Al Capone (1959) User Reviews

The Rise And Fall Of History's Most Famous Gangster.

[sddavis63 · 8/10 · 21 January 2012]

Chicago in the 1920's: rife with political and police corruption and increasingly run by mobsters. The most famous of them undoubtedly was Al Capone. In this bio-pic, Capone is played very effectively by Rod Steiger. Steiger captured both the role and the man. Capone was a guy of humble origins, but was a bit of a contradiction: he had no education but a love for culture; he was a ruthless gangster but for the most part stayed legally "clean." Steiger captured both the ruthlessness and the culture with his portrayal. Based on actual photographs of Capone that I've seen, Steiger even looked the part. He was very impressive.

The movie basically traces Capone's career in crime from the time he arrives in Chicago in 1919 as a bodyguard to a local crime figure and takes it up to his conviction for income tax evasion of all things (it was the only crime they could ever actually pin on him) in 1931, with a very brief look at Capone in Alcatraz, and a voice-over explaining his last years before his death in 1947. Watching his rise was always interesting. A lot of this is fictional. James Gregory's character (the honest Chicago cop who commits himself and his entire career to bringing Capone down, and from whose perspective the story is told) didn't exist, and there's no portrayal of Capone's actual marriage; instead the movie focuses on a relationship he supposedly develops with a woman (Fay Spain) whose husband he had killed in the early part of his criminal career. The character of the newspaperman Keely (Martin Balsam) was based on a real figure, although the name was changed.

By the standards of the modern era of film-making, this is laughably clean. There are a lot of shootouts, but no blood ever appears on those who are shot and killed, and in general these gangsters are awfully polite! There's an extended look on the planning of the St. Valentine's Day Massacre (as Capone used his men to take out many of his rivals in Chicago while he stayed at his home in Florida) although the Massacre itself doesn't take very long and - again - isn't especially graphic.

This represents an interesting and believable (if not quite historically accurate) look at not only Capone but at the state of Chicago in the era and of the role that Prohibition played in promoting the rise of organized crime, and Steiger's performance alone makes this worth watching. (8/10)

Film succeeds in white-washing a colorful character

[thomasjgroening · 6/10 · 3 September 2013]

Like so many mid-century biographical films, Al Capone marches through the man's life, giving equal weight to each way-point. It also fails miserably by providing no psychological or historical context for how he became one of crime's most notorious characters. In fact, the film succeeds in white-washing this killer. He woos the widow of one of his victims. He repeatedly makes the point that he's never been convicted of any crime. People die, but there is no depiction of Capone's ruthless, brutal side. Rod Steiger in the title role does an admirable job with the shallow script, but this is not enough to make the film worth watching. Oddly, there's no mention of Elliot Ness and when it comes to summing up Capone's end, we're told he died of "an incurable disease." What, audiences in 1959 couldn't handle the word "syphilis"?

A gangster biography that is interesting more than entertaining.

[gitrich · 7/10 · 5 February 1999]

Al Capone does give us a clear picture of the rise and fall of the colorful gangster. He is played convincingly by Rod Steiger. The supporting cast does a fine job, especially Martin Balsam who plays a Capone associate. The film is, for the most part, realistic, but the violent scenes come close to being non-violent compared to today's standards. If you liked the old TV series The Untouchables, you will like Al Capone.

An eerily compelling Capone . . .

[bigpurplebear-1 · 22 October 2003]

Many actors have portrayed Capone over the years. It's virtually a "cottage industry," guaranteeing that yet another Capone flick will hit the screens before the collective audience has quite recovered from its yawn at the last one. And yet, for me, no one has ever come quite so close to nailing the role as Rod Steiger in this 1959 black-and-white low-budget effort.

As a matter of fact, using the term "low-budget" does this film a disservice, calling to mind as it does the run-of-the-mill output of producer/distributor Allied Artists (usually on the scale of "Attack Of The 50-Foot Mummified Woman Meets Godzilla's Teenage Werewolf Son"). For this film, however, the studio assembled a strong acting ensemble which includes Martin Balsam, Nehemiah Persoff, Murvyn Vye, and James Gregory, all of whom deliver standout performances.

Yet it's Steiger whose performance holds this film together. His Capone is a monster whose mood swings defy the term "mercurial," yet his psychopathy seems somehow strangely -- disturbingly -- human. You can sense the demons deep within him, and how they drive him, but you're never allowed to glimpse them, not even momentarily, lest you lose sight of the fact that this man truly is a monster. Eerily compelling, even hypnotic (particularly as he woos -- and wins! -- the widow of a cop he's previously murdered), Steiger invests his characterization with the bravura of the opera which the real-life Capone professed to admire. Alternately wheedling and bullying, bellicose and scheming, he assumes a larger-than-life mythos which resonates all the more uncomfortably due to a sense of plausibility, the feeling that such men do continue to exist among us.

