Shame how he never won the oscar award for playing James Bond 007, but boy I do love Sean Connery from this awesome movie I liked. He truly earn the award for playing Jim Malone.
When Cassie said "I want him to be my grandpa," referring to Sean Connery, I felt that. A lot of us old school movie fans have felt that way for a long time 😃👍
Yes, it is (loosely) based on the book by Eliot Ness. Ness was real, Capone was real, and Frank Nitti. The Untouchables in the movie were likely amalgamations of the many federal officers and policemen who worked with Ness. Capone spent most of the rest of his life in prison and died of complications from syphilis after being released.
Yes, the characters in the movie are based on real people, and Capone did go down for tax fraud, but other than that the movie is total fiction. (Good fiction though. It is a fun movie.) Well, Capone was rumored to have killed someone with a baseball bat, so that may be true. However, Al Capone probably didn't even know who Ness was. To Capone, Eliot Ness was just another cop. Plus, Frank Nitti committed suicide in 1943 when he was facing a long prison stretch and he may have also had cancer. Eliot Ness was a shameless self promoter who wrote a book about his accomplishments. It got turned into a TV series in the late 1950's that built up the Eliot Ness myth in the public mind.
Yeah, Al Capone had the mind of a child when he died. But bringing him down sadly didn't end his organization and it survived at least into the 1950's, with Frank Nitti (who wasn't thrown to his death in real life) as the boss until his suicide in 1943. The judge was also real and a bigger hero than the movie makes him look. He gave Al Capone the maximum sentence and ignoring a plea barging for much less.
@@Kwolfx Eliot Ness may have been a self-promoter but except for some minor details and the order of some events, the book has turned out to be mostly accurate according to historian researchers. He was also broke at the end of his life so he kinda needed the money, however he never got a chance to cash in.
The train station scene is one of the most perfectly choreographed scenes in cinematic history. When Andy Garcia slides in to stop the baby carriage and at the same time tosses the gun to Costner who in the same motion grabs it and shoots the guy, all in one fluid motion, that had to have taken many, many takes to get right. One of my all-time favorite movie scenes.
That baby would have been FINE, the carriage would have probably just rolled across the floor and stopped. It made it all the way down the stairs just fine and safely without turning over, so why would it on flat ground?
a college girls night out at the movies in ‘87 led us to watch this. when charlie martin smith and especially sean connery died, we were all devastated. love this damn movie. 😭🎥
This is one of the most perfect studio blockbusters of all time. You had a phenomenal script by David Mamet, an iconoclastic director in Brian De Palma who was at the top of his game, and a lavish budget to make it all possible.
As with The Fugitive, this was a movie based on a very popular television series. Both The Fugitive and The Untouchables tv series were based on real events.
Yup, The Fugitive were based on the 1954 Dr. Sam Sheppard case and that history truly fascinates me because Sam Sheppard is totally innocent who's been accused of murdering his wife just like Dr. Richard Kimble.
Cassie quoting Darryl Hammond's Sean Connery impression from SNL Jeopardy just brought her to the highest rank of Movie reaction channels. Thank you Cass for taking me back to my teens with that "Suck it Trebek" remark.
Capone died of cardiac arrest in the late 40s. He went to a mental hospital suffering from late stage syphilis. He didn't get revenge on Ness who died in the 50s. There was a weekly TV series called the Untouchables. Ness had no children of his own. This is the best on screen portrayal of Capone in my opinion. DeNiro is truly a master of his craft.
Not knowing what prohibition was depressed me. I love watching her reactions, but the lack of knowing about Capone and prohibition really depressed me.
@@Jason-wh3mq That’s interesting though because IDK what was going on in canada during the US’s prohibition era. Apparently they assisted with some apprehensions because of the border transport of alcohol?
