Al Capone

Alphonse Capone (1899 – 1947) was an American gangster who led a Prohibition-era crime syndicate. The Chicago Outfit, which subsequently also became known as the “Capones”, was dedicated to smuggling and bootlegging liquor, and other illegal activities, such as prostitution, in Chicago from the early 1920s to 1931.

Born in the borough of Brooklyn in New York City to Italian immigrants, Capone became involved with gang activity at a young age after having been expelled from school at age 14. In his early twenties, he moved to Chicago to take advantage of a new opportunity to make money smuggling illegal alcoholic beverages into the city during Prohibition. He also engaged in various other criminal activities, including bribery of government figures and prostitution.

Despite his illegitimate occupation, Capone became a highly visible public figure. He made donations to various charitable endeavors using the money he made from his activities, and was viewed by many to be a “modern-day Robin Hood”. Capone’s public reputation was damaged in the wake of his supposed involvement in the 1929 Saint Valentine’s Day Massacre, when seven rival gang members were executed.

Capone was convicted on federal charges of tax evasion in 1931 and sentenced to federal prison; he was released on parole in 1939. His incarceration included a term at the then-new Alcatraz federal prison. In the final years of Capone’s life, he suffered mental and physical deterioration due to late-stage neurosyphilis, which he had contracted in his youth. On January 25, 1947, he died from cardiac arrest after suffering a stroke. [Wikipedia]

Al Capone (1959) was the very first motion picture based on the life of America's most notorious gangster, the great Rod Steiger bore a strong resemblance to Capone. The film doesn't always adhere to facts and Capone dies of an 'incurable disease', syphilis still a taboo word in 1959. Directed by Richard Wilson and also starring Fay Spain, James Gregory, Martin Balsam and Nehemiah Persoff.

Neville Brand with Barbara Nichols in The Scarface Mob

The Scarface Mob (1959) directed by Phil Karlson, is a TV movie and basically the pilot episode for The Untouchables, a popular 60's series which ran from 1959 to 1963 and 119 episodes. The series was based on the memoirs of Special Agent Eliot Ness (1903-1957) who was played by Robert Stack. Neville Brand played Capone, Brand would play the role again in the movie The George Raft Story (1961).

Jason Robards as Capone in The St. Valentine's Day Massacre (1967) directed by Roger Corman and also starring George Segal, Ralph Meeker and Jean Hale. Orson Welles was the first choice for Capone but the studio bosses vetoed the deal saying Welles was 'undirectable'.

The real life massacre occurred in Chicago on February 14, 1929, seven members of the North Side Gang were lined up against the wall of a garage and machine gunned to death by a rival gang, believed to be on the orders of Al Capone though no one was ever brought to trial over the shootings.

Capone (1975) directed by Steve Carver and starring Ben Gazzara as Al Capone, with Susan Blakely, Harry Guardino, John Cassavetes and Sylvester Stallone as Frank Nitti.

Al Capone was sometimes referred to as "Scarface" Capone, a nickname he hated, as a young man he was attacked with a knife by the brother of a girl he insulted and was slashed three times on the left side of his face. Capone would tell people that the scars were 'war wounds'.

The Untouchables (1987) directed by Brian De Palma and starring Kevin Costner as Eliot Ness, Sean Connery, Charles Martin Smith, Andy Garcia and Robert De Niro as Alphonse Capone. Screenplay by David Mamet loosely based on the memoirs of Eliot Ness. Music by Ennio Morricone.

Excellent direction from De Palma and a super cast made this one of the most popular films of 1987. Nominated for 4 Oscars winning 1 - Best Supporting Actor (Sean Connery).

Capone: I'm gonna tell you something. Somebody messes with me, I'm gonna mess with him. Somebody steals from me, I'm gonna say you stole. Not talk to him for spitting on the sidewalk. Understand? Now, I have done nothing to harm these people but they are angered with me, so what do they do, doctor up some income tax, for which they have no case. To speak to me like men, no, to harass a peaceful man. I pray to god if I ever had a grievance I'd have a little more self respect. One more thing, you have an all out prize fight, you wait until the fight is over, one guy is left standing. And that's how you know who won.

Titus Welliver as Capone in Mobsters (1991) directed by Michael Karbelnikoff, starring Christian Slater as Lucky Luciano, Costas Mandylor as Frank Costello, Richard Grieco as Bugsy Siegel and Patrick Dempsey as Meyer Lansky.

The working title was 'Gangsters'.

William Forsythe played Al Capone in the TV series The Untouchables (1993-1994), directed by Tucker Gates & Charles Robert Carner, starring Tom Amandes as Eliot Ness.

The series lasted 2 seasons and 44 episodes.

Dillinger and Capone (1995) directed by Jon Purdy, starring Martin Sheen as John Dillinger and F. Murray Abraham as Al Capone. A work of fiction featuring a team up of the two notorious gangsters. Also starring Catherine Hicks and Don Stroud.

Jon Bernthal as 'Al Capone' in the fantasy comedy Night at the Museum: Battle of the Smithsonian (2009) directed by Shawn Levy. Starring Ben Stiller, Amy Adams and Owen Wilson.

