Here was a great American crime series about the great age of American crime.
Robert Stack played Elliot Ness, the G-Man tasked to enforce absurd prohibition laws and deal with the organised crime that inevitably saw a profit to be made.
The series was so popular in its day and Stack such an iconic figure of good combating wickedness that he often became typecast to a British generation. Even today, greying fans will sometimes refer to him as Elliot Ness.
The series was filmed in black & white, and given an excellent noirish style. There was an almost perfect mix of action, suspense and drama. Aiding its authenticity and imbuing it with the stamp of semi-documentary, the story was frequently pushed along by a narrative voice-over, which made scene-shifting and location-changes seamless. Throw-in an excellent script, memorable theme and incidental music and you have the stuff of a classic.
At least some of the programmes are available on DVD, and whilst the violence may seem pretty tame by today's standards, it is still well worth a look.
Robert Stack never bettered his performances.
Robert Stack played Elliot Ness, the G-Man tasked to enforce absurd prohibition laws and deal with the organised crime that inevitably saw a profit to be made.
The series was so popular in its day and Stack such an iconic figure of good combating wickedness that he often became typecast to a British generation. Even today, greying fans will sometimes refer to him as Elliot Ness.
The series was filmed in black & white, and given an excellent noirish style. There was an almost perfect mix of action, suspense and drama. Aiding its authenticity and imbuing it with the stamp of semi-documentary, the story was frequently pushed along by a narrative voice-over, which made scene-shifting and location-changes seamless. Throw-in an excellent script, memorable theme and incidental music and you have the stuff of a classic.
At least some of the programmes are available on DVD, and whilst the violence may seem pretty tame by today's standards, it is still well worth a look.
Robert Stack never bettered his performances.