‘The man who made the twenties roar! Now, after 45 years, his true story can be told!

Directed by:
Steve Carver

Written by:
Howard Browne

Cast:
Ben Gazzara (Al Capone), Harry Guardino (Johnny Torrio), Sylvester Stallone (Frank Nitti), Susan Blakely (Iris Crawford), John Cassavetes (Frankie Yale), Frank Campanella (Big Jim Colosimo), John D. Chandler (Earl ‘Hymie’ Weiss), Peter Maloney (Jake Guzik), Royal Dano (Anton J. Cermak), Dick Miller (Deputy Sherrif Joe Pryor)

Alphonse Capone wasn’t Mafia strictly speaking. But his outfit in Chicago was much more powerful and feared than the many mob families in the US. In this biography, we follow him as he rises from the streets of Brooklyn to the top of the Chicago underworld.

His mentor was Johnny Torrio (Harry Guardino) , a business oriented gangster who saw major opportunities in the upcoming prohibition and potential in the thuggish Al Capone. When Torrio moves to Chicago to profit from the opened-up illegal booze market, he brings Capone along as his second man. After ridding themselves of a local big shot, they quickly build a vast empire that generates millions of dollars monthly. The roaring twenties have begun.

But North Side gangsters, such as Hymie Weiss, Dion O’Bannion and George ‘Bugs’ Moran oppose the rising power and a gang war ensues. Torrio, who doesn’t have a stomach for blood, leaves Chicago after a failed assassination attempt and Capone inherits the business. This results in more bloodshed, right until the infamous St. Valentine’s Day Massacre and the demise of Capone along with the end of the prohibition.

This movie contains a lot of Tommy gun action, tit shots and fist fights, making it little more than an exploitation flick. No wonder, since Roger Corman, King of the B’s, is the producer. The cast is pretty B too and the acting no more than okay. Gazzara’s portrayal of Capone relies too much on yelling and tough guy talk, while the then unknown Sylvester Stallone shows little promise here. Only Guardino is excellent as Torrio.

Capone starts promising, but for a biography, it remains way too shallow to really captivate the viewer. We just don’t get to know Capone. All we really see is that he is a hothead with a big mouth and a Tommy gun. Also the historic accuracy of this film should be taken with a big grain of salt.

Rating:

Quote:
JOHNNY TORRIO: “Chicago is a beer drinking town. No law can change that.”

Trivia:
In the film, Capone’s henchman Frank Nitti frames Capone, resulting in his conviction for income tax evasion. He then takes over the outfit. In reality, Nitti was convicted for the same felony and received an 18 months sentence.