This is the first part of the second season which officially takes us past the book by Elliot Ness. What this means is that the stories are pure fiction, however this doesn’t mean they aren’t a lot of fun. Robert Stack as Elliot Ness is a joy to watch. In this set we get to see him go up against such bad guys as Legs Diamond, Nazis, and another Al Capone story as the mob tries to bust him out of prison. My favorite episode of this set is The Big Train in which Ness tries to prove a man didn’t do something.
For a lot of people this show from the early sixties was a part of the regular TV viewing, even for myself, though I watched it in reruns. It was a big hit for the Desilu studios which got famous for I love Lucy and later Star Trek. I think part of the appeal was the fact that the probation era has been so romanticized in fiction, so while it was actually a rough time to be an honest cop or a lover of beer, the stories from the period really resonate. What’s nice about this show is they show the un glamorous parts of being a hood.
More great classic TV from Paramount.
Order The Untouchables from Amazon.
Jon
For more reviews from Jon, and the rest of the Crimespree crew, check out the index of reviews.