This is a very well made great movie. First I always think of Ennio Morricone’s music. It is fantastic. Then there are also some wonderful acting and cinematography. Sean Connery is amazing in this. And there are many known scenes in this movie :)
This movie is overly melodramatic but it's beautifully shot and like you said some great scenes like the baby carriage scene. Also, a young Patricia Clarkson played Ness' wife. Love her.
@@jbacunn The Union Station shootout with the baby carriage on the staircase is an homage to one of the greatest scenes in cinema history, the Odessa Steps scene in Sergei Eisenstein's immortal *Battleship Potemkin* (1925). Brian DePalma put a nice spin on it in *The Untouchables* .
I think of the music too, but for different reasons. Overall, I agree the score was well done, but there were a few scenes that sound as if they were done with synthesizer. For example, the scene with the baby carriage- those are very modern drum sounds, possibly electronic. But what bugged me most about that scene- why didn't she use an elevator? Fully automated elevators had been available since 1900. Union Station being built in 1925 would surely have had them. And none of the dozen people walking by offered to help this clearly overwhelmed woman? Those details were just not believable for me. And Patricia Clarkson (who was 28 at the time).... looks as if she's at least 10 years older than Ness.
The music and Sean Connery are the best things about this movie. Sometimes the music seems out of place but I appreciate that they were not afraid to try something different, that's the difference between cinema as an art form and movies as a formulated business.
“Brings a knife to a gun fight” and endless variations thereof came from here. Other faves from this movie: “Here endeth the lesson” “I’m talking to a dead man” during the fight scene behind the police station. This is also the movie that really got me into soundtracks and I’ve been fascinated in cinematic scores ever since.
@@Cheepchipsablemy grandfather wore a suit and hat to work every day up until he retired sometime in the 80s after starting in the 40s it isn't just in the movies
I think the train station scene is one of the greatest scenes in cinema. Everything about it is executed so brilliantly: The growing tension, the minimal dialogue, the editing and the music. And the "You got him?" "Yeah, I got him." "Take him" was just perfect. This scene (and the whole movie itself) should be required viewing for every film student. This is how you make a movie.
Due to his failing health, Capone was released from prison on November 16, 1939,[130] and referred to the Johns Hopkins Hospital in Baltimore for the treatment of syphilitic paresis. Due to his unsavory reputation, Johns Hopkins refused to treat him, however nearby Union Memorial Hospital was still willing to treat him. Capone was grateful for the compassionate care that he received and donated two Japanese weeping cherry trees to Union Memorial Hospital in 1939. After a few weeks of inpatient and outpatient care, on March 20, 1940 a very sickly Capone left Baltimore and travelled to his mansion in Palm Island, Florida.[131][132][133] In 1942, after mass production of penicillin was started in the United States, Capone was one of the first American patients treated by the new drug.[134] Though it was too late for him to reverse the damage to his brain, it did slow down the progression of the disease.[125] In 1946, his physician and a Baltimore psychiatrist examined him and concluded that Capone had the mentality of a 12-year-old child.[89] He spent the last years of his life at his mansion in Palm Island, Florida, spending time with his wife and grandchildren.[135] On January 21, 1947, Capone had a stroke. He regained consciousness and started to improve, but contracted bronchopneumonia. He suffered a cardiac arrest on January 22, and on January 25, surrounded by his family in his home, Capone died after his heart failed as a result of apoplexy.[136][137] His body was transported back to Chicago a week later and a private funeral was held.[138] He was originally buried at Mount Olivet Cemetery in Chicago. In 1950, Capone's remains, along with those of his father, Gabriele, and brother, Salvatore, were moved to Mount Carmel Cemetery in Hillside, Illinois.
As much of an asshole as Capone was IRL, refusing medical treatment to him is pretty fucking cruel. Glad that Union Memorial took up the cause. We should always try to be better than the worst of us.
@@armanddebella7594 "Train sequence?" What does this even mean? The scene in the train station in "The Untouchables" is in no way similar to the scene in the train station in "Carlito's Way." What are you saying was "repeated again?" Your comment doesn't make any sense.