British actor Stephen Graham as Capone in the award-winning, critically acclaimed series Boardwalk Empire (2010-2013) created by Terence Winter and starring Steve Buscemi, Kelly Macdonald, Michael Shannon, Michael Stuhlberg and Gretchen Mol.

There have so far been 4 seasons and 48 episodes, the fifth and final season will air in 2014.

Queen Victoria

Queen Victoria (Alexandrina Victoria; 24 May 1819 – 22 January 1901) was the monarch of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland from 20 June 1837 until her death. From 1 May 1876, she used the additional title of Empress of India.

Victoria was the daughter of Prince Edward, Duke of Kent and Strathearn, the fourth son of King George III. Both the Duke of Kent and King George III died in 1820, and Victoria was raised under close supervision by her German-born mother Princess Victoria of Saxe-Coburg-Saalfeld. She inherited the throne at the age of 18, after her father's three elder brothers had all died, leaving no legitimate, surviving children. The United Kingdom was already an established constitutional monarchy, in which the sovereign held relatively little direct political power. Privately, Victoria attempted to influence government policy and ministerial appointments. Publicly, she became a national icon, and was identified with strict standards of personal morality.

Victoria married her first cousin, Prince Albert of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha, in 1840. Their nine children married into royal and noble families across the continent, tying them together and earning her the nickname "the grandmother of Europe". After Albert's death in 1861, Victoria plunged into deep mourning and avoided public appearances. As a result of her seclusion, republicanism temporarily gained strength, but in the latter half of her reign, her popularity recovered. Her Golden and Diamond Jubilees were times of public celebration.

Her reign of 63 years and seven months, which is longer than that of any other British monarch and the longest of any female monarch in history, is known as the Victorian era. It was a period of industrial, cultural, political, scientific, and military change within the United Kingdom, and was marked by a great expansion of the British Empire. She was the last British monarch of the House of Hanover. Her son and successor, Edward VII, belonged to the House of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha, the line of his father. (Wikipedia)

Anna Neagle (1904-1986), perhaps the most famous of all screen Victoria's, played the Queen in Victoria the Great (1937) and it's sequel Sixty Glorious Years (1938). Both films directed by Herbert Wilcox, also starring Anton Walbrook as Prince Albert.

The Mudlark (1950) directed by Jean Negulesco and starring Irene Dunne as Victoria and Alec Guinness as Benjamin Disraeli. Oscar nominated for Best Costume Design.

Beautiful German actress Romy Schneider as young Victoria in The Story of Vickie (1954), an Austrian film directed by Ernst Marischka and also starring Adrian Hoven as Prince Albert.

The Private Life of Sherlock Holmes (1970) directed by Billy Wilder and starring Robert Stephens as Holmes, Colin Blakely as Dr. Watson, Christoper Lee as Mycroft Holmes and Mollie Maureen as Queen Victoria. WGA nomination for Best Comedy Written Directly for the Screen.

Yes that's Peter Sellers as Victoria in the British comedy The Great McGonagall (1974) directed by Joseph McGrath and also starring Spike Milligan and Julia Foster.

Dame Judi Dench as Queen Victoria in Mrs. Brown (1997) directed by John Madden and also starring Billy Connolly as John Brown, Geoffrey Palmer, Anthony Sher and Gerard Butler. Oscar nominated for Best Actress (Judi Dench) and Best Make Up. Winner of the Golden Globe for Best Actress - Drama (Judi Dench).

From Hell (2001) directed by Albert & Allen Hughes, starred Johnny Depp as Inspector Abberline, on the hunt for Jack the Ripper in Victorian London, also starring Heather Graham, Ian Holm, Robbie Coltrane and Liz Moscrop as the Queen. Based on the comic book by Alan Moore.

Gemma Jones as Queen Victoria, seen here knighting Jackie Chan and Owen Wilson in the action comedy Shanghai Knights (2003), directed by David Dobkin.

Kathy Bates as Victoria in the all-star comedy Around the World in 80 Days (2004) directed by Frank Coraci and starring Jackie Chan as Passepartout, Steve Coogan as Phileas Fogg. Jim Broadbent and Cecile De France. Cameos by John Cleese, Mark Addy, Rob Schneider, Owen and Luke Wilson and Arnold Schwarzenegger as Prince Hapi.

Emily Blunt as The Young Victoria (2009) directed by Jean-Marc Vallee, also starring Rupert Friend as Prince Albert, Paul Bettany, Miranda Richardson and Jim Broadbent. Oscar nominations for Best Art Direction and Best Make Up, Oscar winner for Best Costume Design.

Imelda Staunton voices Queen Victoria in the animated movie The Pirates! In an Adventure with Scientists (2012) directed by Peter Lord and Jeff Newitt, also starring the voices of Hugh Grant, Martin Freeman, David Tennant, Jeremy Piven and Salma Hayek. Oscar nomination for Best Animated Feature. Retitled The Pirates! Band of Misfits in America.