The storyline itself is more or less factual, save for Gregory's character (which isn't even really a composite of any particular real-life law enforcement personnel), as well as a decision to re-name Balsam's character rather than use the identity of the real-life Jake Lingle, upon whom the character is based. Certain incidents have been fictionalized as to the way they happened, but that's to be expected in the interest of dramatic effect.

Overall, the film achieves an almost documentary effect. Steiger's performance makes it a very chilling documentary, indeed.

Brilliant , stylishly recreated story about Al'Scarface'Capone including exuberant performance

[ma-cortes · 7/10 · 21 November 2012]

This landmark gangster movie is strong stuff , being dominated by the tenacious acting of Rod Steiger as the gangster of the title who follows his way venomously to the top . Director Richard Wilson's body-strewn look at the feud between Al Capone , Bugs Moran , Johnny Torrio and other famous mobsters , but especially concerns the Rise And Fall Of History's Most Famous Gangster . Alfonso Caponi , Scarface , for a scar on his countenance and son from Italians immigrants . He's a youth comrade of Lucky Luciano and Johnny Torrio , both of whom are also from Napolitan origin . In this unusually accurate biography , small-time hood Al Capone (Rod Steiger) goes to Chicago at the dawn of Prohibition to be the bodyguard of Johnny Torrio (Nehemiah Persoff) . Capone's rise in Chicago Gangdom is strongly carried out by means of violence and murder , subsequently took place his fall .Torrio accompanied to Capone are going to Chicago but he is called by his uncle Jim Colosimo (Joe De Santis) . He's murdered and Torrio rules over as Chicago's crime boss , but during his violent confrontation to Dion O'Bannion he decided Capone managed the business . He becomes head of Chicago's biggest "business," and followed through killing corruption , extortion, and political fraud. Capone (born January 17, 1899 Brooklyn and deceased 1947) running his crime empire until FBI agents and police (James Gregory) worked to send the crime boss to prison. Al Capone's been convicted of tax evasion, but the law states that he can only be confined to a regular jail cell . And from there, he still runs his criminal empire. Michael Rourke, a government agent and Eliot Ness who are aware of this, seek to have him transfered to the newly open maximum security prison, Alcatraz, but nobody believes that this is necessary , but Capone moves inexorably toward his downfall and ignominious final .

This factual biography of gang lord Al Capone follows his rise and fall in Chicago gangdom during the Prohibition era. This is a violence-ridden story full of action, drama, thriller and pretty entertaining . The notorious gangster Al Capone being splendidly played by Rod Steiger who makes a good character study of one of the most colorful mobsters of the history . Steiger captures the special excitement or mood of paranoia on Capone role . This fast-moving mobster story heartkened back to the vintage years of tommy-gun thrillers at Warner Bros such as ¨Scarface¨ and ¨Pubic enemy¨ . In the film appears famous gangsters such as the racketeer Johnny Torrio well played by Nehemiah Persoff , George 'Bugs' Moran performed by Murvyn Vye , Dion O'Banion interpreted by Robert Gist , Tony Genaro performed by Al Ruscio and Big Jim Colosimo rightly acted by Joe De Santis . Fay Spain makes an appealing heroine , providing an elegant touch amid the 'macho'machine gun mayhem of the rest of the film . This picture is plenty of mayhem , strong stuff , drama and amount of gangland violence . Although sometimes takes a back seat to the real life and catches the imagination in the storyline . This fast-paced and entertaining film was well directed by Richard Wilson (Invitation a gunfighter , Three in Attic). Wilson was a previous associate of Orson Welles in the Mercury Theatre days and made another good Western as ¨Man with a gun¨, starring Robert Mitchum and ¨Zane Grey¨ episodes. Watchable results for this mobster movie .

Other films dealing with Al Capone are the following : The classic ¨Scarface ¨by Howard Hawks with Paul Muni ; ¨Scarface mob¨ by Phil Karlson with Robert Stack and Neville Brand ; ¨The St Valentine's Day Massacre¨(67) by Roger Corman with Jason Robards , Ralph Meeker , Jack Nicholson , Bruce Dern ; ¨Capone¨ by Steve Carver with Ben Gazzara and Susan Blakely , ¨The Untouchables¨ by Brian De Palma with Kevin Costner and Sean Connery . And TV series as ¨The Untouchables of Eliot Ness¨ with Robert Stack , Neville Brand and Keenan Wynn, and ¨The Untouchables¨ with Tom Amandes and William Forshyte .

