''The Untouchables'' is an American crime drama produced by

Desilu Productions Desilu Productions () was an American television production company founded and co-owned by husband and wife Desi Arnaz and Lucille Ball. The company is best known for shows such as ''I Love Lucy'', ''The Lucy Show'', ''Mannix'', ''The Untouchabl ...

that ran from 1959 to 1963 on the

ABC ABC are the first three letters of the Latin script known as the alphabet. ABC or abc may also refer to: Arts, entertainment, and media Broadcasting * American Broadcasting Company, a commercial U.S. TV broadcaster ** Disney–ABC Television ...

Television Network. Based on the memoir of the same name by

Eliot Ness Eliot Ness (April 19, 1903 – May 16, 1957) was an American Prohibition agent known for his efforts to bring down Al Capone and enforce Prohibition in Chicago. He was the leader of a team of law enforcement agents, nicknamed The Untouchables. H ...

and

Oscar Fraley Oscar Fraley (August 2, 1914 – January 6, 1994) was an American sports writer and author, perhaps best known, with Eliot Ness, as the co-author of the American memoir ''The Untouchables''. Early life Born in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, Fraley ...

, it fictionalized experiences of Elliot Ness as a Prohibition agent, fighting crime in Chicago in the 1930s with the help of a special team of agents handpicked for their courage, moral character, and incorruptibility, nicknamed

the Untouchables Untouchables or The Untouchables may refer to: American history * Untouchables (law enforcement), a 1930s American law enforcement unit led by Eliot Ness * ''The Untouchables'' (book), an autobiography by Eliot Ness and Oscar Fraley * ''The U ...

. The book was later made into a celebrated film in 1987 by

Brian De Palma Brian Russell De Palma (born September 11, 1940) is an American film director and screenwriter. With a career spanning over 50 years, he is best known for his work in the suspense, crime and psychological thriller genres. De Palma was a leading ...

, with a script by

David Mamet David Alan Mamet (; born November 30, 1947) is an American playwright, filmmaker, and author. He won a Pulitzer Prize and received Tony nominations for his plays ''Glengarry Glen Ross'' (1984) and '' Speed-the-Plow'' (1988). He first gained cri ...

, and a second, less-successful

TV series A television show – or simply TV show – is any content produced for viewing on a television set which can be broadcast via over-the-air, satellite, or cable, excluding breaking news, advertisements, or trailers that are typically placed betw ...

in 1993. A dynamic, hard-hitting action drama, and a landmark television crime series, ''The Untouchables'' won series star

Robert Stack Robert Stack (born Charles Langford Modini Stack; January 13, 1919 – May 14, 2003) was an American actor. Known for his deep voice and commanding presence, he appeared in over forty feature films. He starred in the highly successful ABC tele ...

Emmy Award The Emmy Awards, or Emmys, are an extensive range of awards for artistic and technical merit for the American and international television industry. A number of annual Emmy Award ceremonies are held throughout the calendar year, each with the ...

for Best Actor in a Dramatic Series in 1960.

Series overview

The series originally focused on the efforts of a real-life squad of

Prohibition Prohibition is the act or practice of forbidding something by law; more particularly the term refers to the banning of the manufacture, storage (whether in barrels or in bottles), transportation, sale, possession, and consumption of alcoholic ...

agents employed by the

United States Department of Justice The United States Department of Justice (DOJ), also known as the Justice Department, is a federal executive department of the United States government tasked with the enforcement of federal law and administration of justice in the United State ...

and led by Eliot Ness (Stack) that helped bring down the bootleg empire of "Scarface"

Al Capone Alphonse Gabriel Capone (; January 17, 1899 – January 25, 1947), sometimes known by the nickname "Scarface", was an American gangster and businessman who attained notoriety during the Prohibition era as the co-founder and boss of the ...

, as described in Ness's bestselling 1957 memoir. This squad was nicknamed "The Untouchables" because of its courage and honesty; squad members could not be bribed or intimidated by the mob. Eliot Ness himself had died suddenly in May 1957, shortly before his memoir and the subsequent TV adaptation were to bring him fame beyond any he experienced in his lifetime. The pilot for the series, a two-part episode entitled "The Untouchables," originally aired on

CBS CBS Broadcasting Inc., commonly shortened to CBS, the abbreviation of its former legal name Columbia Broadcasting System, is an American commercial broadcast television and radio network serving as the flagship property of the CBS Entertainm ...

