Search This Blog

Saturday, July 29, 2017

The Scarface Mob (1959)

In 1929 Chicago, a Federal agent (Robert Stack) forms an elite squad of incorruptible agents in order to bring down Al Capone's (Neville Brand) bootleg empire. Based on the non fiction book THE UNTOUCHABLES by Elliot Ness and Oscar Fraley and directed by Phil Karlson (KANSAS CITY CONFIDENTIAL). Originally airing as a two part event on the Westinghouse Desilu Playhouse, the two parts were seamlessly edited together and released to theaters and taking advantage of the medium allowed some partial nudity (Barbara Nichols as a stripper) that was not allowed for the TV showing. This spawned the TV series THE UNTOUCHABLES with Stack reprising his role as Elliot Ness but discarding the wife (Pat Crowley) he has in this movie (and in his real life). It's a compact tight little film with Phil Karlson, an expert hand at these gritty crime dramas, not shying away from the brutality and crudeness of this violent era in America's history. Stack as Ness even gets to show some emotion, something he rarely showed on the TV series. With Keenan Wynn, Bill Williams, Joe Mantell, Bruce Gordon, Paul Picerni, John Hoyt, Frank DeKova and James Westerfield.  

No comments:

Post a Comment