Translation from English

Monday, January 13, 2014

Remembering "The Untouchables"-- and J. Edgar Hoover's Constant Image Burnishing of the FBI

If you saw Clint Eastwood's film "J. Edgar", a lot is made about how obsessed Hoover was with the public image of the FBI

"The Untouchables" looks in hindsight more and more like a propaganda outing that was not always strictly based in fact

Some people in the NYPD once told me they felt Hoover was always afraid to tackle the mob because they could buy FBI agents the way the NY Mafia bought NYC cops ( at one time, the rumor was that the mob always had at least two cops on the payroll in every precinct, sometimes more).

Anyway, it was good comic strip type stuff and very entertaining

The Untouchables (1959 TV series)

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Jump to: navigation, search
The Untouchables
Untouchables 1959.jpg
Genre Crime drama
Starring Robert Stack
Abel Fernandez
Nicholas Georgiade
Paul Picerni
Steve London
Bruce Gordon
Neville Brand
Theme music composer Nelson Riddle
Composer(s) Jack Cookerly
William Loose
Nelson Riddle
Pete Rugolo
Country of origin United States
Original language(s) English
No. of seasons 4
No. of episodes 118 & 2-part pilot (List of episodes)
Production
Executive producer(s) Alan A. Armer
Desi Arnaz
Leonard Freeman
Quinn Martin
Jerry Thorpe
Mike Hunt
Producer(s) Alan A. Armer
Alvin Cooperman
Walter Grauman
Bert Granet
Paul Harrison
Herman Hoffman
Sidney Marshall
Vincent McEveety
Del Reisman
Norman Retchin
Lloyd Richards
Stuart Rosenberg
Charles Russell
Josef Shaftel
Cinematography Robert B. Hauser
Glen MacWilliams
Charles Straumer
Camera setup Single-camera
Running time 50 minutes
Production company(s) Desilu Productions
Langford Productions
Distributor Paramount Domestic Television
CBS Paramount Domestic Television (2006-2007)
CBS Television Distribution (2007-)
Broadcast
Original channel ABC
Picture format Black-and-white
Audio format Monaural
Original run October 15, 1959 – May 21, 1963
The Untouchables is an American crime drama that ran from 1959 to 1963 on ABC. Based on the memoir of the same name by Eliot Ness and Oscar Fraley, it fictionalized Ness' experiences as a Prohibition agent, fighting crime in Chicago in the 1930s with the help of a special team of agents handpicked for their courage, moral character and incorruptibility, nicknamed the Untouchables. The book was later made into a film in 1987 (also called The Untouchables) by Brian De Palma, with a script by David Mamet, and a second less successful TV series in 1993.
A powerful, hard-hitting crime drama, The Untouchables won series star Robert Stack an Emmy Award for Best Actor in a Dramatic Series in 1960.[1]

Series overview

Stack as Eliot Ness with Gloria Talbott, 1962.
The stories often revolved around Ness' enmity with the criminal empire of Chicago mob boss Al Capone, and many focused on crimes related to Prohibition. The show stars Robert Stack as Eliot Ness and was narrated by Walter Winchell. Neville Brand played Al Capone in the Westinghouse Desilu Playhouse episodes, and in a few episodes of the regular series. This series focused on the efforts of the real-life Federal Special Squad, led by Eliot Ness, that destroyed the bootleg empire of "Scarface" Al Capone.This squad was nicknamed The Untouchables, because of their courage and honesty; they could not be bribed or intimidated by the Mob.[2][3][4]