Thanks for a great reaction to a great movie. I am 70 years young and have seen literally thousands of movies in my lifetime. L.A.Confidential is my all-time favorite. You will not find a better police/crime drama or a better movie. Please put it on your list of must-sees.
Although I'm a fan of the genre, it seems I can honestly say I've never in my life came across a trailer or a random showing on tv of this movie. I've heard of the name, sure, but it always passed by without a second thought. But you're particular comment made me search the trailer last week, and saw the movie today. It was great. So I came back to give a thank you!
To tell you the truth, this is more on the embarassing side. Lack of such common knowledge in your 30s is not cute, its embarassing. Any child knows who all capone is. To refer to Robert DeNirro as "i know he's supposedly very famous" - again, laughable. At this point her reactions feels more annoying than anything. More than a year of supposedly watching movies for the first time and keeping the same childish reactions feels fake and annoying now. People should evolve with repetition and experience, not stagnate
@@ddrg1271 No, not every child know who Al Capone is. Why? Because kids today don't grow up with the mob (sometimes glorifying) movies of the past. And when you are not interested in that stuff, why care about a mobster who was active a century ago. Knowing Robert DeNiro only from meet the parents says more about the movies he made the last 20 years than anything else. No offense towards DeNiro, he is a exceptional actor and at the end of an career it is only fair to do some different stuff.
It's sad when all of us heard about his passing since 2020 to honor him, I just rewatch The Untouchables so many time and playing From Russia With Love videogame.
Elliot Ness wrote a book about this subject called Elliot Ness and the Untouchables.Their loss was their drive who was an ex-con.Ness was the head FBI agent in the early 1950’s when my father was the USAF officer in charge stopping criminal activities on an airbase.Ness told him after the got Capone he was reassigned to North Caroline to stop illegal alcohol.He said it was way more dangerous than Chicago because they would defend the stills to the death.My grandfather and Capone were boyhood friends in Brooklyn.
"This town stinks like a whorehouse at low tide." One of my favorite movie quotes ever. Drinking itself wasn't illegal, but the sale, transportation and manufacturer of it was. People could make small amounts of wine for home use and it could be made for medicinal purposes with the proper license. Ken Burn's did a great 3 part documentary on Prohibition.
Wine was also exempted for religious purposes! So there were lots of visits to the doctor and clergy. People had bottles of medicinal and sanctified wine. Supposedly this is when mixed drinks took off because it made bath tub gin tolerable!
I think she would really like THE STING. If there is ever a con-man/caper/heist poll on her patreon page, I'd love to see that one included and maybe even win.
I wholeheartedly agree...Cassie, you must check out 'The Sting'! So many wonderful scenes, moments, and lines of dialogue, and great performances from everyone...definitely worthy of its Best Picture win. And if you can, don't read up on it beforehand...just go into it cold!
Hell yes. The Sting is fantastic. Like someone said above, don't read about it beforehand as it will spoil it for you. Just watch it and react to it. A great cast is a bonus.
When I first saw this, and Ness was wrestling with his conscience with his revolver pointed at Nitti hanging from the rope below him, a woman in the movie theater yelled "Remember your friend!"
One thing I love about this movie and most of Brian DePalma's 70s and 80s movies in general is his cinematography and camera angles. He took a lot of his inspiration from Alfred Hitchcock and Italian giallo films' use of POV shots. He was big on putting the audience right there in the midst of what the characters were experiencing, whether it was the hero or the villian. DePalma's got a great list of classics to choose from.
Saw this at the movie with my wife....just married. This was so different from the movies of the day. For me it is one of those movies like Raiders that defines how movies were before and after. Great movie!
The cast is great, but the behind camera talent…. Brian De Palma - Director David Mamet - Screenplay Ennio Morricone- music And yes, based on a true story.
