An itinerant executioner with a flair for showmanship faces moral chaos in the Deep South, 1918.
THE TRAVELING EXECUTIONER
Jonas Candide performs his job as state executioner in early 20th century Mississippi like a combination preacher and carnival barker, persuading condemned men to accept their deaths before electrocuting them on his electric chair. After he's assigned his first woman to execute, however, Jonas' sense of purpose is shaken.
The Traveling Executioner is a 1970 American comedy-drama Western directed by Jack Smight about Jonas Candide, an electric chair-wielding executioner whose resolve is tested when he's hired to execute a pair of siblings in Alabama.
Synopsis
The SassyFlix Take
Why Cult
Jonas Candide isn't your average hangman—he's a preacher, barker, and showman rolling through prison yards with his own electric chair.
Set in 1918 Mississippi and Alabama, this Western trades saloons for death row and the open range for prison walls.
The film blends black comedy and drama as Jonas tries everything from seduction to gambling and murder to sidestep his grim duties.
Stacy Keach brings sardonic wit and conflicted humanity to the role of Jonas Candide, anchoring the film's tonal tightrope.
Themes & Keywords
Frequently Asked Questions
What is The Traveling Executioner about? +
The Traveling Executioner follows Jonas Candide, a traveling state executioner in the early 20th-century South, whose conscience is tested after he's hired to execute a pair of siblings.
Who directed The Traveling Executioner? +
The Traveling Executioner was directed by Jack Smight.
How long is The Traveling Executioner? +
The film runs for 95 minutes.
What genre is The Traveling Executioner? +
It's a comedy-drama Western.
Where can I watch The Traveling Executioner? +
The Traveling Executioner is available to stream on SassyFlix.