The pilot for the series - a feature length TV movie later marketed as "The Scarface Mob"—was first broadcast on January 22, 1959 on CBS. It dealt with Ness's crusade to put Al Capone in prison. The weekly series first began broadcasting on October 1959, with the plotline commencing from the power struggle within the mob to establish the new mob boss in Capone's absence (for the purpose of the TV series, the new boss was Frank Nitti, although this was contrary to fact). In the pilot movie the mobsters generally spoke with a Chico Marx-style Italian accent, but this idiosyncratic pronunciation was dropped when the series itself debuted. When this pilot proved popular, CBS, which up to that point, broadcast most of Desilu's TV series since the popular I Love Lucy in 1951, was offered the new series, but CBS Chairman William S. Paley rejected it on the advice of network vice president Hubbell Robinson. ABC, however, agreed to air the series, and so The Untouchables premiered on ABC in the Fall of 1959, starring motion picture actor Robert Stack.[5] Early in the first season of the series, perhaps also in response to some public criticism, the character of "Agent Rossi", identified as a person of Italian extraction, was added to Ness's team as a driver and later became a full agent, despite Rossi having no previous training or experience in law enforcement. Rossi was given a back-story — that of a barber who was deeply traumatized when one of his customers (a mobster) and a young co-worker (a manicurist named Tessie DiGiovanna) were machine-gunned by Frank Nitti with an accomplice. Before one of the mobsters could escape, Enrico attacked and killed him by slashing him with a straight razor; he later testified against Nitti.

Controversy

The show drew harsh criticism from some Italian-Americans including Frank Sinatra,[6] who felt it promoted negative stereotypes of them as mobsters and gangsters. The Capone family unsuccessfully sued the Columbia Broadcasting System,(CBS), Desilu Productions and Westinghouse Electric Corporation for its depiction of the Capone family.

On March 9, 1961, Anthony Anastasio, chief of the Brooklyn waterfront and its International Longshoremen's Association, marched in line with a picket group who identified themselves as “The Federation of Italian-American Democratic Organizations.” In protest formation outside the American Broadcasting Company, (ABC) New York headquarters, they had come together to urge the public boycott of L&M, (Liggett & Myers Tobacco Company) products, and its Chesterfield King cigarettes, which sponsored "The Untouchables". They expressed displeasure with the program, which to them vilified Italian-Americans, stereotyping them as the singular criminal element. The boycott and the attendant firestorm of publicity had the effect Anastasio and his confederates wanted. Four days after the picket of ABC, L&M, denying that they had bowed to intimidation, announced it would drop its sponsorship of "The Untouchables", maintaining their decision was based on network-scheduling conflicts. The following week, the head of the production studio Desilu, Desi Arnaz (who had attended high school with Capone's son Albert), in concert with ABC and the “Italian-American League to Combat Defamation,” issued a formal three-point manifesto:
  • There will be no more fictional hoodlums with Italian names in future productions.
  • There will be more stress on the law-enforcement role of “Rico Rossi”, Ness’s right-hand man on the show.
  • There will be an emphasis on the “formidable influence” of Italian-American officials in reducing crime and an emphasis on the “great contributions” made to American culture by Americans of Italian descent.[7]
The Untouchables was considered one of the most violent television shows when it aired and was described by the National Association for Better Radio and Television "not fit for the television screen".[8]

In an article titled "The New Enemies of 'The Untouchables'"[9] Ayn Rand points out that the persistent, superficial attacks received by The Untouchables are due to its appeal and its virtues: its moral conflict and moral purpose.

Opening Credits Book Cover Art Error

The Book Cover Art displayed at the beginning of each episode included an obvious error. The Book Cover Art depicted an image of a cement walled warehouse stained with what appears to be blood, seven large wooden barrels, and what the casual observer would think was a 1930's Tommy Gun (aka Thompson M1928 .45ACP Sub-Machine Gun with a Type C Drum Magazine) popular with the underworld of the period. In fact, the Book Cover's artist had chosen to depict the image of a Russian PPSh-41 7.62mm Sub-Machine Gun with a drum magazine, produced after 1941. Some theories for the unknown artist having used a Russian weapon in the art, include the thought that it was a pointed remark toward the series infamous narrator Walter Winchell and his penchant for labeling people he didn't like by calling them "Commies", "Pinkos" and "Reds!"