If you're interested in learned more about prohibition, I would highly recommend Ken Burns' 3 part documentary series Prohibition. It does a really fantastic job covering the history of the various movements in the decades before prohibition was passed, what America's drinking culture was like, and what America's history with alcohol was, and then the forces that eventually led to repeal. It really captures the tragedy, the comedy, and the hubris of the era very well.
I have to admit, this channel has amazing reactions! These are movies I’ve loved since childhood and it’s nice to see someone have an honest and incredible experience like I did when fist seeing these movies! You only get to see Untouchables, Rocky 4, The Godfather, & other greats for the first time only once, so enjoy it.
Here in Denmark there is a term called "The Al Capone method" When Biker gangs involved in organized crime went to Biker conventions bringing their expensive Cars, Harley Davidson bikes etc, the Danish tax authorities in Co-op with the Police would stage a raid. And when a gang member couldn't explain or document how he had acquired the cost to buy an expensive car/bike, especially if he was registered as unemployed person, the authorities would confiscate the Car, Bike or even the jewellery they wore. Under the pretext that if they could afford such things, then they must be earning money, and since that money was not filed as an income, as most illigally obtained money is, then they have evaded paying tax, hence confiscation of said assets. This resulted in that many gang members started driving around in cheap used cars and not wear bling, to avoid getting caught. So the Danish authorities was complete trolls against these gangs, because What use is money and wealth if you can't flash it around 😇
Before "The Untouchables" came out, I had only seen Andy Garcia in "8 Million Ways to Die" in which he did a great job of making you hate his character, so seeing him play such a likable goodguy showed me his versatility.
@@geeebuttersnap2433 It surprised me to read in that Brian DePalma first noticed Andy Garcia in "8 Million Ways to Die" and initially wanted to cast him as Frank Nitti. That would have been interesting. Billy Drago had a great career playing villains, but his performances tended to be a bit over the top. I think Andy Garcia's portrayal would have felt more grounded, and that would have given the character a greater sense of realism making him even more menacing. I'm really glad DePalma cast him as Stone, though.
@@almesivamoonshadow8805, That was pretty much my reaction to her not knowing too. But when I thought about it, I remembered my own mom and grandmother very often referring to people and events that, even as an educated adult, I’ve never heard of, or perhaps came across once or twice in a textbook. Capone was a vile killer, even by today’s standards. But he was ultimately an unimportant footnote, a part of “pop culture” or contemporaneous history. Just as I don’t recall the names of, say, the leading film actors of the 1930’s that my grandmother had at the tip of her tongue, I think it’s defensible that she doesn’t know who Al Capone was. In fact, his vanishing fame is a good thing…he was a disgusting, evil monster, but he’ll be as forgotten as he deserves to be. The broader history around prohibition and organized crime she should know about, yes, but scum like Capone aren’t worth the effort.
You need to remember, Cassie is from Canada and though we believe everyone in the world should know everything about America, they don’t. I don’t know everything there is to know about Canadian history and culture. I find it refreshing that she is learning more and more through the movies as she watches them.
When I was younger (in the UK) we watched and american TV series "The Untouchables". It ran in America from 1959 to 1963 but we had it much later in the UK.
Fun Fact: The "Baseball Bat" scene was based on a real event, two of Al Capone's hitman were planning on overthrowing him and taking over the business, Al got wind of the plot and invited everyone to a fancy dinner party, where he took out the two hit man
I really liked L A Confidential because it was in L.A. and for some reason L.A. cop movies from the 30's and 40's are really cool to me. maybe because there are not that many of them.
great movies. However, about the girl with the dragon tattoo. The American remake or the European original (triology)? To be honest, I never watched the American version. The European one was disturbingly enough to never even try to watch a remake.
@@hw2508 American version was good but not as good as the original. The acting to me is better and definitely the overall picture quality is better in the American version. Also, it's in English. But there is just something about the original that is better. Rooney Mara plays the lead in the American version. She got her name because her dad is a Mara (Family that owns the NY Giants) and her mom is a Rooney. (Owner of the Pittsburg Stealers. I do belive there is an American version for the second book as well but last I looked not for the 3rd one.