's ''

Westinghouse Desilu Playhouse ''Westinghouse Desilu Playhouse'' is an American television anthology series produced by Desilu Productions. The show ran on the Columbia Broadcasting System between 1958 and 1960. Three of its 48 episodes served as pilots for the 1950s televisio ...

'' on April 20 and 27, 1959. Later re-titled "The Scarface Mob", these episodes, which featured

Neville Brand Lawrence Neville Brand (August 13, 1920 – April 16, 1992) was an American soldier and actor. He was known for playing villainous or antagonistic character roles in Westerns, crime dramas, and ''films noir'', and was nominated for a BAFTA Awa ...

as Al Capone, were the only episodes in the series to be more-or-less directly based on Ness's memoir, and ended with the conviction and imprisonment of Capone. CBS, which had broadcast most of Desilu's television output since 1951 beginning with ''

I Love Lucy ''I Love Lucy'' is an American television sitcom that originally aired on CBS from October 15, 1951, to May 6, 1957, with a total of 180 half-hour episodes, spanning six seasons. The show starred Lucille Ball, her husband, Desi Arnaz, along with ...

'', was offered the new series following the success of the pilot film. Chairman

William S. Paley William Samuel Paley (September 28, 1901 – October 26, 1990) was an American businessman, primarily involved in the media, and best known as the chief executive who built the Columbia Broadcasting System ( CBS) from a small radio network into ...

rejected it on the advice of network vice president Hubbell Robinson. ABC agreed to air the series, and ''The Untouchables'' premiered on October 15, 1959. In the pilot movie, the mobsters generally spoke with unrealistic pseudo-Italian accents, but this idiosyncratic pronunciation was dropped when the series debuted. The weekly series first dramatized a power struggle to establish a new boss in Capone's absence (for the purpose of the TV series, the new boss was

Frank Nitti Frank Ralph Nitto (born Francesco Raffaele Nitto, ; January 27, 1886 – March 19, 1943), known as Frank Nitti, was an Italian-American organized crime figure based in Chicago. The first cousin and bodyguard of Al Capone, Nitti was in charge of ...

, although this was, as usual for the series, contrary to fact). As the series continued, there developed a highly fictionalized portrayal of Ness and his crew as all-purpose, multi-agency crime fighters who went up against an array of 1930s-era gangsters and villains, including

Ma Barker Kate Barker (born Arizona Donnie Clark; October 8, 1873 – January 16, 1935), better known as Ma Barker (and sometimes known as Arizona Barker and Arrie Barker), was the mother of several American criminals who ran the Barker–Karpis Gang ...

Dutch Schultz Dutch Schultz (born Arthur Simon Flegenheimer; August 6, 1901October 24, 1935) was an American mobster. Based in New York City in the 1920s and 1930s, he made his fortune in organized crime-related activities, including bootlegging and the n ...

Bugs Moran George Clarence "Bugs" Moran (; Adelard Leo Cunin; August 21, 1893 – February 25, 1957) was an American Chicago Prohibition-era gangster. He was incarcerated three times before his 21st birthday. Seven members of his gang were gunned dow ...

, Vincent "Mad Dog" Coll,

Legs Diamond Jack "Legs" Diamond (possibly born John Thomas Diamond, though disputed; July 10, 1897 – December 18, 1931), also known as Gentleman Jack, was an Irish American gangster in Philadelphia and New York City during the Prohibition era. A bootle ...

, Lucky Luciano, and in one episode,

Nazi Nazism ( ; german: Nazismus), the common name in English for National Socialism (german: Nationalsozialismus, ), is the far-right totalitarian political ideology and practices associated with Adolf Hitler and the Nazi Party (NSDAP) in ...

agents. On many occasions during the series run, Ness would blatantly violate suspects' Fourth Amendment rights with no legal ramifications. The terse narration by gossip columnist

Walter Winchell Walter Winchell (April 7, 1897 – February 20, 1972) was a syndicated American newspaper gossip columnist and radio news commentator. Originally a vaudeville performer, Winchell began his newspaper career as a Broadway reporter, critic and co ...

