The Mystery of Al Capone's Vaults (TV 1986)

Journalist Geraldo Rivera hosted this much-hyped live-on-TV opening of gangster Al Capone's secret vault beneath the Lexington Hotel in Chicago, Illinois, USA. After much fanfare, including... See full summary »

Director:

Bill Foster

Stars:

Al Capone, Doug Llewelyn, Geraldo Rivera

Cast

Credited cast:
Al Capone	...	Himself (archive footage)
Doug Llewelyn	...	Himself
Geraldo Rivera	...	Himself - Host
Charles 'Buddy' Rogers	...	Himself (as Buddy Rogers)
Robert St. John	...	Himself
Robert Stein	...	Himself - County Medical Examiner (as Dr. Robert Stein)

Storyline

Journalist Geraldo Rivera hosted this much-hyped live-on-TV opening of gangster Al Capone's secret vault beneath the Lexington Hotel in Chicago, Illinois, USA. After much fanfare, including the presence of a medical examiner in case human remains were discovered, the vault was revealed to contain... considerably less than many anticipated.

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Plot Keywords:

vault | gangster | medical examiner | chicago illinois | hotel | 

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Genres:

Documentary | Biography | Crime | History

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Certificate:

Unrated

Details

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

21 April 1986 (USA)

Filming Locations:

Lexington Hotel - 2135 S. Michigan Avenue, Near South Side, Chicago, Illinois, USA

Company Credits

Production Co:

WGN

Technical Specs

Runtime:

120 min 120 min

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.33 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

The show aired live in the USA in April 1986 garnering one of the highest ratings in US television history. Nielsen recorded a 34 average rating and 48 average share in eight markets, and a 57 rating and 73 share in the Chicago market. Rivera hosted the show which was to climax with the opening of a "secret vault" inside the bowels of the Lexington Hotel in Chicago, supposedly revealing Al Capone's treasure or possibly human remains. Internal Revenue Service Agents and a medical examiner stood at the ready should any cash or corpse lay inside. When demolition crews finally made their way inside the only contents were a dirt pile and a bottle of bathtub gin. The hype generated a record rating of 57 with an estimated audience of 30,000,000. The term "Al Capone's Vault" has come to mean any over-hyped event that leads to nothing.

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Connections

Referenced in Hunk (1987)

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