Episodes and cast

The cast from left: Abel Fernandez, Nicholas Georgiade, Paul Picerni, (seated) Robert Stack.
Neville Brand as Al Capone.
The series had 118 episodes which ran 50 minutes each. Though the book it was based upon chronicled the experiences of Ness and his cohorts over a span of time ranging from 1929 to 1935, the overwhelming majority of the television episodes were broadcast in no chronological timeline, but were set in the early 1930s (for example, one episode, "You Can't Pick the Number", begins with Winchell's words, "October 1932 ... the depth of the Depression"). A few episodes were set primarily in a locale other than Chicago (such as the one dealing with the shootout involving Ma Barker and her gang.) Characters and "facts" in the majority of the episodes were more often than not entirely fictitious or loosely-based composites of true-life criminals of that era. The gripping theme music was by Nelson Riddle.

Quinn Martin produced the show's first season, which contained elements that could be found in future TV series produced by Martin.[10]
The Untouchables were portrayed by:
Other "Untouchables" members were portrayed by :
Other recurrent actors were:
* Contrary to popular belief, Steve London's character of Untouchable Jack Rossman (played in the "Scarface Mob" pilot by Paul Dubov), was in the series since the original season 1 series episode, "The Empty Chair", not from Season 2 on as is commonly reported.
** The character of Untouchable William Youngfellow, portrayed by Abel Fernandez, has been mistakenly referred to by Saturday Night Live actor Dan Aykroyd as "Youngblood". This name is incorrect.