Al Capone review

[JoeytheBrit · 7/10 · 16 May 2020]

Rod Steiger looks to be having a whale of a time chewing not only the scenery, but also the props and a few fellow cast members' legs as the notorious Al 'Scarface' Capone. And although he overacts shamelessly, he's great fun to watch. While the plot may stick reasonably close to reality, Capone's domestic issues look to be pure fiction, with no mention made of his wife and child. But there's plenty of violent action, lots of treachery and backstabbing, and a neat turn from Martin Balsam as a less than esteemed member of the press.

This is way better than DeNiro's UNTOUCHABLES

[DJAkin · 6/10 · 23 February 2002]

I loved this black and white movie. It stared Rod Steiger who comes across like Mr. Tony Soprano actually. It was told in the tradition of a biography. Capone was so violent yet a great businessman. This movie is borderline FILM NOIR. Mr. Capone, in the movie, starts out as a simple bouncer and them works his way up to the bossman of the Chicago Syndicate. He eventually was convicted on INCOME TAX evasion and sentenced to 11 years at THE ROCK. The movie even takes us into THE ROCK where it shows Capone and how he loses his power. What makes this movie really great is simply ROD's portrayal of Scarface. He plays it very very well. If I had to choose ANY GANGSTER movie from that subject matter, this is it.

Nobody who's smart goes hungry in Chicago.

[hitchcockthelegend · 7/10 · 19 September 2015]

Al Capone is directed by Richard Wilson and written by Malvin Wald and Henry F. Greenberg. It stars Rod Steiger, Martin Balsam, Nehemiah Persoff, Fay Spain, Joe DeSantis and Murvyn Vye. Music is by David Raksin and cinematography by Lucien Ballard.

Alphonse Gabriel Capone, it's a name synonymous with gangsters of 1920s America, and of course of cinematic films. Richard Wilson's film is one of the better gangster biopics out there, filmed in semi-doc style, it unfolds with great human drama without glorifying the subject matter. If anything it's refreshingly unsentimental in its approach.

Steiger is Capone (never Caponee!) and he puts his method stomp all over the role, carrying the film squarely on his well cast shoulders. He has all the ticks and mannerisms of Capone to either chill the blood or charm the other characters in the play, it is very much a powerhouse performance.

As a history lesson it's not wholly accurate, but much of it is rigid in the life and times of the famous criminal. The period detail is splendid, with the backdrops boosted no end by the gorgeous monochrome photography served up by Ballard. Enthralling, sometimes violent and always intriguing, this is well worth a look. 7/10

Worth seeing for typically grandiose work by Steiger.

[Hey_Sweden · 6/10 · 10 February 2019]

Rod Steiger gets another chance to sink his teeth into a meaty role in this, just one of a number of film versions of the popular Al Capone story over the decades. We see Capone start out in the post-WWI years as bodyguard / bouncer for Johnny Torrio (Nehemiah Persoff), and watch as he systematically eliminates those who stand in his way. Eventually, he rises to the top ranks of organized crime in Chicago. Meanwhile, a humourless lawman (James Gregory) has run-ins with Capone over the years. The lawman makes it his personal mission to bring down the mobster.

The movie - which is also narrated by Gregory - attempts to show how Capone changed the image of the typical mobster by illustrating his ventures into legitimate businesses. Now, you could expect a character like Capone to carry himself like a businessman while much violence is carried out on his behalf.

Obviously, this had to be done on a somewhat limited budget, given that the studio responsible is Allied Artists, whose other 1950s ventures were usually - well, schlockier. But the filmmakers, led by director Richard Wilson, take the material seriously and respectfully. Now, Eliot Ness is never mentioned, although references are made throughout to "the Feds"; here, it's Gregory that leads the crusade against this leader in organized crime.

The film is not particularly stylish, but it is basically well-made, with another great lighting job by the renowned cinematographer Lucien Ballard.

The main value lies in an exceptional cast. Steiger does some scenery chewing, but here it works, as he portrays a larger than life man with major mood swings and a hair-trigger temper. He delivers a magnetic, forceful performance. One of the most stunning plot twists is that Capone actually manages to win the hand of a widow (Fay Spain, in the only substantial female role) whose husband he had killed. Martin Balsam is lots of fun as the slightly shady newspaperman (based on real-life Jake Lingle) who hobnobs with Capone and his ilk. Persoff, Murvyn Vye (as "Bugs" Moran), Robert Gist (as Dion O'Banion), Lewis Charles (as Earl Weiss), Joe De Santis (as Big Joe Colosimo), Sandy Kenyon, Raymond Bailey, Al Ruscio, and Ron Soble round out a very fine bunch of actors. Dialogue director Joseph Sargent, who began his own directing career that same year with "Street-Fighter", puts in an on-screen appearance as Bob Buell.

