Al Capone (1959)

This factual biography of gang lord Al Capone follows his rise and fall in Chicago gangdom during the Prohibition era.

Director:

Richard Wilson

Writers:

Malvin Wald, Henry F. Greenberg

Stars:

Rod Steiger, Fay Spain, James Gregory

1 win & 1 nomination.

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Rod Steiger	...	Al Capone
Fay Spain	...	Maureen Flannery
James Gregory	...	Schaefler (narrator)
Martin Balsam	...	Mac Keeley, reporter
Nehemiah Persoff	...	Johnny Torrio
Murvyn Vye	...	George 'Bugs' Moran
Robert Gist	...	Dion O'Banion
Lewis Charles	...	Earl Weiss
Joe De Santis	...	Big Jim Colosimo
Sandy Kenyon	...	Bones Corelli
Raymond Bailey	...	Lawyer Brancato
Al Ruscio	...	Tony Genaro
Louis Quinn	...	Joe Lorenzo
Ron Soble	...	John Scalisi
Steve Gravers	...	Albert Anselmi

Storyline

In this unusually accurate biography, small-time hood Al Capone comes to Chicago at the dawn of Prohibition to be the bodyguard of racketeer Johnny Torrio. Capone's rise in Chicago gangdom is followed through murder, extortion, and political fraud. He becomes head of Chicago's biggest "business," but moves inexorably toward his downfall and ignominious end.

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Plot Keywords:

al capone | prohibition | murder | gun moll | posing for a photograph | 

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Taglines:

It was the age of speakeasies and jazz... when everybody sinned, ginned and broke the laws... while a vicious crime lord almost took over the nation!

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Genres:

Biography | Crime | Drama

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Certificate:

Approved

Details

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

25 March 1959 (USA)

Also Known As:

Lain ja oikeuden voitto

Company Credits

Production Co:

Allied Artists Pictures

Technical Specs

Runtime:

104 min

Sound Mix:

Mono (RCA Sound Recording)

Color:

Black and White

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

Martin Balsam's character, Mac Keeley, was based on a real-life Chicago Tribune reporter named Jake Lingle. Lingle, a "legman" who ran down gang-related stories for the paper, had close ties to Capone and other gangsters as well as the notoriously corrupt Chicago Police Department, and he was well-paid by both mobsters and a police commissioner as a "go-between." Lingle was gunned down on June 9, 1930, much as depicted in the movie, after "getting too big for his hat", as Capone put it, and demanding too much for his services (though a Capone rival likely paid for the hit). Apparently legal concerns prevented the producers of this film from using Lingle's name. However, just a few months after this film was released, the TV series The Untouchables told Lingle's story in its third episode and used his actual name.

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Connections

Referenced in Las travesuras de Morucha (1962)

User Reviews

An indispensable classic film of this genre.

A review of the most important events in the life of the most famous gangster of all time by director Richard Wilson. The film is not well known but very attractive because it is the famous Alphonse Capone, and that perfectly reflects what was and this character has meaning in criminal history in the United States.

Rod Steiger makes a masterful performance, unforgettable performance full of strength, character and true reflection of what was probably the gangster in reality. I sure James Gandolfini saw this film when he came to the role of "Tony Soprano". Richard Wilson also directs perfectly and makes a journey through the rise and fall of a character I created a new class of organized crime which is still in force today.

A magnificent performance, the film was completed with a good photograph, inside strongly moralistic message against this way of life, for good action scenes and historical events remembered by all (the killing of S. Valentine, conviction tax evasion, escape to Florida, birth of the great gangster thanks to prohibition ...) this movie is a must for fans of the genre. If you enjoy with "Little Caesar" 1931, "The Roaring Twentieso" 1939, or more recently with "Once Upon a Time in America" 1984, "Goodfellas" 1990, it is essential to see the true picture of what was undoubtedly "The Big Boss "Alphonse Capone.

It was filmed in black and white aptly, with an almost documentary style, and critics hailed the powerful performance of Steiger, the extraordinary photography of Ballard and objective direction of Wilson.