I think she would really like THE STING. If there is ever a con-man/caper/heist poll on her patreon page, I'd love to see that one included and maybe even win.
The Sting is total fiction, but plenty of eye candy for you and your sister. It's my favorite Robert Shaw movie (you'll recognize him from Jaws, but this time he's the bed guy) I'm sure you'll see it soon; it's a classic and you'll probably get a lot of recommendations for it.
"For some reason, I thought Al Capone was a baseball coach." I'm... speechless. I know the best reactions are blind reactions, but that is... blinder than usual. "He looks like Pee Wee Herman" was hilarious! Cassie says the most unexpected things at the perfect times. Ness didn't get Capone, but the IRS did, for not paying his taxes. By the time he got out of Alcatraz, his brain was mostly gone from syphilis.
My goodness do I love this movie. It isn't perfect, but it's one I can watch any time. The cast is absolutely PERFECT. I cannot imagine a single character played by a different actor. And it has so many terrific quotes. "He's in the car" ... amazing.
Yep, highly stylized, completely fictional, but a great piece of cinema nonetheless. Capone's "baseball" scene, however, did happen very similar to it's portrayal in the film.
A movie you should add to your list is Empire of the Sun. It's set during the Imperial Japanese occupation of China during WWII, and follows a British boy who got separated from his parents during the mad rush to evacuate ahead of the Japanese troops. It's very well done: the script and acting make you invested in the boys welfare and safety; while simultaneously depicting a part of the War in the Pacific ignored by other WWII movies!
The Usual Suspects and L.A. Confidential are among movies I wish I could watch again for the first time They are must watch movies. Though even if it's not a first time anymore, I still watch L.A. Confidential now and again, and enjoy it every time. It's just a fantastically crafted movie with great characters. And that makes watching it a very enjoyable experience.
Watching The Untouchables without knowing who Al Capone was is kind of like watching Titanic when you've never heard of the ship. The ending is certainly a lot more in doubt. A fun reaction video as always, Cassie.
Hm. I was gonna call u on this, as the first thing id ever seen Costner in was No Way Out... but it turns out they were both released in 1987. Untouchables in June, and No Way Out in August.... BUT, his actual breakout role was in Silverado, 1985. Close enough tho...
Connery did Ramirez in Highlander the year before this, which was also a hit, so he was getting back to his peak once more. Red October, Last Crusade and The Rock were subsequent big hits towards the twilight of his career.
Absolutely, No Way Out. A truly great thriller from young Kevin Costner. One of those where they had to drag me to the movie because I hadn't really heard a thing about it, but I left completely awestruck by the story and execution of it.
So, I'm from Brazil. How is it possible that we all know very much who Al Capone was and even use him as reference for big criminals meanwhile this girl from Canada doesn't? 🤔🤔🤔
@@tayzk5929 I...highly doubt that. If you don't even know who Al Capone is you probably don't know who Escobar is either. Also Pablo Escobar is not brazillian
This was a real deal for me to watch as a kid in the 1980’s. Everyone was talking about the violence. It’s a great movie with the best actors. Great time period and well executed in so many ways. Andy Garcia as Stone is a bad ass!
Wonderful reaction, as usual! Cassie seemed a bit puzzled by Ness being a "treasurer." He was a member of the U.S. Department of the Treasury. Today, that department's main job is going after counterfeit money. (And members of the Secret Service are also Treasury agents!) The reason the Treasury Department was involved in prohibition is because illegal booze wasn't taxed, so the government lost money on it. Pardon the lecture! Thanks again for a great reaction!
I think she would really like THE STING. If there is ever a con-man/caper/heist poll on her patreon page, I'd love to see that one included and maybe even win.
Great movie with a great cast. As you will find out, Al Capone was a gangster. Would love you to do the 1973 movie The Sting with Paul Newman, Robert Redford and Robert Shaw. It was nominated for 11 Oscars, winning 7 including best picture. It was a critical and box office smash hit.