Somewhat like a documentary at times, due to the narration, albeit with the standard Hollywood use of some dramatic license.

If you're a true crime aficionado, and enjoy old black & white movies, "Al Capone" does deliver some decent entertainment.

Six out of 10.

Down Memory Lane

[telegonus · 9/10 · 13 April 2003]

This 1959 picture is yet another cinematic retelling of the life of mobster Al Capone, and is better than most I've seen. Rod Steiger as Big Al seems miscast at first but wins me over in the end. Steiger was a born ham, but a fine actor for all his Methodish mannerisms, and has moments in the movie in which he's almost hypnotically effective. Yes, it's a performance, I kept on telling myself, but so was Capone himself. Over the top, perhaps, but Capone was himself more than a little touched, and Steiger nails this aspect of Capone to perfection, and is more effective in capturing the big guy's capriciousness than Robinson or Muni before him. Steiger's Capone isn't merely a gangster, he's a man possessed.

Director Richard Wilson's keeps this fairly modestly budgeted film moving at a fast pace, and it's never boring. In supporting roles, Fay Spain, Martin Balasm, James Gregory and Nehemiah Persoff are all effective. The black and white of this film evokes the late fifties more than the roaring twenties, and the movie at times feels a little like an episode of The Untouchables, at other times like Some Like It Hot. The Jazz Age was itself hot as the Eisenhower era was drawing to a close. F. Scott Fitzgerald's novels were coming back into vogue. O'Neill revivals on and off-Broadway were becoming commonplace. Al Capone captures this nostalgic mood, but really makes me nostalgic for the fifties more than for the twenties, for a time when fairly recent history could still be viewed as larger than life, the stuff of serious art and contemplation, not just fashionable nostalgia. Al Capone the movie is more nostalgia than serious art, but it touches on important issues, concerning violence, friendship, the role of government and the press as they pertain to and often collude with the criminal element, that still resonate today.

Steiger's Staggering Alphonso!

[GordJackson · 7/10 · 13 June 2013]

Method actor Rod Steiger probably spent a lot of time prepping his impersonation of Twenties Chicago mobster Al Capone for the film of the same name. Method actors tend to do that sort of thing. Sometimes it works, at other times it doesn't. In Steiger's case, it's 'spot on.' Eschewing any pretence at subtlety, his coarse, sweaty, psychotic Capone is pure evil, street-smart scum who can preside over a hit from another time zone while simultaneously enjoying good music, expensive scotch and a civilized conversation with a fascinated, old aristocrat.

Based upon the life of racketeer Alphonso Capone, AL CAPONE violently traces the hood's 1920s rise from journeyman bodyguard in a Chicago nightclub/whorehouse to feared crime boss whose devotion to position, power and money are the only real loves of his life. And of course, as with any true love there will be those inevitable bumps and detours, ups and downs along the way. Indeed true love, like those pesky universes sometimes referred to, have this rather nasty habit of not unfolding as one might otherwise wish.

Filmed in 1958 and released by poverty row studio Allied Artists in 1959, AL CAPONE also effectively features Fay Spain, James Gregory, Martin Balsam, Nehemiah Persoff and Murvyn Vye along with a fine David Raksin (LAURA) score. A riveting black and white gem, it was economically directed by Richard Wilson and is probably the best screen presentation of the Capone story, with the charismatic Rod Steiger brilliantly capturing the diabolical drive and zealotry of a maniacal monster barely a step removed from the suicide-bombing fanatics of today.

This one is not to be missed!

Mesmerizing performance by Steiger as most infamous gangster of the Twenties

[mlraymond · 9/10 · 25 October 2006]

