The Untouchables (1959): 1932. Just 3 weeks after Al Capone was convicted on the ironic charge of income tax evasion, the Justice Department in Washington, D.C. was calling its leading law enforcement agents from all over the country to fly to the nation's capital to testify and get a new Anti-Racketeering Bill passed. Back in Chicago, 4 of Capone's bigshots who ran his bootlegging empire had skipped town, like rats deserting a sinking ship: only Frank Nitti "the Enforcer" had the guts to remain in the Windy City, as did Nick Moses. With the gang bosses assembling again, Ness can't leave Chicago. Ness says, "It looks like you'll be going to Washington without me," and he shakes District Attorney Asbury's hand, "bring us back a law, Beecher." At the Club Montmartre, Nitti presides over a meet. Vinnie Orcell is grousing that Nick Moses muscled in on his territory while he was in Miami; Nick counters that Vinnie ran out, so his district was up for grabs. Nitti tells them to settle this "peaceful." That night, Nick has his hitman Rosie (so-named because he always wears a rose in his button hole) pump Vinnie full of lead; (a newspaper boy, Tommy Carabello, was accidentally shot but he recovers). Nick disobeyed a direct order from Nitti. At 3 a.m. at the Club Montmartre, Nitti calls a meet with the remaining kingpins Grecko, Barney and Mike; when Nick shows up, Nitti tells him: "You're dead!" Nick wants to make a deal with Nitti: "a guaranteed trip to the cemetery for Ness" in exchange for his life. Nitti reminds him-- anybody kills Ness, the finger points at them. Nick says that when the new Anti-Racketeering law is passed, it won't be just the bootleggers after Ness, any smalltime hood would have a reason to kill him; the mob won't be suspected. Nitti says, from the moment the law is passed, he's got 6 days-- that is, exactly 144 hours-- to get Ness. Then Nitti smiles, "It's either you or Ness; either way, I come out a winner." The following Monday, Ness gets a phone call from his friend Beecher, and Ness and his men have reason to celebrate: the president just signed the Anti-Racketeering Bill, at 10 a.m. For Nick Moses, however, it means the clock is now ticking, he's got 6 days to get Ness or be rubbed out himself. On Saturday night, Nick has Rosie stationed as a sniper, with a high-powered rifle, on the roof of a tenement. Rosie shoots at Ness outside Newton's Cafeteria; in the ensuing shootout, Ness kills Rosie. At 11 p.m., Nick gets a visit from Louie who tells him his time is up. Nick protests he's still got 11 hours to get Ness. Louie tells him, "Frank don't believe in killing on Sunday." (Frank Nitti may be a hood, but he's a church-goer.) Nick makes one last, desperate attempt to kill Ness, with a phone call he sets Ness up for a trap at a brewery in 45 minutes. But in the shootout, Nick's 3 hoods surrender to Ness. As Nick makes a run for it, he gets gunned down-- by Nitti's boys. Nitti wanted to be rid of either Ness or Nick, so he's a winner either way. As far as killing, Nitti believes "Never on Sunday." (synopsis by: kdh)

Starring:

Abel Fernandez, Nicholas Georgiade, Paul Picerni, Robert Stack, Steve London, Walter Winchell

Genre:

Action, Crime, Drama