She is also the original "Tammy" wife of Ron Swanson in the "Parks and Recreation" series. Also the reporter/love interest of Dirty Harry in "The Dead Pool"
"DID HE SOUND ANYTHING LIKE THAT?!" One of my favorite movies. Andy Garcia became a star after this one! Amazing train shootout! You need to see Michael Douglas THE GAME!!!!
My Michael Douglas pick would personally be Falling Down, though people often seem to misunderstand it. It used to be that practically every movie he was in was excellent.
@@DoubleMonoLR Falling down is a really good one too. I was relating myself to the memories of which movies I was watching at the time with my father. Falling Down is much closer in years to the Untouchables. The Game is from the mid-90's. Still an awesome movie, Falling Down, just as well. I would argue it demonstrates how to survive in 2022 California! haha
There is another mob movie that takes place in this era, it’s called Road to Perdition. I highly recommend it, it’s very different than this movie but still great. It stars Tom Hanks as a mob enforcer. It’s one of his most underrated performances IMO.
It was loosely true, in that Eliot Ness really did take down Al Capone through tax evasion charges. Most of the rest was heavily fictionalized. Still an amazing movie. Eliot Ness, in his later years, had a pretty depressing life. His marriage didn’t last, he battled alcoholism (if I recall correctly), and he was haunted by his inability to solve the Cleveland Torso Murders.
Good comment. Was going to say something about the Torso Murders in Cleveland as well, am from that area. Ness died in Cleveland and there is a historical tombstone in a cemetery dedicated in his honor. He was cremated and his ashes were scattered in Lake Erie.
There was a real Frank Nitti, but he was very different from the version portrayed in the movie, and of course he wasn't pushed off a building in real life. But after Capone was sent away, things closed in on Nitti, and he died by shooting himself. In The Godfather, there's a montage of newspaper photos during the gang war, and Coppola used real newspaper photos of actual mob hits for the montage. Frank Nitti is the guy propped up against a fence in one of those photos.
@@marknash65 if I remember correctly, the movie Road to Perdition also featured Nitti (as played by Stanley Tucci, I wanna say?), and I believe was much more accurate to the real man from what I've read.
@@jamesbednar8625 he ran for Mayor of Cleveland, but lost, too. I'm from the area as well, and the CPD still has Ness' fingerprints all over it in how he cleaned up, reformed, and modernized it.
Not exactly. The stone is a cenotaph, A memorial stone with no burial. His ashes where spread in the pond at Lakewood Cemetery. Ness knew, at least he was sure, who the killer was. Dr. Frank.Sweeney was never arrested for the crimes. He committed himself to a mental institution, and taunted Ness for many years by sending him creepy notes and postcards.
"I know Robert De Niro's really famous, but I only really know him from 'Meet the Parents'." Alright Cassie, if you'll permit me, here are some films to add to your must-watch list: The Godfather Part II (1974) - After The Godfather (1972) obviously, but De Niro's not in that one Taxi Driver (1976) The Deer Hunter (1978) Raging Bull (1980) The King of Comedy (1982) Once Upon a Time in America (1984) Angel Heart (1987) Midnight Run (1988) Goodfellas (1990) Cape Fear (1991) Heat (1995) Casino (1995) Silver Linings Playbook (2012) The Irishman (2019)
Al Capone became the template for almost every cinematic gangster all the way to Scarface in 1983. He was colorful, larger than life...the quintessential mob boss.
I just watched The Untouchables for the first time a few weeks ago and loved it. Talk about a terrific cast of actors! I also appreciated that De Palma told his story in a concise, beautiful way. Crme dramas can be lengthy to their own detriment. Not this one.
