The Untouchables (1959): In the summer of 1934, a new gambling device was sweeping the nation: the punchboards. Even though they were nickel-and-dime games, it added up-- they made more money for the mob than the numbers racket. After Ness and his men smash some of the punchboard manufacturing sites, the 5 members of the syndicate running the punchboards hold a meet at a building by the freight yards: the top mobsters from Chicago (Jake Petrie), Cincinnati, St. Louis, Detroit and New York (Max Riegel). Petrie says he can sum up all their problems in 2 words: Eliot Ness. Max says in New York, they aren't losing so much-- they have Nate Selko the Trouble Shooter to make sure money goes to all the right places: police, judges, the legislature. Nate Selko walks into the room, to offer his services to the Chicago boss. Later, in a private room at a restaurant, Selko tries to bribe Ness, with a Swiss bank account with $500,000 in it (the deposit in the bank book is dated Feb. 26). Selko says it would take Ness 183 years to earn that much money (so, Ness makes $2,732 a year, that's $52.54 a week). All Selko gets is a slap from Ness; for good measure, Ness pushes his bodyguard, too. Ness gets a tip that Rick Landy, collector for the punchboards, will be in an alley behind Sam's candy store late that night; and Landy will be armed. When Ness goes there, Landy (it seems) fires twice at him; Ness shoots back, seriously wounding Landy. But, Landy's gun was never found. The story the reporters print is that Ness shot an unarmed man; the headline of the Chicago Star newspaper reads: Federal Agent Faces Inquiry in Shooting. For this frame-up, Selko tells Jake Petrie that he wants to be the 6th man on the council. Enrico Rossi and Lee Hobson search the alley for the gun but can't find it; Lee finds Landy's collection slip, though. Nate Selko has also bought out reporter Harry Danigan; Selko feeds him the story that Landy had $15,000 collection money on him that disappeared. Harry Danigan prints the story in the newspaper: "What happened to the money, Mr. Ness?" Meanwhile, Landy just came out of surgery in the hospital; he's in an oxygen tent. Landy tells Selko that somebody shot him in the alley; with Ness snooping around, Selko figures Landy needs a little less oxygen, and shuts off the valve. Selko also notices Ness snooping around Sam's shop; Sam was the last pickup point Landy had that night. Selko lobs a pineapple into the store, killing Sam. Selko double-crosses his old boss Max; when Max is reading the numbers at the council meet, Jake Petrie points out there is $5,000 missing for the week; "Where's the money, Max?" Selko told Jake that Max was pocketing 5 grand a week, every week, for himself. Max is out; Selko is moving up in the mob. Ness checks the bombed store that Sam owned; in the bedroom, Ness finds powder burns on the curtain-- somebody fired a gun at Ness from the window. So, Landy was unarmed after all; it was a set-up for Ness. Eliot decides to go along with the story; he has D.A. Beecher Asbury give a false story to the press. The headlines read: Federal Agent Transferred in Shake-Up; it says Ness is to be transferred to Des Moines, Iowa. Lee Hobson is put in charge of the Untouchables. Meanwhile, crooked reporter Danigan tells Selko he wants to be paid off, he wants the other 5 grand he was promised. Selko decides pay him off, alright. Selko tips off the cops that Jake Petrie is wanted in L.A. on a murder rap; Petrie is arrested. So now it's just Selko and the 3 remaining members of the council; Selko appoints himself boss, with his triggerman Al making sure they vote for him. When Jake Petrie is told by Lee Hobson and Rossi that Selko snitched on him, Petrie sings. Ness goes to Danigan's apartment, and finds him shot to death. Selko and his hitman are there. There's a shootout, and Ness nabs Selko. Jake Petrie was extradited to L.A., and did life for the murder rap. Selko got the electric chair in Joliet. The other 3 council members were arrested; the punchboard empire collapsed. And so Eliot Ness remained in Chicago, and remained in charge of the Untouchables. (synopsis by: kdh) ---------------------------------

Starring:

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

Genre:

Action, Crime, Drama