This “Limited Edition” Blu-ray from Arrow Video is currently available.
If you grew up in the 1980s in the region where this reviewer did, then you probably channel-surfed past the television series The Untouchables on many occasions. In my case, it was a station that, outside of primetime hours, ran old shows like Leave it to Beaver, The Brady Bunch, Gilligan’s Island and the above program (which was completely different in tone). As a result, this exaggerated but stylish black and white crime series inspired by real life law enforcement agent Eliot Ness made an impression on this reviewer as a youngster.
The Scarface Mob was produced as a 2-episode TV-pilot for the eventual series. When it aired, the show was an instant smash with the public. So much so that it was cut together as a feature film for international audiences as well as for the US public. For those curious as to why, VCRs didn’t exist and, besides the occasional re-run, there would be no way to see a specific show again. Admittedly, the title change may have also drawn in a few customers who didn’t realize what they were actually watching the pilot. Now, Arrow Video is making the title available as a “Limited Edition” Blu-ray. It’s certainly fun to revisit the original take on The Untouchables and anyone curious about it will find plenty to admire in this disc.
Set in 1929, a narrator introduces viewers to the era, a crime-ridden Chicago under prohibition and the central players in the story. Of course, Eliot Ness (Robert Stack) has been hired to try and undermine violent mobster Al Capone (Neville Brand), his first in command Frank Nitti (Bruce Gordon) and his hoods, who are illegally producing alcohol. The first half features Nitti in command as Capone serves out a brief sentence. After realizing that the villain has several of the city’s cops on their payroll, Ness decides to research and recruit seven honest men to help him. The group take no prisoners, attempting to shut down breweries, tap Nitti’s phone line and find dirt they can use to prosecute Capone.
While there are no obvious cuts, you can see where the story shifts halfway as Nitti falls into the background and the story focuses on Capone. Both of the villains make a strong impression, as do the cast playing their goons. Stack is great in the role of Ness. As things heat up and more people whom he cares about are put in danger, one can really see the tension and nervousness in his eyes. Barbara Nichols and Keenan Wynn also make impressions as characters with ties to the mob who try to play both sides (in general, it doesn’t go well for them).
It’s also interesting to see the tactics used by the “Untouchables” squad. In this adaptation, they have no qualms about intimidating and manipulating lower-level crooks, forcing them to do their will to stay out of prison, and then threatening to reveal their activities to Nitty and Capone whenever they try to get out of a particular task. They also initially say yes to bribes from various figures in order to lure the villains out when they appear to try and finalize an arrangement. It’s entertaining to see their blunt approach in action. And the danger heats up and Ness and the squad are targeted and shot at, it results in plenty of added tension.
The movie also features some nice photography and plenty of stylish shots. Even in black and white it’s very violent, featuring bullet squibs to emphasize characters being gunned down (apparently, this was one of the first to do so). There are creative angles as characters are thrown out of vehicles and some nifty stunts as Ness’ armored vehicle smashes through barriers into breweries. For me though, the most impressive visuals come during the climax and involve characters being shot, dying and lying deceased in foamy beer puddles. It’s a well shot movie. The Blu-ray picture is solid, although much of it takes place during the night and as such there is some grain present. Still, this is to be expected and it all looks better than I would have anticipated. It’s certainly a visual upgrade from previous editions.
Overall, this is a strong crime film that has some good action and enough unique elements to make one forget that they’re watching a TV pilot. In fact, it’s easy to see how well it would have been received and the program really would have made a big impression on audiences back in the day. Even though it was shot as a TV-pilot, the movie is edgier and in turn more exciting than many crime films of its era.
As for extras, there are two video essays included in this release. The first involves a film historian discussing the career of director Phil Karlson and the origins of this project. It’s an interesting track that provides plenty of tidbits about how it all came together. Karlson was a filmmaker who grew up in Chicago during the 1920s and was riding high on the success of crime pictures like The Phenix City Story only a few years earlier. He was approached by producer Desi Arnaz and, after being convinced that he would have carte-blanche to make the program the way he wanted (including some violent material and other bits that would ruffle feathers), ultimately agreed to the TV job.
This segment examines some of the extreme things (for the day) he was allowed to shoot, including the violent raids, as well as shots of male mobsters kissing each other. The historian also examines Karlson’s left-wing political stance and how his beliefs seemingly contrast with some of the vigilante-type action in this show and other works. Ultimately, the narrator notes that a lot of American action cinema is conservative and notes that the director does manage to add in some elements (including the mobster’s kisses and showing that some officers were corruptible and/or easy to bribe. There are also fun bits of trivia about the casting and how Robert Stack wasn’t anyone’s original choice for the Ness role.
Another featurette involves a critic detailing the various film adaptations of the life of Ness. He amusingly notes just how fictional and exaggerated these tales are and gives plenty of interesting background information on the film and cast.
The piece is informative, although I do dispute comments made about the 1987 Brian De Palma adaptation of The Untouchables at the end of the segment. While this historian describes that film as receiving a mixed critical reception and being only a fair success during its original run, I recall things differently (the box office receipts may have been lukewarm in the UK, but they weren’t in North America).
Critics who were negative about the picture made the familiar argument that De Palma used to constantly receive. Essentially, they complained De Palma’s overly stylized techniques and nods to other films took away from the narrative. However, the majority were impressed and found it to be an entertaining and dynamic adaptation. I saw the movie at a packed theater during its original run and the crowd (myself included) ate it up. The Untouchables was also a big hit at the box office. It was the 4th highest grossing film of 1987 earning its large production budget back several times over. Its box office success made Kevin Costner an A-list leading man (he would go on to star in Bull Durham and Field of Dreams over the next couple of years). Heck, even Saturday Night Live paid homage to the popular movie later that fall with an opening skit during the season premiere that recreated a notable scene. Apologies for getting on a soapbox about this, but the 1987 edition made a much bigger mark during its original run than implied in the featurette.
Additionally, a theatrical trailer is included along with a gallery of original posters, lobby cards and publicity photos. Six postcard-sized lobby card reproductions are included, as is a double-sided fold-out poster featuring original and newly commissioned artwork for the film (which is also featured on the slipcover). It also comes with an illustrated booklet featuring new essays on the movie.It was enjoyable to see this adaptation after so many years. While the film is definitely of another period, the action is well-handed and the cast are all very strong in their roles. Those who are fans of the series, the 1987 movie or curious about Eliot Ness (just be sure to take all of these productions with a big grain of salt) will certainly get a kick out of Arrow Video’s release of The Scarface Mob.