The Undercover Man
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Malvin Wald (additional dialogue)
1947 story in Collier's
by Frank J. Wilson and a story outline by Jack Rubin
| The Undercover Man | |
|---|---|
 Theatrical release poster | |
| Directed by | Joseph H. Lewis |
| Screenplay by | Sydney Boehm Malvin Wald (additional dialogue) |
| Based on | Undercover Man: He Trapped Capone 1947 story in Collier's by Frank J. Wilson and a story outline by Jack Rubin |
| Produced by | Robert Rossen |
| Starring | Glenn Ford Nina Foch James Whitmore |
| Narrated by | John Ireland |
| Cinematography | Burnett Guffey |
| Edited by | Al Clark |
| Music by | George Duning |
| Color process | Black and white |
Production company | |
| Distributed by | Columbia Pictures |
Release date |
|
Running time | 84 minutes |
| Country | United States |
| Language | English |
| Box office | $1,950,000[1] |
The Undercover Man is a 1949 American crime film noir starring Glenn Ford and Nina Foch, and directed by Joseph H. Lewis. James Whitmore made his film debut in support.[2]
Frank Warren is a United States Treasury agent assigned to put an end to the activities of a powerful mob crime boss. The agent struggles to put together a case, but is frustrated when all he finds are terrified witnesses and corrupt police officers. Although most informants end up dead, Agent Warren gets critical information about the mob from an unlikely source.
Cast
- Glenn Ford as Frank Warren
- Nina Foch as Judith Warren
- James Whitmore as George Pappas
- Barry Kelley as Edward O'Rourke
- David Bauer as Stanley Weinburg (as David Wolfe)
- Frank Tweddell as Insp. Herzog
- Howard St. John as Joseph S. Horan
- John F. Hamilton as Police Sergeant Shannon
- Leo Penn as Sydney Gordon
- Joan Lazer as Rosa Rocco
- Esther Minciotti as Maria Rocco
- Angela Clarke as Theresa Rocco
- Anthony Caruso as Salvatore Rocco
- Robert Osterloh as Manny Zanger
- Kay Medford as Gladys LaVerne
- Patricia Barry as Muriel Gordon (as Patricia White)
Background
The film was based on an article titled "He Trapped Capone," the first part of the autobiography Undercover Man by Federal Agent Frank J. Wilson, which was serialized in Collier's in 1947.
Many details were fictionalized. The timeframe was changed from the Prohibition era to the post-World War II war era. Chicago became an unnamed, unidentified big city. Al Capone was referred to only as the shadowy "Big Fellow", never shown by face, who had diversified into gambling, numbers, and protection rackets (as bootlegging was no longer a top enterprise following the repeal of Prohibition, a shift in business orientation reflecting the broad change in US organized crime in repeal's wake). IRS Criminal Investigator Frank Wilson became IRS Criminal Investigator Frank Warren.
In spite of the changes, the film still reasonably authentically portrayed the efforts of Wilson's team to put together a tax evasion case against Capone. In many respects, despite the name changes and undistinguished settings, it is a more accurate depiction of the investigation than such later films on the same subject as The Untouchables.