The Untouchables (1959): The city of Morraine was in the heart of the gangster-infected area in downstate Illinois known as "Little Egypt." Election night, 1931. New mayor Marcus Stone is giving a speech on the radio-- he meant what he said about reform, and promises to rid the town of Charlie Byron (a Major in WWI) and his gang, whom he calls "bloodsuckers" and "scum." Listening to the radio is Major Byron, who gives his gang orders to knock off both Mayor Stone and Sheriff Mooney; they both get tommy-gunned that night. Governor Joseph Stone calls in Eliot Ness; they decide one man should infiltrate this gang, and pick Cam Allison Jr., the son of Judge Cameron Allison who was killed by the mob. Since trying to communicate by phones (which can be wiretapped) is too risky, they decide Cam should communicate with Ness via carrier pigeons, which Enrico Rossi has trained for a hobby. The birds can fly the 100 miles from Morraine to Chicago in less than 2 hours (they say). Cam goes to Morraine and gets a job as a coal miner, using the thinly-disguised name of Cam Allen. Next he visits a dive called The Rib, a hangout ostensibly known for spare ribs, but really a speakeasy owned by Charlie Byron. Wearing a flashy pinstripe suit to attract attention, Cam orders some booze. When Sheriff Parker and 2 cops arrive to raid the joint, Cam gets into a fist fight with all 3. Major Byron witnesses the whole scene, and tells his boys to bail Cam out, because he wants him for his gang. After Cam is released from jail, Byron tells Cam to quit his job at the mine, and gives him a job as a satchel-man, collecting money from the speakeasies for the whiskey they buy from the him. Cam tips off Ness, via carrier pigeon, about a barn where Byron keeps his booze, and Ness phones Sheriff Parker. When the sheriff raids the place, Byron gives the order to kill the sheriff-- and assigns Cam as one of the men to do it. Again, Cam tells Ness, via carrier pigeon; Ness phones Parker and foils the scheme. By now, Major Byron is upset-- twice his plans were ruined, someone in his gang is a snitch. At the Rib, Barry Carlton is pawing a pretty waitress; she says he's fresh, but she agrees to go out on a date with him that night. Ed has a sinister plan: he tells Barry that he will keep his date tonight, but it'll be a deadly double-date-- Ed is fixing up Cam (whom he suspects is the snitch) with femme fatale Hazel Stanley. Barry and Cam and their dates are at the Club Cafe; later Hazel takes Cam up to her apartment. She plies him with booze, uses her feminine wiles, but to no avail. While he's pouring drinks in the next room, she secretly goes through his suit pockets and finds his (fake) driver's license with the name Cam Allen. She also finds a receipt, for 5 pounds of "pidgeon" [sic] feed. When she reports this to Ed the next day, he figures Cam is either a stoolie, or worse, a cop. He and Barry go to the house where Cam rents a room; Barry goes to the roof and finds his secret coop for the homing pigeons. Ed plans to trap Cam, that night he has Hazel give Cam a story that they plan to blow up Sheriff Parker's car. Cam takes the bait; Ed shoots Hazel when she has remorse and calls the sheriff's office, and tells a cop that Cam is in danger of being discovered as an undercover agent. Sheriff Parker gets the message, and phones Ness, who immediately drives down to Morraine. Meanwhile, Cam is about to send a homing pigeon to Ness, telling him of the (he doesn't know it's phony) plot to blow up the sheriff's car; ironically, the sheriff is already dead, he's been gunned down. Major Byron and his gang show up at the house where Cam rents his room; they shoot down his carrier pigeon the moment he releases it. His cover is blown, they know he's a cop. They take him outside, so they can kill him and dump his body in the country, but just then Ness and Rico drive up, and have a big shootout with the gang. Major Byron, Ed, Shorty, and Ray are killed. Barry Carlton is apprehended and later executed due to Cam Allison's testimony. Major Byron, the former soldier, died with his boots on; but they, like his life, are very dirty. (synopsis by: kdh)

Starring:

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

Genre:

Action, Crime, Drama