, in his distinctive New York accent, was a stylistic hallmark of the series, along with its ominous theme music by

Nelson Riddle Nelson Smock Riddle Jr. (June 1, 1921 – October 6, 1985) was an American arranger, composer, bandleader and orchestrator whose career stretched from the late 1940s to the mid-1980s. He worked with many world-famous vocalists at Capitol Records ...

and its shadowy black-and-white photography, which was influenced by

film noir Film noir (; ) is a cinematic term used primarily to describe stylish Hollywood crime dramas, particularly those that emphasize cynical attitudes and motivations. The 1940s and 1950s are generally regarded as the "classic period" of American ' ...

Controversy

The show drew harsh criticism from some Italian-Americans, including

Frank Sinatra Francis Albert Sinatra (; December 12, 1915 – May 14, 1998) was an American singer and actor. Nicknamed the "Honorific nicknames in popular music, Chairman of the Board" and later called "Ol' Blue Eyes", Sinatra was one of the most popular ...

, who felt it promoted negative stereotypes of them as mobsters and gangsters. The Capone family unsuccessfully sued CBS, Desilu Productions, and Westinghouse Electric Corporation for their depiction of the Capone family. In the first episode of the first season, the character of "Agent (Rico) Rossi", a person of Italian extraction who had witnessed a gangland murder, was added to Ness's team. On March 9, 1961,

Anthony Anastasio Anthony Anastasio (; born Antonio Anastasio, ; February 24, 1906 – March 1, 1963) was an Italian-American mobster and labor racketeer for the Gambino crime family who controlled the Brooklyn dockyards for over thirty years. He controlled Brook ...

, chief of the Brooklyn waterfront and its

International Longshoremen's Association The International Longshoremen's Association (ILA) is a North American labor union representing longshore workers along the East Coast of the United States and Canada, the Gulf Coast, the Great Lakes, Puerto Rico, and inland waterways. The ILA h ...

, marched in line with a picket group who identified themselves as "The Federation of Italian-American Democratic Organizations". In protest formation outside the ABC New York headquarters, they had come together to urge the public boycott of Liggett & Myers Tobacco Company (L&M) products, including Chesterfield cigarettes, the lead sponsor of ''The Untouchables''. They expressed displeasure with the program, which to them vilified Italian-Americans, stereotyping them as the singular criminal element. The boycott and the attendant firestorm of publicity had the effect Anastasio and his confederates wanted. Four days after the picket of ABC, L&M, denying it had bowed to intimidation, announced it would drop its sponsorship of ''The Untouchables'', maintaining the decision was based on network-scheduling conflicts. The following week, the head of

Desilu Desilu Productions () was an American television production company founded and co-owned by husband and wife Desi Arnaz and Lucille Ball. The company is best known for shows such as ''I Love Lucy'', ''The Lucy Show'', ''Mannix'', ''The Untouchabl ...

Desi Arnaz Desiderio Alberto Arnaz y de Acha III (March 2, 1917 – December 2, 1986) was a Cuban-born American actor, bandleader, and film and television producer. He played Ricky Ricardo on the American television sitcom '' I Love Lucy'', in which he c ...

(who had attended high school with Capone's son

Albert Albert may refer to: Companies * Albert (supermarket), a supermarket chain in the Czech Republic * Albert Heijn, a supermarket chain in the Netherlands * Albert Market, a street market in The Gambia * Albert Productions, a record label * Alber ...

), in concert with ABC and the " Italian-American League to Combat Defamation", issued a formal three-point manifesto: * There will be no more fictional hoodlums with Italian names in future productions. * There will be more stress on the law-enforcement role of "Rico Rossi", Ness's right-hand man on the show. * There will be an emphasis on the "formidable influence" of Italian-American officials in reducing crime and an emphasis on the "great contributions" made to American culture by Americans of Italian descent. The series also incurred the displeasure of the powerful director of the

Federal Bureau of Investigation The Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) is the domestic intelligence and security service of the United States and its principal federal law enforcement agency. Operating under the jurisdiction of the United States Department of Justice, ...

