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Amazon.co.uk Review
Though certainly tame by The Shield standards, the inaugural 14 episodes from The Untouchables' 1959-60 season are still as potent as a shot of Al Capone's bootleg whiskey. Dames get slapped around. Mugs are mowed down in a hail of wall-pocking, mirror-shattering bullets. Upstanding citizens are brutally terrorised by thugs. Incorruptible Feds are brazenly rubbed out. Sometimes, criminals have the last laugh. It has the visceral kick of watching one of those pre-code Hollywood movies produced before the Hays Office stepped in to sanitise objectionable content. This set opens with the theatrically released version of the two-part pilot episode that set the noir sensibility of the series. Robert Stack (in his iconic and oft-parodied role) stars as Elliot Ness, a straight-arrow Federal agent who forms a special squad of "reliable, courageous, dedicated and honest" men who initially take on Al Capone's corrupt criminal empire in 1929 Chicago. Ness is "a real man," (as a "burly-q" stripper observes). He's just not exactly loaded with personality. Nor do any other of the squad members stand out, except perhaps for Martin Flahrety, and that's only because he's played by a pre-Dick Van Dyke Show Jerry Paris. But from Neville Brand's Al Capone and Claire Trevor's Ma Barker to an unbilled Harry Dean Stanton as a suspect blind newspaperman, it's the legendary criminals and their henchmen (and the great character actors who portray them) who give each episode considerable moxie.
Produced by Desi Arnaz and Lucille Ball's Desilu Studios, this groundbreaking series is based on the book The Untouchables: The Real Story by Ness and Oscar Fraley. Real? Not quite. Despite Walter Winchell's signature rat-a-tat narration that gives the proceedings a documentary-like tone, liberties were taken in retelling the sagas of Capone, Dutch Schultz, Lucky Luciano, "Bugs" Moran, "Mad Dog" Coll, and others. But the episodes are so pulpishly good that even if Ness was never really involved in a shootout with Barker (and he wasn't), more forgiving viewers will be of the opinion that he should have been. --Donald Liebenson
Synopsis
Thirty years before they hit the big screen via Brian DePalma's brilliant movie adaptation, Eliot Ness's legendary exploits came to life in the classic 1950s and '60s television series The Untouchables. Created by veteran crime-drama producer Quinn Martin, the series followed Ness (Robert Stack) and his team of crack crime fighters--including agents Martin Flaherty (Jerry Paris), Jack Rossman (Steve London), Enrico Rossi (Nicholas Georgiade), and William Youngellow (Abel Fernandez)--as they took on the Mafia underworld of gangsters Al Capone (Neville Brand) and Frank Nitti (Bruce Gordon) in Prohibition-era Chicago. Smart and iconic, the series distinguished itself with superb voiceover narration from broadcaster Walter Winchell and a gritty style that nonetheless eschewed graphic depictions of gore and violence. This collection presents the first half of the vintage show's debut series, which includes guest appearances by Jack Lord, Martin Landau, and Gavin MacLeod.
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38 of 38 people found the following review helpful
Format:DVD
It's nearly fifty years since the Untouchables first hit the TV screens, but it still stands up well as exciting drama. The show ran from 1959 to 1963 on American TV and I remember watching it in the mid sixties here in the UK - a highlight of late night ITV. Altogether there were 118 50 minute episodes, mostly set in the early thirties, and were based on the book by Elliot Ness. This collection contains the complete first series of 28 episodes plus an additional feature length introduction called "The Scarface Mob" which combines the two part pilot into a film version. There is also an episode of "The Lucy Show", in which Lucy plays a Moll, as a bonus feature - the programmes were made by Lucy's Desilu Productions.
The material was previously issued in two volumes which is why this complete season 1 release is called volumes 1 and 2. The black and white prints have been beautifully restored and look fresh and vibrant; the mono sound limits the impact a bit but still sounds good for its age.
The Scarface Mob sets the scene and sees the final days of Al Capone in Chicago and the formation of the Untouchables. Later episodes introduce us to characters such as Dutch Schultz, Vinnie "Mad Dog" Coll and George "Bugs" Moran. There are also early appearances of actors such as Jack Lord and Lee Van Cleef - many other famous personalities appear in later series.
The semi-documentary style is enhanced by news man Walter Winchell's narration, and any time a bar mirror or shop window appears you can bet a burst of Tommy Gun fire will follow shortly to reduce it to fragments! Although there is quite a lot of violence it is very stylised and less graphic in black and white, hence the "12" rating.
Series two is now also available in the U.S. in Region 1 and will hopefully be released in the U.K. in 2009. Meanwhile, enjoy the complete first series of this classic gangster show in this good looking release. There is a useful summary of each of these episodes on Wikipedia if you check The Untouchables (1959 TV series).
