The third season of The Untouchables kicked off with a really fine cast of guest stars in one of their best episodes where none other than Eliot Ness finds himself in a jackpot.
The Untouchables are investigating a gambling racket using punchboards to pick numbers where many small merchants are forced to have them in their stores. And for the federal government there's that tax angle which nailed Al Capone.
When Robert Stack refuses a bribe offered him by Peter Falk, newly arrived from New York, Falk sets up Ness to where he shoots an unarmed collector for the punchboard syndicate. How I will not reveal, but fellow Untouchables Paul Picerni and Nicholas Georgiade do yeoman service to clear Stack with some forensic investigation.
As for Falk he's one reckless dude who pushes his initial sponsor Ned Glass out of the way and then tries to take over the syndicate from head Vincent Gardenia.
One more role of note is that of Murray Hamilton as a drunken reporter who writes an 'expose' to crucify Stack in the media. There's a scene where a drunken Hamilton meets up with a 'drunken' Ness. Watching that scene reminded so much of what Robert Stack did in Written On The Wind. It was like he was reaching back to that role to make straight arrow Eliot Ness an alcoholic.
With a cast like this giving some great performances it would be a sin to miss this episode.
The Untouchables are investigating a gambling racket using punchboards to pick numbers where many small merchants are forced to have them in their stores. And for the federal government there's that tax angle which nailed Al Capone.
When Robert Stack refuses a bribe offered him by Peter Falk, newly arrived from New York, Falk sets up Ness to where he shoots an unarmed collector for the punchboard syndicate. How I will not reveal, but fellow Untouchables Paul Picerni and Nicholas Georgiade do yeoman service to clear Stack with some forensic investigation.
As for Falk he's one reckless dude who pushes his initial sponsor Ned Glass out of the way and then tries to take over the syndicate from head Vincent Gardenia.
One more role of note is that of Murray Hamilton as a drunken reporter who writes an 'expose' to crucify Stack in the media. There's a scene where a drunken Hamilton meets up with a 'drunken' Ness. Watching that scene reminded so much of what Robert Stack did in Written On The Wind. It was like he was reaching back to that role to make straight arrow Eliot Ness an alcoholic.
With a cast like this giving some great performances it would be a sin to miss this episode.