I must begin by saying that few people today will ever know what the real Al Capone was like, though there are many excellent biographies of him available. What Rod Steiger does , along with the screen writers Wald and Greenberg, is to create a believable character, who we accept as the genuine Capone. From the moment he first saunters into a Chicago speakeasy on the eve of Prohibition to accept a job as bouncer, to the SPOILERS AHEAD: hard and dangerous life of a a convict at Alcatraz prison, he is utterly convincing. Steiger captures a vivid, larger than life portrayal of a criminal who is by turns funny, charming, brutal, truly frightening, and very aware of himself as a showman for the public. The scenes in which Capone makes self glorifying speeches about being a mere businessman and a public benefactor are quite faithful to the real Al Capone's frequent public comments on the subject. The rest of the cast is made up of good actors who give excellent performances. The gravelly voiced Murvyn Vye is hilarious as glum, humorless Bugs Moran, with a clever performance within a performance by Robert Gist, whose ruthless gangster Dion O'Banion plays the role of lovable Irishman to fool people into thinking he's not really dangerous. Nehemiah Persoff is a standout in the role of Capone's mentor Johnny Torrio, and James Gregory is good as the hardboiled police detective Schaefer who narrates the film. Martin Balsam is excellent as the corrupt reporter who acts as a go-between for Capone and legitimate society . His expression of wounded innocence when berated by the detective for being just a crook himself is marvelous. The strongest praise, aside from that due to Steiger, goes to Fay Spain for her incredibly powerful portrayal of a gangland widow romanced by Capone. She is nothing short of electrifying in the scene in which she, half laughing, half screaming, denounces Capone for his smiling attempt to compensate her for the death of her husband by offering to pay for the funeral. This scene alone is worth watching the entire movie for. The Twenties settings and characters are well done, and a surprising amount of real history is reenacted. Some is necessarily speculation about exactly how a murder was planned or who carried it out, but the story always has the feeling of being pretty much as it would have been. The only weakness I see in an otherwise solid production is the preachy narration by the detective character, but it does provide a sense of logical story development and a historical perspective. For anyone interested in seeing another of Steiger's amazing gallery of characters, and all fans of gangster movies, this is well worth seeing.

A Killing on the Stock Market

[rmax304823 · 7/10 · 12 July 2002]

I'm not sure that Rod Steiger comes across as very Italian in this movie. He wasn't really very good with dialects. And maybe he doesn't need to be too "Italian" anyway; Capone was born in Brooklyn, not Italy as he liked to claim. Steiger is a repulsive looking gangster here -- treacherous, sweaty, brutal, uncouth, and lecherous. Yet, I kind of like him. Steiger, I mean. Grew up hauling ice on the streets of Newark, New Jersey. Anybody who can get from there to an academy award has my vote.

Oh, sure, he can sometimes turn in a nicely measured performance, as in "On the Waterfront" and "The Pawnbroker" and "Doctor Zhivago." And sometimes he flails about, chewing the scenery to a frazzle, as he does here. But the exaggerration is curiously appropriate. The musical score cues us that this isn't all meant to be taken too seriously. And through the mask of all those wild gestures, verbal quirks, and method grimaces he does manage to project a fullsome ruthlessness. His boss, Johnny Torrio (Nehemia Persoff) promotes him to partner and when Capone asks why, Persoff turns to him, eyes filled with fear, and replies in a quivering voice, "Al, I want you standing next to me. I don't want you behind me no more." The two actors play off each other well. I've sometimes wondered if they reminisced about the scene they had together in "On the Waterfront." Persoff was the taxi driver in that famous scene, which I watched Elia Kazan filming in Hoboken as a kid. "On the Waterfront" was Martin Balsam's debut film too. He was morally upright there, whereas he is a likable reporter here but embodies moral terpitude, which is engaging as far as it goes, until he crosses Capone. Fay Spain, playing a woman whom Capone has turned into a widow, is exotic and sexy, but a limited acress. James Gregory is miscast as the straight police officer who is Capone's nemesis. I can't recall a single movie in which he appeared to be anything but a lying blowhard. But his character gets the job done. There are no "Untouchables" here. For all of the loathsome things that Capone did or instigated he spent only eleven years in prison for tax evasion. It wasn't easy time, true. When he refused to join in an uprising he was stabbed from behind by another inmate -- and this was Capone! He was released and allowed to spend the rest of his life in his Florida mansion. I guess we are supposed to take his slow death from syphilis as somehow a providentially imposed punishment, but lots of people had syphilis -- good and bad. Even Florence Nightingale died of syphilis.

The Rise And Fall Of Scarface

[bkoganbing · 5/10 · 15 September 2010]

Although Rod Steiger gives an electrifying performance as Al Capone in the film of the same name, it could have been done a whole lot better.

Influenced by the success of The Untouchables on television the classical gangster film underwent a short revival for about five years in the late Fifties and early Sixties. It was inevitable that a film about the most notorious gangster name of all would get a biographical film.

The film concentrated on Capone's public life and the stories of gangland lore that have circulated about him. Very little is shown of his personal life, he had a wife and child and many a mistress not just the character Fay Spain portrays. Rod Steiger has been accused of overacting in his characterization, but in fairness I don't think the writers and director gave him much to work with.

