X

Join or Sign In

Sign in to customize your TV listings

Continue with Facebook Continue with email

By joining TV Guide, you agree to our Terms of Use and acknowledge the data practices in our Privacy Policy.

The Executioner

An old executioner in early-1960s Spain, who is a very gentle, nice, caring man proud of traditions, is approaching retirement age. As his profession isn't the most popular, he worries about who might take his place. He worries about his daughter too; she seems doomed to spinsterhood because as soon as any prospective groom learns what her father's trade is, he flees in terror. Enter the local undertaker, a handsome young man with exactly the same problem: no girl wants him given his profession. So, you have the woman whom almost nobody would marry and the man whom almost nobody would marry. Obviously, they are meant for each other. But here the old executioner has something to say: He does not object to his daughter marrying the young undertaker; he seems a decent man--but he will only agree to the marriage if the prospective groom agrees to take the executioner's job when he retires. Father tells the worried fellow: "Don't worry, they sentence people, but they pardon them at the last moment!"

Loading. Please wait...

Content not available in your region? ExpressVPN can help you stay connected wherever you are. Get 4 extra months FREE with TV Guide's exclusive offer.

Cast & Crew See All

Nino Manfredi
José Luis Rodríguez, el enterrador
Emma Penella
Carmen, la hija de Amadeo
José Isbert
Amadeo, el verdugo

Awards

  • 1964 - CEC Award - Best Original Story (Mejor Argumento Original) - winner
  • 1963 - FIPRESCI Prize - - winner
  • 1963 - Golden Lion - - nominated
  • 1963 - Prize of the National Syndicate of Spectacle - Best Female Star - winner

You May Also Like See All

Casablanca
Lawrence of Arabia
Boyhood
Fanny and Alexander

Popular Movies See all movies

Crucify

1 hr 19 mins
A neon noir thriller that descends into a maze of nightmares as two teens trapped in a haunted crime scene are forced to confront their demons.
2020 Fantasy, Horror, Suspense, Drama

Final Recipe

1 hr 37 mins
Hao's only hope is that his grandson Mark enters a prestigious university, but Mark's dream is to follow his grandfather's footsteps and become a chef and take over the family restaurant. Due to Hao's difficult personality, the restaurant is on the verge of bankruptcy and he finally collapses. In order to save the restaurant, Mark enters a cooking contest without his grandfather's knowledge and consent in Shanghai. He competes against talented chefs from Japan, Korea and Australia, and freely shows off ravishing cooking skills that he has accumulated from his grandfather over the years. As Mark wins round after round and gains attention, Julia, the contest producer notices something peculiar about him, then slowly realizes that Mark and her husband David resemble each other.
2013 Drama

Blue Film

1 hr 22 mins
Fetish camboy Aaron Eagle agrees to spend the night with an anonymous client, only to discover a disturbing tie to his past.
2025 Drama

Song Sung Blue

2 hr 12 mins
The inspiring true story of two down-on-their-luck performers who form a joyous Neil Diamond tribute band, proving it's never too late to find love and follow your dreams.
61   Metascore
2025 Documentary, Drama, Music

If I Had Legs I'd Kick You

1 hr 53 mins
With her life crashing down around her, Linda (Rose Byrne) attempts to navigate her child's mysterious illness, her absent husband, a missing person, and an increasingly hostile relationship with her therapist.
78   Metascore
2025 Drama, Suspense

The Lincoln Lawyer

1 hr 58 mins
Mick Haller is a defense lawyer who works out of his Lincoln. When a wealthy Realtor's son is accused of assaulting a prostitute, Haller is asked to defend him. The man claims that the woman is trying to get some money out of him. But when Haller looks at the evidence against him, he learns that this case might be linked to an old case of his.
63   Metascore
2011 Suspense, Drama