The Guillotine

Overview

The Guillotine examines the fascinating and bizarre history of the "national razor" that started out strictly for execution and then became a source of entertainment and amusement. In Scotland they called it "the Maiden," in England "the Halifax Gibbet," and in France "the Machine," "the Widow," and "the Guillotine." It existed for hundreds of years, but found its home in France during the French Revolution and the Reign of Terror when nearly 20,000 men, women and children died beneath its blade. Through dramatic reenactments and archival documentation of famous executions, the program explores the early technology of the guillotine and its bloodstained career throughout Europe.

Keywords

Cast

Stacy Keach

Narrator (Voice)

Whitney Alves

Re-creations

Stephen Cornwell

Re-creations

Tommy Elledge II

Re-creations

Nickolena Gibbons-Elledge

Re-creations

Kenneth Sollazzo

Re-creations

Tim Redmond

Re-creations

Jeffrey Scott

Re-creations

Tanya R. Tollefson

Re-creations

Eli Borggraefe

Re-creations