With one exception no characters had name changes. The one being Martin Balsam's character who was based on reporter Jake Lingle whose connections with the underworld got him many a good story, but also compromised his integrity. Capone is shown being responsible for Balsam's death, but in real life there are many theories about Lingle's demise.

One character is grafted in from New York. There was no such a character as James Gregory's honest inspector, mainly because there were damn few honest cops in Chicago in the Twenties. His character is based on Lewis J. Valentine who did run a confidential squad in New York City and faced a lot of political pressure from Tammany Hall. Under Fiorello LaGuardia, Valentine became the city's police commissioner, probably the best one we ever had.

Still if you were a big fan of The Untouchables, you should definitely like this Al Capone movie.

A Great Movie!! The best "Al Capone" I've ever seen!!

[ernieswanks_757 · 5 April 2004]

This movie is the best presentation of "Al Capone" that I've ever seen. The movie is presented in a "Doccumentary" format which kept me "rivited" to the screen. This cast is an "All Star Cast" to say the least. Rod Steiger did an excellant job playing the character of "Al Capone" and as far as I'm concerned, has set the "standard" for other Actors to follow on how to play that particular character. I've seen the character of "Al Capone" played by Robert Di Nero, Jason Robards, Neville Brand, & Al Pacino, but NOBODY played him like Rod Steiger!!!

Also, when you have supporting cast members like Fay Spain, Martin Balsam & Neamiah Persoff, the production in my opinion can't help but be a hit. The way this Movie was put together gives it the ability to be relevant in just about any era. Even though it was filmed in 1959, it didn't show any signs of being "outdated" or "out of touch" in any way.

Once again, a great movie with some great acting in it. I would highly reccomend this movie to anyone.

Steiger Brings It

[AudioFileZ · 7/10 · 7 September 2014]

Here you have a very brutal and famous iconic criminal played by a very intense, almost overwhelming portrayal by Rod Steiger - who is definitely one of the all-time iconic movie "tough- guys". So, unless the writers drop the ball this should work and so it, mostly, does.

By today's standards one might laugh at the depiction of the gang violence of Chicago in 1919. First, this was depicting a period in the twenties where outlaws had the advantage over law- enforcement, and, second, this is filmed with the technology and production values from a by- gone era. The viewer must keep in mind that the 20's Capone vs. O'Banion feud was between gangs not yet spilling over into the general populace, - even more jaw-dropping was Capone's rackets of virtually running city hall and skimming from the legitimate businesses of Chicago. This was achieved with a violet campaign of bombs with a body count. One that in modern times we can't wrap our heads around as to how in any time one criminal could freely do such. Well, he did and what you see isn't really such a poor representation as the point is made with what could be just graphic enough yet palatable for consumption per period norms. If anything it does depict it topically though ham-strung with the necessary sanitizing for 1950's audiences. Capone, the film, gets a pass here because it humbly, yet effectively, shows Capone as extremely violent with much charisma as only a psychopath combines.

Now, seriously,what makes this film quite good? The fact it really did happen looms large, Capone was a unique man at a unique place at a unique time; creating the so-called "perfect storm", an overused, but accurate cliché' here. This is to be kept in mind as this film needed to be made.

Though NYC's mob Coss Nostra would rule in similar fashion years later, however, no one ever controlled a town so completely and with the impunity of Al Capone. He was on a scale that belies rational comprehension. The writers have effectively had to tread lightly and still push this into the viewer's psyche. I think they've just barely managed it sans the luxury of the tremendous graphic violence and language of more modern films. Sure they've glossed over much, but they've got Steiger and he really brings Capone to life. Steiger's like DaVinci as he paints Capone with his physical presence, amazing expressions, animated delivery of harshly direct dialog, and ebbs and flows of anger. This is, perhaps, the definitive mob psychopath with, at least early on unlimited power. So, no Steiger doesn't "over act " or slip into uncontrolled melodrama. He's "spot on" one might say. It's a performance that stands tall and no matter how many times Capone's life is re-ran this will absolutely stand as the definitive celluloid Al Capone. That's how good Steiger is and he makes a movie that could rate a 5 or 6 into a 7.5.

In the must see crime/gangster flicks there's, of course, The Godfather, then Scarface, and right behind that comes Capone before Bonnie and Clyde I'd humbly submit. Gotta see this one.

Scarface

[SnoopyStyle · 7/10 · 16 August 2019]

It's 1919 Chicago. Al Capone (Rod Steiger) is new in town. Nationwide Prohibition begins in 1920. The violent thug rises to be a top gangster.