Capone was first diagnosed with syphilis while serving his 11-year sentence for tax fraud (he was also diagnosed with gonorrhoea and was suffering the effects of cocaine withdrawal). Following his transfer to Alcatraz Federal Penitentiary in 1934, he began to show signs of confusion and disorientation. He was officially diagnosed with neurosyphilis in 1938 and spent the remainder of his sentence in the prison's hospital wing. Eventually, his wife Mae's appeal for parole was granted in 1939, due in part to Capone's reduced mental faculties. Shortly after his release, Capone moved to Palm Island, Florida, where he would reside for the rest of his life. In 1942, he was one of the first Americans to receive the antibiotic penicillin as treatment for syphilis after the drug began to be mass-produced. This helped to slow the progression of the disease, although the damage to his brain was irreversible, and in 1946, Capone was deemed by medical and psychiatric experts to have the mental capabilities of a 12-year-old. In January 1947, Capone had a stroke, and subsequently contracted a form of pneumonia. The next day, he suffered from cardiac arrest. He died three days later at home from apoplexy (internal bleeding) at the age of 48.
When this film first premiered on the BBC, I set the VHS to record and watched it when I got home from school. I was only about 10, and Connery's death was traumatic and terrifying for me.
I was slightly older when my parents rented it and I watched it with them; it's maybe the only film in my life where the opening credits convinced me that it was going to be a brilliant film.
I was born and raised in the city of Chicago. I was a photographer there and photographed a lot of the city's scenery. I remember being at a lot of the locations shown in the film.. Al Capone's bodyguard that got punched in the nose by Eliot Ness is an actor named Valentino Cimo. He lived in Chicago and we went to the same martial art school. When I talked with him he was always a really nice person. He even dropped off at the school for me a signed photo of a scene that he was in with Patrick Swayze in the movie, "Next of Kin"
I think you’ll really enjoy LA Confidential. It has more of the clue seeking detective work that I think you’re looking for. I love your reactions, and this was another one that did not disappoint. Great job!
I'd have swore she'd already watched "L.A. Confidential". I just went over her list and... NOPE!!!! I maybe saw someone else doing a reaction, or I just watched it myself within the last few years. I can't wait to see Cassie's reaction.
@@DayDoDoeDontDayDoe It has something you've never seen in a movie? LA Confidential is one of my favorite movies, but I have no idea what you're referring to. Do you mind quenching my curiosity?
Al Capone served 61/2 years in Alcatraz and was released to a mental hospital due to have severe mental issues from having contracted syphilis, he served 3 years. His health rapidly declined from the effects of neuro-syphilis. He was released moved to Miami with his wife then he died from a heart attack in 1947.
You wanted to know how true this story is, and the answer is: outside of the broadest outlines, not very. Al Capone was a Chicago gangster who ran liquor and caused any number of people to be murdered. His right hand man was Frank Nitti. He did kill an employee who had failed him at a celebratory dinner using a baseball bat (the one scene in the film that's basically accurate to history). Treasury agent Elliot Ness did have a group of men he considered incorruptible, whom the press labeled "the untouchables". And Capone was brought down for income tax evasion, due to Ness's effort. However, Ness never fired a gun in the line of duty in his entire life. Frank Nitti was not a hit man, he was essentially an evil business manager. Ness did not kill Nitti, Nitti died by "suicide" in 1943. Al Capone did go to prison --- to Alcatraz, in the San Francisco Bay, in fact. He served time from 1933 through 1939, when he was released partly due to suffering syphilis, which caused him brain damage. (He did not have syphilis when he entered prison.) If you are interested in the history, writer Max Allan Collins wrote several books of interest. He has a long-running series about a fictional private detective, Nathan Heller, getting involved in real historical mysteries in the 1930s and 1940s. The first book, _True Detective,_ and the third, _The Million-Dollar Wound,_ both have Capone as a background character, and Frank Nitti as a rather major foreground character. If you want to know why I put Nitti's "suicide" in quotes, _The Million-Dollar Wound_ is why. (The Heller books get looser with the facts, and sometimes a bit silly, later on. He "solves" the Lindbergh kidnapping with the help of a psychic in one; in another, a murder mystery, the murderer is a composite character, rather than a single historical person.) Collins also wrote four books with Elliot Ness as the protagonist, all four based on incidents in Ness's actual life, but in Cleveland, not his time in Chicago. References are, of course, made to him taking down Capone. The titles of those books are _The Dark City, Butcher's Dozen, Bullet Proof,_ and _Murder by the Numbers._ _The Untouchables_ is a brilliantly made film that is entirely entertaining, despite being more of a tall tale than history. It becomes, perhaps, a little less enjoyable when you learn that it was made as propaganda in support of drug prohibition, consciously and purposely. Nevertheless, great cast, great score, great direction, just hugely etnertaining all around.