Guest stars

A significant number of guest-stars from The Untouchables were and became major motion picture and television stars: including the following,
  • Luther Adler in season 2,episode 3 "Nicky",S2,E22 "Murder Under Glass", S3,E17 "Takeover"
  • Claude Akins in S1,E20 "The Unhired Assassin" part I,S3,E28 "The Monkey Wrench", S4,E23 "The Spoiler"
  • Edward Asner in S3,E16 "The Death Tree" S4,E1 "The Night They Shot Santa Claus", S4,E8 "Elegy", S4,E13 "Search for A Dead Man"
  • Martin Balsam in S3,E3 "Tunnel of Horrors" S3,E21 "Man in the Middle"
  • John Banner in S3,E17 "Takeover"
  • William Bendix in S1,E9 "The Tri-State Gang"
  • Scott Brady as Floyd Gibbons in S4,E11 "The Floyd Gibbons Story" (1963)
  • Charles Bronson in S3,E16 "The Death Tree"
  • Victor Buono as Melanthos Moon S2,E25 "Mr. Moon" and as Parnise Surigao inS3,E13 "The Gang War"
  • James Caan in S4,E10 "A Fist of Five"
  • Dyan Cannon as Mavis Carroll in S3,E14 "Silent Partner"
  • J.D. Cannon in S4,E2 "The Cooker in the Sky" S4,E21 "The Man in the Cooler"
  • James Coburn in S2,E16 "The Jamaica Ginger Story"
  • Steve Cochran in S2,E7 "The Purple Gang", S2,E32 "90- Proof Dame"
  • Mike Connors in S4,E7 "The Eddie O'Gara Story"
  • Richard Conte in S2,E15 "The Organization", S4,E3 "The Chess Game"
  • Bert Convy S3,E14 "Silent Partner"
  • Dan Dailey as Dexter Bayless inS4,E9 "Come and Kill Me"
  • Robert Duvall in season 4,episode 17 "Blues for a Gone Goose"
  • Peter Falk in S1,E26 "The Underworld Bank" and as Nate Selko in S3,E1 "The Troubleshooter"
  • Anne Francis in S1,E24 "The Doreen Maney Story"
  • James Gregory in S3,E7 "Jigsaw"
  • Harry Guardino in S1,E17 "One Armed Bandits", S2,E19 "The Nick Moses Story", S3,E25 "The Contract"
  • Clu Gulager as Vincent "Mad Dog" Coll S1,E6
  • Murray Hamilton in S2,E11 "The Tommy Karpeles Story", S3,E1 "The Troubleshooter", S3,E15 "The Whitey Steele Story", S4,E3 "The Chess Game"
  • Darryl Hickman S1,E11 "You Can't Pick the Number", S3,E26 "Pressure"
  • Steven Hill as Jack 'Legs' Diamond in S2,E2, S3,E22 "Downfall"
  • Pat Hingle S3,E23 "The Case Against Eliot Ness" S4,E20 "Junkman"
  • Richard Jaeckel in S2,E10 "The Otto Frick Story"
  • Brian Keith in S2,E16 "The Jamaica Ginger Story"
  • George Kennedy as Birdie the Mute S2,E30 "The King of Champagne"
  • Jack Klugman in S3,E6 "Loophole", S4,E19 "An Eye for an Eye"
  • Martin Landau in S1,E7 "Mexican Stake-Out", S3,E6 "Loophole"
  • Cloris Leachman in S3,E7 "Jigsaw", S3,E21 "Man in the Middle"
  • Robert Loggia in S3,E17 "Takeover"
  • Jack Lord in S1,E3 "The Jake Lingle Killing"
  • Lee Marvin in S2,E31 "The Nick Acropolis Story", S3,E19 "Element of Danger", S4,E10 "A Fist of Five"
  • Gavin MacLeod in S1,E9 "The Tri State Gang", S2,E12-13 "The Big Train", S3,E6 "Loophole", and as William "Porker" Davis S3,E21 "Man in the Middle"
  • Ricardo Montalbán in S2,E27 "Stranglehold"
  • Elizabeth Montgomery as Rusty Heller (for which she received an Emmy Award nomination) (1960) S2,E1 "The Rusty Heller Story"
  • Harry Morgan as Bugs Moran in S4,E12 "Doublecross"
  • Vic Morrow in S2,E11 "The Tommy Karpeles Story", S3,E20 "The Maggie Storm Story"
  • Barry Morse in S2,E30 "The King Of Champagne", S4,E18 "Globe Of Death"
  • Patricia Neal as Maggie Storm in S3,E20 "The Maggie Storm Story"
  • Leslie Nielsen in S1,E23 "Three Thousand Suspects"
  • Leonard Nimoy in S3,E17 "Takeover"
  • Lloyd Nolan as Bugs Moran in S1,E4 "The George 'Bugs' Moran Story"
  • Simon Oakland in S3,E11 "The Canada Run", S3,E22 "Downfall", S4,E27 "The Jazz Man"
  • Carroll O'Connor in S3,E2 "Power Play", S4,E6 "Bird in the Hand"
  • Nehemiah Persoff as Jake Guzik in three episodes, S1,E1 "The Empty Chair", S2,E29 "The Seventh Vote", S4,E12 "Doublecross", also S1,E27 "Head of Fire, Feet of Clay", S2,E4 "The Waxey Gordon Story", S3,E18 "The Stryker Brothers"
  • Robert Redford as Jack Parker in S4,E15 "Snowball"
  • Cliff Robertson as Frank Halloway in S1,E12 "The Underground Railway"
  • Telly Savalas in S2,E20 "The Antidote", S3,E5 "The Matt Bass Scheme", S4,E14 "The Speculator"
  • Henry Silva as "Little Charlie Sebastino" in episodes S1,E14 "The Noise of Death" S2,E5 "The Mark of Cain" and as Joker in S3,E15 "The Whitey Steele Story"
  • Barbara Stanwyck in S4,E8 "Elegy", S4,E13 "Search for a Dead Man"
  • Harold J. Stone in S2,E1 "The Rusty Heller Story", S2,E11 "The Tommy Karpeles Story", S2,E24 "Ring of Terror", S3,E10 "Hammerlock", S3,E26 "Pressure", S4,E24 "One Last Killing"
  • Frank Sutton in S3,E18 "The Stryker Brothers", S3,E25 "The Contract", S4,E14 "The Speculator", S4,E22 "The Butchers Boy"
  • Rip Torn as Harry Strauss aka "Pittsburgh Phil" in S2,E14 "The Masterpiece", S4,E23 "The Spoiler"
  • Claire Trevor as Ma Barker in S1,E2 "Ma Barker and Her Boys"
  • Lee Van Cleef in S1,E20 "The Unhired Assassin"
  • Jack Warden in S1,E3 "The George 'Bugs' Moran Story, S1,E27 Head of Fire, Feet of Clay, S2,E10 "The Otto Frick Story"
  • Jack Weston as Ciro Terranova in S1,E8 "The Artichoke King"
  • Joseph Wiseman in S2,E11 "The Tommy Karpeles Story", S2,E20 "The Antidote"