This is a brutal depiction of the crime figure. It does have his prominent face scar. I don't always remember it being that prominent although the man is nicknamed Scarface. Overall, the performance has a realistic brutality. It's a rather straight forward biopic. I'm not sure how much new is being done here. Rod Steiger seems to have a dash of Brando but he's not at that level of charisma. The power is present. Others have done it bigger. Nevertheless, it's a very worthy performance.

Commodore's Joker

[EdgarST · 7/10 · 7 July 2011]

In Richard Wilson's "Al Capone", there is a commodore who arrives to Capone's mansion in Florida. He seems to be a "distinguished" citizen, probably a member of the local aristocracy; and he is glad to be associated with Capone. The character —introduced by scriptwriters Henry F. Greenberg and Marvin Wald— is not paid too much attention, but he is a key figure if one tries to make a deeper analysis of the economy of any society or country. In the end, Greenberg and Wald opt for moralizing, and warn about an economic pattern Capone supposedly introduced in American society, which is still in effect. Nothing is said about those hidden "commodores" who use people as ruthless as Capone —in favor of or opposed to the law—, persons who are only "wild cards", jokers in a game the "commodores" of the world play from the top, where ordinary people seldom see them. So, "Al Capone" results an interesting and entertaining piece of filmmaking, made efficiently by Wilson with top professionals (cinematographer Lucien Ballard, art director Hilyard Brown, composer David Raksin, and an impressive cast), and a script that tries to be as faithful as possible to facts more or less known by the audience, but superficial in its study of the man, and the main variables that influenced his life, from a bio-psycho-social perspective. It is in the same vein as Howard Hawks' "Scarface", although, as declared by Hawks, he was not trying to make a biography of Capone, but rather show how the world of gangsters resembled the behavior and logic of children's play.

Al Capone (1959)

[fntstcplnt · 6/10 · 20 August 2019]

Directed by Richard Wilson. Starring Rod Steiger, Martin Balsam, Fay Spain, Nehemiah Persoff, James Gregory, Joe De Santis, Murvyn Vye, Robert Gist, Sandy Kenyon.

The criminal life of famed gangster Alphonse Capone; plays fast and loose with the truth, but creates a memorable central figure shown in appropriately despicable light no matter the glamorous trappings. Highly reminiscent of the classic gangster pictures of the early '30s, hitting most of the familiar rise-and-fall story beats one would expect, but only the speedy wrap-up truly disappoints. Steiger's showy performance isn't necessarily good, per se, but it's nevertheless fun to watch. James Gregory plays the police sergeant determined to bring down Capone, and also provides the spiritless and obtrusive narration. The scene where Capone devises the St. Valentine's Day Massacre proves that musician biopics don't have a monopoly on presentations of embarrassingly contrived "origin stories." As for the sub-plot about Capone pursuing the widow of a hood he bumped off, it's both unconvincing and unnecessary (and entirely invented). Not a bad way to spend a couple of hours, but only if you've already watched the classics to death.

58/100

It seems like Capone could get away with everything, that is until...

[mark.waltz · 6/10 · 13 May 2020]

Every dog has their day, and a bad dog is going to be put down once it is revealed that they are no good to be out in society. Al Capone managed to rise to the top of the Chicago underworld and control the mob during prohibition. But the legal system has a way of catching crooks, and no matter how long they are getting away with crimes, eventually, they are caught, and this film shows the rise and fall of such a man. There have been several films that have dealt with Capone's life, and several others that had him as a major character, but most people will remember Rod Steiger's intense performance as the poem in this low-budget crime drama that seems a bit too modern to have been truly set during the time when Capone ruled.

In spite of that, it is very interesting to watch, violent and unrelenting in its view of a mad dog let loose in society. Capone knows from the very beginning that there is money to be made in prohibition, and from the very start, violence is his key to moving up the ladder. One man is killed through Capone's machinations, and he actually marries the widow (Faye Spain) who finds out too late what kind of a rotten person he is. Kicked out of Chicago and banished to L.A., Capone organizes the St. Valentine's Day Massacre which puts him in complete charge. Friends who betray him are killed, and yet the law still can't touch him. He has the nerve to recite the constitution even as he is breaking more laws.

how much of this is fact and how much of this is fiction? it would take a lot of research to create a chart of the truth and the falsehoods. But as a film, it is intense, and the performances are riveting. stiver of course, is one of the greatest actors the screen has ever known, and this is perhaps one of his best-known performances. Martin Balsam and James Gregory also deliver excellent performances, one as a friend who finds out too late what it costs when you betray a rabid dog, and the other as the legal eagle who sets out to destroy Capone and finds an ironic way to do so. There's no Eliot Ness here so don't expect a retread of "The Untouchables", but what there is reveals raw intensity at a time when crime was paying. Fortunately, that period was brief for its Mastermind. This film lead the way to other films about famous gangsters of the time, and all of them are quite similar in their structure, seeming more set in their current day than the times they are actually set in.