Actually Ness was not directly involved with the tax evasion case. The way I have heard it Ness' harassment of Capone served as a diversion to distract Capone, but had no real lasting impact. Ness and Capone only met after he was in custody
Actually, Capone was diagnosed with syphilis when he entered the first US penitentiary in in Atlanta in 1932. Syphilis takes many years to erode in your body until it hits your brain, so he could have contracted it years before he was sent to prison.
Maybe for you but it’s not the case for me I still love it even though it’s not entirely accurate and btw “it’s in support of drug prohibition” since when is that a bad thing those things along with alcohol had done nothing but damage
@@mohammedashian8094 It's a bad thing since it oversteps the purpose of government, which is the protection of individual rights. People have a right to destroy themselves, as stupid as that decision is. Government does not have a right to dictate to me how I live, even though the sorts of people who gravitate to power really, really want to boss me and you and everybody around. Prohibition does not work, and leads to escalating violence, which is why alcohol prohibition was ended, and why drug prohibition should be ended. The "war on drugs" has been going on nearly fifty years, and no victory is in sight. The reason is that such a victory is impossible. However, since it gives government ever increasing power to control everybody's lives, the government won't end it.
@@MrDeejf well I can understand the government should be held accountable for what they do and every individual does have the right to do what wants to himself but not when that individual seeks to spread what he takes or does everywhere for personal gain and correct me if I’m wrong but aren’t the ones that cause violence sell and distribute it i.e bootleggers and gangsters to their competitors and I know that civilians would do anything for a drink but to the point where they would commit violence? that seems a bit too far fetched
Now you know who Al Capone was. It is a true story, probably dramatized for the movie but Eliot Ness did go to Chicago and put Al Capone away for tax evasion. I loved your reactions and your powerful feelings about the good guys and the bad guys.
Al Capone was such a strange character. Not long before he became the beer baron of Chicago, he was scratching out an honest life for his wife & child as a bookkeeper in Philadelphia and was never a Mafia member.
The reason people liked Capone was that he looked after people. During the depression he ran soup kitchens and provided employment to people and during prohibition, (which was unpopular) he supplied people with sweet sweet alcohol. It's pretty impressive the level of scumbaggery people will ignore under those circumstances......
Sean Connery played this part as an Irish cop with a Scottish brogue, which he did in all his roles! Still, he's an amazing actor, and this is one of his best parts. Capone had already spent years infected with syphilis and it began effecting him mentally before ever going to prison. He spent several years at a federal prison in Atlanta, where it's said that he lived much the way he did in Chicago. But when it was revealed, he was moved to Alcatraz, partly as a PR move for the bureau of prisons, to help explain the cost of running the prison in the middle of San Francisco Bay. Capone servers about 4 1/2 years in Alcatraz, after which he was released to another federal prison with better hospital facilities until he was paroled in 1939, and died in 1947.
Nothing beats Highlander, where he as a Scotsman with a Scottish accent played an Egyptian pretending to be a Spaniard opposite a Scottish character played by a Belgian.
Er...With respect, I believe that - as opposed to the "brogue", which is indeed spoken by sons of Erin - the accent of the Scot is termed a "burr". 😕 🙂
