Directed by:
Roger Corman

Written by:
Howard Browne

Cast:
Jason Robards (Al Capone), George Segal (Peter Gusenberg), Ralph Meeker (George Clarence ‘Bugs’ Moran), Jean Hale (Myrtle), Clint Ritchie (Jack McGurn), Frank Silvera (Nick Sorello), Joseph Campanella (Albert Wienshank), Richard Bakalyan (John Scalise), David Canary (Frank Gusenberg), Bruce Dern (Johnny May)

Roger Corman’s gangster movies are generally enjoyable. The St. Valentine’s Day Massacre that follows the famous violent event on February 14, 1929 has got to be his most boring one.

On this specific St. Valentine’s Day, Al Capone set a legendary trap for seven men that were working for his opponent Bugs Moran. In the gang war preceding it, Moran tried to kill Capone to take over the bootlegging and gambling profits in Chicago. The movie uses a sort of journalistic approach. A narrator introduces every character involved and covers the events in a newspaper sort of way.

Al Capone, played by Jason Robards, is the unchallenged leader of Chicago’s most powerful underworld organisation. Robards portrays ‘Alphonse’ as an uncontrolled and ruthless hothead. He yells too often, but still turns in a decent performance. All the supporting characters get a detailed background story provided by the narrator. Unfortunately, there are way too many to remember.

If you enjoy technically proficient Tommy Gun action, you may find something to like about this film. Otherwise, the too factual approach and lack of drama will probably leave you as cold as one of the stiffs from the massacre.

Rating:

Quote:
NARRATOR: “In the years following the passage of the National Prohibition Act of 1920, the nation’s underworld rises to power and battles amongst itself just as modern nations and corporations do.”

Trivia:
The St. Valentine’s Day Massacre’ is also an important event in Capone (1975), a gangster film produced by Roger Corman and starring Ben Gazzara as Al Capone.