Fantastic performance by Rod Steiger

[Maverick1962 · 8/10 · 11 August 2019]

I haven't seen a film with Rod Steiger for a few years and it was refreshing to see him again in full flight and how he rants and raves in this one. As we don't really know what Al Capone was like I'm happy to accept this portrayal as being as good as any of the many i've seen and probably tops all the others for Steiger's unrelenting dynamism here. It may be method acting but I couldn't take my eyes off him from the start. I also enjoyed seeing Fay Spain again after so many years. She died too young aged 50 from cancer and here plays Capone's lover. Judging from this she was a fine actress and very good looking so I don't quite know why she didn't do better. Martin Balsam, James Gregory, Nehemiah Persoff, who has just reached 100 years old and Murvyn Vye all put in solid support. Black and white wide screen, very early 1960's adds a nostalgic feel for those of us who frequented the movie theatres back then. No swearing dates it but Steiger and the cast are so good I didn't even realise until I read some of these reviews.

Good acting by steiger, persoff

[Nate-48 · 6/10 · 30 January 2019]

I gave this movie a 6 because of the interplay of two great actors in persoff and steiger. There are some good violence sequences which are a breath of fresh air to the cinema after the Hayes Act had all but cut out that sort of thing for 20 years.

But this movie has too many flaws to rank any higher. The secondary actors are largely second rate. The script is often lacking. The dialogue is often lacking. A lot of the scenes are largely amateurish. That's a shame because with a better script this film could have lifted the careers of persoff and steiger.

Al Capone-Violence is Never the Answer ***1/2

[edwagreen · 9/10 · 7 October 2010]

Rod Steiger gave a splendid performance here as the ruthless gangster who spared no one in his quest to attain the top of the mob world. Cunning, vicious and any other nasty adjective I could think of, Steiger was memorable here in the title role. He totally captured the man he portrayed.

He also had great support with Nehemiah Persoff, who played his mentor. Persoff seemed to relish in these kinds of parts. He played a comedic hoodlum in the same year in "Some Like it Hot," and was often on the show in top gangster form in television's "The Untouchables."

The movie showed that Steiger tried to have a private life, no less than with the widow of one of his many victims. Of course, business always came first.

The movie was a little spoiled when the ending came very quickly. Otherwise, we have a fascinating portrait of a mobster at his worst and the times he lived in.

Rod could have been The Godfather

[HotToastyRag · 6/10 · 11 September 2022]

Rod Steiger is excellent as the famed Italian-American gangster Al Capone. When you see him speaking Italian and getting hurt feelings when someone disrespects him, it makes you wonder (if you haven't already) why Marlon Brando was cast as the titular role in The Godfather, when so many other actors would have done a better job. Rod is so great in this role, it dampens others who have subsequently played Capone. Why was it necessary to keep making biopics when Scarface (the original) and Al Capone were so well-acted?

In the supporting cast, you'll see Martin Balsam, James Gregory, and Nehemiah Persoff. There's a pretty big focus on Capone's Achille's heel: Fay Spain. He's an enormously powerful man who gets his way always, and yet he's completely vulnerable to Fay's affections. He brings her expensive presents and dresses her well, but when she still doesn't love him, he feels worthless and unappreciated. I didn't understand why he didn't just move on and get another mistress, but then again, people are often drawn to those who will hurt them.

If you like Rod Steiger, check out this lesser known drama. It's filmed in a very old, 1930s style to pay tribute to the gangster period. It probably wasn't a hit at the time because movies like Ben-Hur, Journey to the Center of the Earth, and North by Northwest were big spectacles in Technicolor and full of action. This is a black-and-white nostalgia piece that reminds viewers of Prohibition and the Great Depression. It's well-done, but it's definitely stylized.

Decadence is Bad Table Manners

[LeonLouisRicci · 5/10 · 27 May 2012]

The years have not been kind to this flat 50's style recreation of 20's style gangsterism. The film is overwhelmed by Rod Steiger's performance and underwhelmed by the stiff conventionalism of the era's film making.

The roaring 20's presented in the repressed 50's where decadence is bad table manners and spouting, yelling, and mumbling display an uneducated ignorance. Everything in this movie is tame where it should be wild and soft where it should be coarse.

Historically Hollywood never did quite get it right, to be kind, and not even until very recently has the true ugliness and understanding of the unfairly glamorized criminal been portrayed for the destructive force that it is. Even so, even today, entertainment usually supersedes responsibility, but not because of community standards and motion picture code restraint.