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

Real life gangster Arnold Rothstein would later be immortalized in F. Scott Fitzgerald's famous novel 'The Great Gatsby' where Gatsby introduces the narrator, Nick, to a friend and business associate of his called Meyer Wolfsheim, a Jewish gangster and gambler who had 'fixed the World Series,' a roman a clef for Rothstein, who did in real life.

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Goofs

In the prohibition party scene at the beginning of the episode the ceiling begins to have multitudes of black latex balloons drop from it. Although latex balloons were invented in the early 1800s they were not put into mass production until the 1930s and therefore were unlikely to be available in such abundance if at all in 1920. However, they might have been procured for an extravagant and decadent party such as this one.

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Quotes

Enoch 'Nucky' Thompson: [to the ladies' temperance league] In closing, however, let me say this: without the continued support of good, decent women like you, men like me would be nowhere.

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Connections

References Once Upon a Time in America (1984)

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Soundtracks

Taps
[Played by slide trombone when Prohibition takes effect.]

User Reviews

I declare Prohibition on 10 star reviews.

Steve Buscemi was great in movies like Reservoir Dogs and Fargo. I had high expectations because of him, plus all the positive reviews. Boy, was I disappointed. I could only get through the pilot episode, when I expected to enjoy the whole first season, and maybe more.

The pacing was slow, and the storyline lacking. There really weren't any surprises. The jokes were not very amusing, and the constant dropping of F-bombs caused them to lose their sting.

Two positive things I can say. The period sets were fairly impressive, and the music by Vince Giordano's band was pretty good.

Two out of ten stars because I need to offset the high ratings. It's a three at best.