The material was previously issued in two volumes which is why this complete season 1 release is called volumes 1 and 2. The black and white prints have been beautifully restored and look fresh and vibrant; the mono sound limits the impact a bit but still sounds good for its age.
The Scarface Mob sets the scene and sees the final days of Al Capone in Chicago and the formation of the Untouchables. Later episodes introduce us to characters such as Dutch Schultz, Vinnie "Mad Dog" Coll and George "Bugs" Moran. There are also early appearances of actors such as Jack Lord and Lee Van Cleef - many other famous personalities appear in later series.
The semi-documentary style is enhanced by news man Walter Winchell's narration, and any time a bar mirror or shop window appears you can bet a burst of Tommy Gun fire will follow shortly to reduce it to fragments! Although there is quite a lot of violence it is very stylised and less graphic in black and white, hence the "12" rating.
Series two is now also available in the U.S. in Region 1 and will hopefully be released in the U.K. in 2009. Meanwhile, enjoy the complete first series of this classic gangster show in this good looking release. There is a useful summary of each of these episodes on Wikipedia if you check The Untouchables (1959 TV series).
13 of 13 people found the following review helpful
Format:DVD
Until recently, only Series 1 and 2 were available as legitimate releases. I'm afraid I got conned by one of those awful US "complete series" box sets ads under Sponsored Links and instead got cheap dvd transfers of someone's own home videotape recordings, many not even complete episodes. They get away with this, BTW, by claiming that these are "in the public domain"!
My favorite crime series as a kid but, although still gripping on viewing again for the first time more than 40 years on, the thing that most strikes you is the utter stupidity of the gangsters when shooting it out with the feds i.e. don't stay where you're safe, move out into the open to become sitting ducks! The good guys are also surprisingly unsympathetic and show very little humanity or emotion throughout.
My favorite crime series as a kid but, although still gripping on viewing again for the first time more than 40 years on, the thing that most strikes you is the utter stupidity of the gangsters when shooting it out with the feds i.e. don't stay where you're safe, move out into the open to become sitting ducks! The good guys are also surprisingly unsympathetic and show very little humanity or emotion throughout.
12 of 12 people found the following review helpful
Format:DVD
Excellent series, just as one remembers it. Acting and scenes quite believable, a good idea of how it was in the 20's & 30's. Now - when are the rest of the 118 episodes to be released (there were four series originally). Compulsive viewing for this era of U.S history.
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Most Recent Customer Reviews
Tough Guys Don't Dance!
...well, they do of course, in this fantastic Quinn Martin prouduction.
These great stories are set in the 20's, bear in mind that that is getting on for a century ago! Read more
These great stories are set in the 20's, bear in mind that that is getting on for a century ago! Read more
Published 3 months ago by Paul M. Edwards
untouchables
I bought this set of dvd's for a relation who loved the series when it was out in the sixties
and spoke about it a lot so when he got it on dvd he was very happy with it
and spoke about it a lot so when he got it on dvd he was very happy with it
Published 6 months ago by ronnie47
the untouchables are untouchable.
Everyone who has a t.v. and a d.v.d. should buy this serie, it shows how good t.v. dramas use to be. Read more
Published 8 months ago by blastfurnace
Excellent US crime series
This first series was broadcast from 1959-60, and tells the story of the 1930's prohibition era battle between the law enforcement team led by Eliot Ness, (Robert Stack) and... Read more
Published 14 months ago by Alan James
Meanwhile on Chicago South Side...............
Wowee what a set, I have purchased Season 1,2,3. I'm half way through Season 1 and I am Glued to the Box. Fantastic quality picture and sound. Bloody marvelous!
Published 17 months ago by The Pike Ferret
Untoucgables series 1
Simply a great series based on the enforcement during prohibtion by Eliot Ness and his team of hand picked agents of the prohibition laws, anti-racketeering and anti-graft... Read more
Published 23 months ago by Mr. M. Sanders
Classic crime series...
...are few and far between.For it's time this one's brilliant.Nowadays we're spoiled with all the 'police procedural'shows
and very good they are in general. Read more
and very good they are in general. Read more
Published on 25 May 2010 by George Henderson
subtitles
I bought this DVD as a present for my mums Birthday
My mum is deaf but she loved this program when it was on, it didn't say if it has subtitles, but thankfully it does. Read more
My mum is deaf but she loved this program when it was on, it didn't say if it has subtitles, but thankfully it does. Read more
Published on 13 Oct 2009 by Michelle Fox
Great entertainment, cheap!
If this is your sort of thing at all, don't hesitate. Season 1 is the best and this price is astonishing - I bought it from the US in two parts and paid considerably more for each... Read more
Published on 26 Sep 2009 by R. M. M.
too much stiff detective
This series are very good made, over all understanding his limits: concise and impressive with clear concessions to the TV making of 1950-60 today can result strange owing to the... Read more
Published on 12 Sep 2009 by Carlos Vazquez Quintana
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