Broadcast history

The Untouchables originally aired as a segment on the anthology series Desilu Playhouse, in 1959, on CBS. It was picked up as a regular series by ABC for the 1959 season and was aired on Thursdays from 9:30-10:30 pm from 1959-1962, switching to Tuesday evenings from 10:00-11:00 pm for its final season (1962-1963). (The last time change had it replacing the sitcom Margie, (starring Cynthia Pepper) which had been cancelled).

Desilu Productions president Desi Arnaz had originally signed actor Van Johnson as Ness. Johnson's wife (and manager) rejected the deal and demanded double the salary based on the Desilu Playhouse episode running for two hours. Arnaz refused and signed Stack instead. Arnaz also created a controversy by selling the series to ABC. Arnaz had had a long business relationship with CBS, which had aired many Desilu programs (including I Love Lucy and the Lucy-Desi Comedy Hour). When CBS refused to buy the program, Arnaz then sold it to ABC, his first major sale to that network.[11]

In 1961, Neville Brand reprised his role as Al Capone in the movie "The George Raft Story".
Some segments were released to theaters as movies: "The Scarface Mob" (from the 2-part pilot), "The Alcatraz Express" (from "The Big Train"), and "The Gun Of Zangara" (from "Unhired Assassin").
On 10 November 1991, NBC ran the 2-hour movie "The Return Of Eliot Ness", with Robert Stack back as Ness. Set in 1947, Capone had died and Ness was investigating the death of an Untouchables agent named Labine.

Episodes

Main article: List of The Untouchables (1959 TV series) episodes
In 1997, the episode "The Rusty Heller Story" was ranked #99 on TV Guide's 100 Greatest Episodes of All Time.[12]

DVD releases

DVD releases

CBS DVD (distributed by Paramount) have released all four seasons of The Untouchables on DVD in Region 1. The first two seasons have also been released in Region 4. Season 4 volumes 1 & 2 were released on July 24, 2012 in Region 1.[13]
DVD Name Ep # Release dates
Region 1 Region 4
Season 1- Volume 1 14 + pilot April 10, 2007[14] September 30, 2009[15]
Season 1- Volume 2 14 September 25, 2007[16] September 30, 2009[17]
Season 2- Volume 1 16 March 18, 2008[18] September 30, 2009[19]
Season 2- Volume 2 16 August 26, 2008[20] September 30, 2009[21]
Season 3- Volume 1 16 August 25, 2009[22] N/A
Season 3- Volume 2 12 November 10, 2009[23] N/A
Season 4- Volume 1 15 July 24, 2012 N/A
Season 4- Volume 2 15 July 24, 2012 N/A

Region 2

Paramount Home Entertainment has released the first three seasons of The Untouchables on DVD in the UK. These releases are full season sets as opposed to Region 1 and 4 where each season has been split into two volumes.
DVD Name Ep # Release Date
Season 1 28 August 18, 2008[24]
Season 2 32 September 14, 2009[25]
Season 3 28 September 20, 2010[26]
Season 4 30 TBA

Further reading

  • Tucker, Kenneth. Eliot Ness and the Untouchables: The Historical Reality and the Film and Television Depictions. Jefferson, North Carolina: McFarland & Company, 2000. ISBN 0-7864-0772-7
  • Vahimagi, Tise. "The Untouchables" London, England: BFI Publishing, 1998. ISBN 0-85170-563-4 (Detailed study of the series and episode guide)


Posted by at

No comments:

Post a Comment

Please leave a comment-- or suggestions, particularly of topics and places you'd like to see covered

Subscribe to: Post Comments (Atom)