Al Capone

Al Capone arrives in Chicago at the start of Prohibition to work as a bodyguard for racketeer Johnny Torrio. Over the years that follow, he rises through the city's criminal underworld by way of killings, extortion and political corruption, eventually taking charge of Chicago's largest illegal operation. His growing power puts him among the men who divide the city into spheres of influence, and it also sets him on a path toward a downfall he cannot avoid.

Richard Wilson directed this 1959 release, working from a screenplay by Malvin Wald and Henry F. Greenberg. It was made by Allied Artists Pictures on a budget of about one million dollars and returned roughly three million worldwide. Rod Steiger plays Capone, with Fay Spain as Maureen Flannery, Nehemiah Persoff as Johnny Torrio, James Gregory as the narrator Schaefler, Martin Balsam as reporter Mac Keeley and Murvyn Vye as George "Bugs" Moran. Thirty-five performers are credited.

Reception was moderate. On IMDb the film holds a rating of 6.7 from around 2,200 votes, while on TMDB it stands at 6.6 from a much smaller tally of 57. The gap in vote counts reflects a limited following rather than strong word of mouth.