Rating: Unrated
Starring:
Robert Stack as Eliot Ness
Walter Winchell as Narrator
Nicholas Georgiade as Agent Enrico Rossi
Abel Fernández as Agent William Youngfellow
Paul Picerni as Agent Lee Hobson
Steve London as Agent Jack Rossman
Special Features:
Introduction by Desi Arnaz and Walter Winchell
14 episodes from the 1959-1960 season on 4 discs
Feature length version of the 2-part original pilot
Other Info:
Fullscreen (1.33:1)
Dolby Digital Mono Sound
Spanish Language
Spanish and Brazilian Portuguese Subtitles
Running Time: 13 Hours 25 Minutes
Synopsis:
The following is from the DVD cover:
“The gangs of Chicago didn’t know what hit them.
‘The Untouchables’ comes to DVD for the first time, featuring the first 14 of 28 Season One episodes, plus “The Scarface Mob,” the seamless movie version of the ground-breaking two-part pilot first broadcast on the Westinghouse Desilu Playhouse. Considered one of the best crime series of its time, the hit show starred Emmy® winner Robert Stack (‘Unsolved Mysteries’) as real-life Chicago gangbuster and prohibition agent Eliot Ness, famous for bringing down the notorious Al Capone.
Executive Produced by Quinn Martin (TV’s ‘The Fugitive’) and narrated by Walter Winchell, whose distinctive voice lent credibility to the show, the resulting series depicting 1930s Chicago was dramatic fiction with documentary authenticity… and became an instant classic! Each week, Ness and his men wrestled with such flavorful villains as Dutch Schultz, Lucky Luciano… even Ma Barker! But these agents could never be bought off. They were ‘The Untouchables’!”
“The Untouchables” is unrated.
Mini-Review
“The Untouchables” DVD was filled with a number of surprises for me. First off, I was amazed this was the first time the series was on DVD. I was also a bit surprised to realize that I had never seen an episode of “The Untouchables” before. Like most people out there, I was familiar with the movie and not much else. I was also surprised that the series was a Desilu production (Desi Arnaz and Lucille Ball’s production company). Who knew Desi and Lucy were behind it? Finally, I was surprised to see just how dated the series was. The acting is rather wooden and the plots are quite basic by today’s standards. “The Untouchables” ends up being more entertaining for its nostalgia and TV history aspects than anything else.
That being said, Robert Stack does stand out among the cast. I knew him better as the guy from “Airplane!” and “Unsolved Mysteries,” but “The Untouchables” is what put him on the map. His commanding voice and presence make him the lone memorable character among the group.
Unfortunately, there are no significant bonus features included on this DVD. There is a vintage introduction to the series by Desi Arnaz and Walter Winchell, but nothing else.
