the remains of unidentified American soldiers. Huie's investigation identified Slovik's name and grave. Huie's account of Slovik is an example of his style of reporting and his tendency to anger Dwight D. Eisenhower, who had authorized the execution as commander of the Allied Forces, and who tried to stop publication of the book. Award-winning filmmaker Richard Dubelman acquired the film rights from Sinatra. Some years later, Dubelman persuaded Universal Pictures to help him produce it as a television movie.^{[citation needed]}

Reception

Television critic

The military service record of Slovik, which is now a public archival record available from the Military Personnel Records Center, provides a detailed account of his actual execution.^[10] It was upon this that most of the film was based.^{[citation needed]}

In popular culture

• The 1963 World War II film The Victors includes a scene depicting the Christmas Eve execution of a GI deserter modeled after Slovik, accompanied by a Sinatra Christmas recording.
• In
  Billy Pilgrim finds an abandoned copy of Huie's book about Slovik and reads through it while in a waiting room.^[11]
• The Canadian novel Execution and its adaptations tell a similar tale, based on the execution of Canadian soldier Harold Pringle for desertion in World War II.

See also

• List of American films of 1974

References