The Scarface Mob

"The Scarface Mob" is not a gangster film; that's what I claim puts it head and shoulders above all other anti-crime films. It's really about what motivates an Eliot Ness and what makes his sort of man different from the Al Capone's of this world. I have studied the era extensively; and those who called this "authentic-looking" Depression Era dramatized fiction have the case right; the direction by Phil Karlsen, as good as any director is at putting physical action on the screen, is very authentic. Nelson Riddle's jarring score and the great sets add much to the movie. Most of the acting, by stalwart Robert Stack, Keenan Wynn, Bruce Gordon and others is very good indeed. This is a story of the hardest sort to make-- a tale of an ethical man trying to bring down an evil one; it's the sort of story that many TV series have failed to carry off. In this feature-length film, scenes such as the harrowing setting of a wiretap in an alleyway by night, truckborne raids on breweries, a knife attack on Ness, nightclub scenes, Capone's return from serving a jail sentence to reestablish his rule over his cowed mobsters and many others are exceedingly memorable. The violence in the film is mostly honest, the camera-work and lighting amazing for a made-for-TV 1950's production. But the key to the film's extraordinary power is the keeping of context by Ness and his men--truly untouchable in a time when bribery was all-too-effective at corrupting many who had sworn to protect citizens from the Capones. It's hard to say enough nice things about such a memorable film experience.

Could this one of those films (or TV shows or made-for-TV movies) that was intense and dramatic when you first watched it as a kid....but now looks tame and wasn't as good as you remembered? Or was this TV-movie simply not up to standards of the weekly show? Hopefully, the latter because I have fond memories of the show.

Growing up, I never missed an episode of the "The Untouchable" on TV and thought it was the greatest. I am still anxiously awaiting someone to put the show on DVD.

However, even though it was fun to see Robert Stack playing Elliot Ness once again; Neville Brand as the tough Al Capone and Barbara Nichols playing a dumb blonde, all of it was just didn't have the impact anymore....or at least in this movie.

The problem was that the story moved too slowly. You can't do that today, especially in crime movies. The only "crime" is having a film that drags.

As the world's biggest Untouchables fan it would pain me to write anything negative about this franchise. But this Pilot, at least the first part, though it does get a bit better, is pedestrian compared to the best episodes of the subsequent series, which of course we remember, forgetting the worst. First episode The Empty Chair a case in point. Of which the first few minutes even, are a step up in tempo.

Its funny that some of the original Untouchables such as Paul Dubov later sit on Frank Nitti's council and Peter Leeds is as a con in 3000 suspects!!. Eddie Firestone an Untouchable!!!! (sorry Eddie), and Paul Picerni does a complete about turn. The series has the benefit of the great music played during the episodes which this does not have. Which always adds great substance.

To me its ironic that the whole revolves around the prohibition of alcohol while most of the characters smoke like chimneys!!!

Bruce Gordon, Neville Brand, and Frank (F. Troop) de Kova are some of my all time favourites but for the first two in proper larger than life form watch the Big Train Parts 1 and 2 and Bruce and Frank in The Frank Nitti Story , Nick Acropolis etc.

Again a good watch but not a patch on the best of Series 1-3. but still way ahead of disappointing Season 4

I used to love this series growing up. But as I got older I knew most of it was false. No way was Ness going around slapping gangsters, and talking down to them. Ness wanted to be important again, so he wrote this mostly fictional account. The IRS brought Capone down, not Ness. Read the true story. All in all this was light entertainment.

In 1929, in Chicago, Agent Eliot Ness (Robert Stack) asks his chief to form a small group of incorruptible men to fight Al Capone (Neville Brand), who is imprisoned for income tax evasion. Eliot Ness travels to Washington to analyze hundreds of files and find seven men to compose his elite team named The Untouchables. He concludes that attacking Al Capone's breweries would considerably reduce the income of Al Capone and his mobsters and they would have difficulties bribing politicians, dirty cops and other powers that be. The Untouchables bug Al Capone's telephone, use an inside informer and investigate the locations of his breweries. In reprisal, Eliot Ness' fiancée Betty Anderson (Pat Crowley) is attacked at home, forcing them to get married on the same night. Agent Joe Fuselli (Keenan Wynn), who is his friend, dies of an attack by the gangsters on their car protecting Eliot Ness. Al Capone also kills his informer and witness. But The Untouchables are relentless and will do any thing to arrest the Al Capone.

"The Scarface Mob" (1959) is a feature based on the edition of the the two parts of the "Pilot" of the TV series "The Untouchables", with the story of the formation of the incorruptible elite group in Chicago that chased Al Capone and put him in prison. In Brazil, it was released by Paramount in a box of "The Untouchables", with the explanation of the episodes and the feature in the beginning. The feature / episodes are based on the autobiography "The Untouchables" by Eliot Ness and Oscar Fraley. This series was very successful in Brazil, and Eliot Ness was a kind of idol for the youths. This episode is very violent and proves that violence from criminals must be responded in the same level from the good lawmen to have results. Unfortunately, many contemporary politicians do not agree with these procedures and implement laws, making difficult and obstructing honest police officers to act, at least in Brazil. My vote is nine.

Title (Brazil): "Scarface e a Máfia" ("Scarface and the Mafia")