Viva America! (1969) (Uncut Version)

aka's: ¡Viva América!/Die Wahrheit über Frank Mannata/La Vera Storia Di Frank Mannata/The True Story Of Frank Mannata/Cry Chicago/Mafia Mob

Gangster chronicle about Italian immigrant Frank Mannata (Jeffrey Hunter), who becomes his brother's partner in 1920's Chicago and introduces a new order in the underworld. Also stars Margaret Lee and Guglielmo Spoletini and with Pier Angeli. (In German language and in widescreen format).

NOTE: This is the totally uncut German language version of this film, which includes 5 minutes of additional footage featuring the violent mafia killings. These rather graphic scenes were cut from most other TV airings.

This film was to be Jeffrey Hunter's final screen appearance. During filming, Hunter was injured in an on-set explosion, suffering facial lacerations from broken glass and powder burns. Later an old friend, a former British commando, accidentally hit him on the chin with a karate strike when Hunter, who knew judo, failed to defend himself in time, banging the back of his head against a door. Then, while on a plane with his wife returning to the United States, Hunter's right arm suddenly became semi-paralyzed and he lost the power of speech (two signs of a stroke). He was then taken directly off the plane, upon landing, to a hospital in Los Angeles. He soon recovered and was released after a couple of weeks. Shortly after signing to co-star with Vince Edwards in The Desperados (1969), Hunter suffered a cerebral hemorrhage while on a short flight of steps in his living room and collapsed, injuring his head in the fall. It was not known how long he had been unconscious when he was finally found. He died without regaining consciousness the following day on May 27th, 1969, after surgery to repair the skull fracture. He was 42.

Trivia: Jeffrey Hunter left during the production of this film in Spain when the producers ran out of money for the cast and crew. He then returned to the U.S. where he died unexpectedly. The film was later finished without him.

Hunter suffered face lacerations and powder burns on the set of this film, which was said to have later contributed to his death, during the scene with the shootout between the two cars. Apparently, the rear windshield of the car was supposed to explode outward, but instead, due to a badly rigged special effect, imploded inward, directly behind Hunter. Afterwards he also complained of hearing loss.