Boardwalk Empire 

In 1920 Atlantic City, politician Enoch 'Nucky' Thompson makes arrangements to operate a liquor smuggling business during the early days of Prohibition. His driver, Jimmy Darmody, wishes to prove his usefulness.

Director:

Martin Scorsese

Writers:

Terence Winter (created by), Terence Winter

Stars:

Steve Buscemi, Michael Pitt, Kelly Macdonald

1 nomination.

Cast

Episode cast overview, first billed only:
Steve Buscemi	...	Enoch 'Nucky' Thompson
Michael Pitt	...	James 'Jimmy' Darmody
Kelly Macdonald	...	Margaret Schroeder
Michael Shannon	...	Nelson Van Alden
Shea Whigham	...	Elias 'Eli' Thompson
Aleksa Palladino	...	Angela Darmody
Michael Stuhlbarg	...	Arnold Rothstein
Stephen Graham	...	Al Capone
Vincent Piazza	...	Lucky Luciano
Paz de la Huerta	...	Lucy Danziger
Michael Kenneth Williams	...	Chalky White
Anthony Laciura	...	Eddie Kessler
Paul Sparks	...	Mickey Doyle
Dabney Coleman	...	Commodore Louis Kaestner
Greg Antonacci	...	Johnny Torrio

Storyline

Enoch 'Nucky' Thompson, entertainment tycoon at the Boardwalk in Atlantic City, has gathered some of the most important members of the city council to a dinner at his nightclub Babette's Supper Club. It is two hours before the Prohibition will come into force on midnight January 17, 1920. At the dinner they discuss how to organize the distribution and selling of illegal alcohol. Next day Nucky makes an agreement with the smuggler Bill McCoy to buy 500 crates with Canadian whiskey for 35 grand. At a meeting at Nucky's restaurant the crime bosses Johnny Torrio and Big Jim Colosimo from Chicago, Arnold Rothstein and Lucky Luciano from New York, and Nucky himself discuss common interests. Outside Nucky's chauffeur Jimmy Darmody befriends Torrino's chauffeur Al Capone, both being veterans from World War I. Jimmy is frustrated with his inferior position in Nucky's new organization. He and Al Capone decide to rob the trucks that transport the 500 crates of illegal whiskey that Arnold ...

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Plot Keywords:

whiskey | abusive husband | nightclub | robbery | treasurer | 

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Genres:

Crime | Drama | History

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Certificate:

TV-MA

Details

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

19 September 2010 (USA)

Filming Locations:

Airport, Long Island, New York, USA

Company Credits

Production Co:

Home Box Office (HBO), Leverage Management, Closest to the Hole Productions

Technical Specs

Sound Mix:

Dolby Digital

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.78 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

On its original airing, the pilot episode gained a 2.0/5 ratings share among adults aged 18-49 and garnered 4.81 million viewers.

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Goofs

The record Colosimo is playing on the phonograph in his restaurant just before he is killed is from the 1930's, not 1920 or before. It is an RCA Victor "Red Seal" record, in 1920 it would have been branded simply "Victor" because RCA didn't buy Victor Talking Machine Company until 1929. Also, the end of the record has a spiraling groove in the blank space around the label which was never found on records until they became electronically recorded in 1925, records before this time were recorded acoustically.

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Quotes

Mrs. McGarry: [Mrs McGarry reads out the following "Owed (sic) to Liquor" at a meeting, also appears on a picture she gives to Nucky] Coward, monster, vicious brute / Friend to thief and prostitute. / Heartless, Godless, hell's delight / Crude by day and lewd by night / Conscience dulled by demon rum / Liquor, thy name is / DELIRIUM!

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Connections

References Once Upon a Time in America (1984)

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Soundtracks

Fascination
(uncredited)
Written by Fermo Dante Marchetti and Maurice de Féraudy
Performed by Craig Duncan

User Reviews

Wow!

What an amazing show this is. We are hooked right away. I liked everything about it.

Steve Buscemi is incredible and really deserves any awards he gets for this. The rest of the cast are also great but he really stands out as awesome. Always been a fan of his work and this is among his best roles ever. Up there with Fargo. Well done to whoever cast this show because like I said the others are also very good in their roles.

The writing is amazing, with a gripping and believable story, true to the era it is set in. Speaking of which the props, sets, clothing, cars... everything about this movie is very meticulous and well done.

I love this show!