J. Edgar Hoover John Edgar Hoover (January 1, 1895 – May 2, 1972) was an American law enforcement administrator who served as the first Director of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI). He was appointed director of the Bureau of Investigation � ...

, when the fictionalized scripts depicted Ness and his Treasury agents involved in operations that were actually the province of the FBI. The second episode of the series, for example, depicted Ness and his crew involved in the capture of the Ma Barker gang, an incident in which the real-life Ness played no part. The producers agreed to insert a spoken disclaimer on future broadcasts of the episode stating that the FBI had primary responsibility for the Barker case. ''The Untouchables'' was an unusually violent program for its time and its excessive violence and surprisingly frank depictions of drug abuse and prostitution were described by the National Association for Better Radio and Television as "not fit for the television screen". Several episodes included depictions of violence toward children. In an article titled "The New Enemies of 'The Untouchables'"

Ayn Rand Alice O'Connor (born Alisa Zinovyevna Rosenbaum;, . Most sources transliterate her given name as either ''Alisa'' or ''Alissa''. , 1905 – March 6, 1982), better known by her pen name Ayn Rand (), was a Russian-born American writer and p ...

argued that the persistent, superficial attacks received by ''The Untouchables'' were due to its appeal and its virtues: its moral conflict and moral purpose.

Episodes and cast

Neville Brand as Al Capone The Untouchables 1959

The series had 118 episodes which ran 50 minutes each. Though the book chronicled the experiences of Ness and his cohorts against Capone, and in reality the Untouchables disbanded soon after Capone's conviction, the series continued after the pilot and book ended, depicting the fictitious further exploits of the Untouchables against many, often real life, criminals over a span of time ranging from 1929 to 1935. The television episodes were broadcast in no chronological timeline, but were set mostly in the early 1930s (for example, one episode, "You Can't Pick the Number", begins with Winchell's words, "October 1932: the depth of the Depression"), and another episode "Canada Run" begins at Chicago Stadium at the NFL Playoff Game on December 18, 1932. A few episodes were set primarily in a locale other than Chicago (such as the one dealing with the shootout involving Ma Barker and her gang.) Characters and "facts" in the majority of the episodes were more often than not entirely fictitious or loosely based composites of true-life criminals of that era. The gripping theme music was by Nelson Riddle.

Quinn Martin Quinn Martin (born Irwin Martin Cohn; May 22, 1922 – September 5, 1987) was an American television producer. He had at least one television series running in prime time every year for 21 straight years (from 1959 to 1980). Martin is a mem ...

produced the show's first season, which contained elements that could be found in future TV series produced by Martin. The most prominent Untouchables were portrayed by: *

as Agent

Nicholas Georgiade Nicholas Georgiade (March 25, 1933 – December 19, 2021) was an American film and television actor, best known for playing Agent Rico Rossi in the television series ''The Untouchables (1959 TV series), The Untouchables''. Early life and educati ...

as Agent Enrico "Rico" Rossi *

Paul Picerni Horacio Paul Picerni (December 1, 1922 – January 12, 2011) was an American actor in film and television, perhaps best known today in the role of Federal Agent Lee Hobson, second-in-command to Robert Stack's Eliot Ness, in the ABC hit televisio ...

as Agent Lee Hobson, (second season on) *

Abel Fernandez Abel Gonzalez Fernandez (July 14, 1930 – May 3, 2016) was an American actor who played in movies from 1953 to 2002. He was best known for his role as Federal Agent William "Bill" Youngfellow on the 1959–1963 ABC Television series ''The Unto ...

as Agent William Youngfellow *

Steve London Steve London (born Walter Lee Gragg; March 9, 1929 – June 14, 2014) was an American television and film actor and attorney, best known for his role as federal agent Jack Rossman on the ABC/Desilu television series '' ''The Untouchables'' (1959 ...

as Agent Jack Rossman (portrayed in the pilot by

Paul Dubov Paul Dubov (October 10, 1918 – September 20, 1979) was an American radio, film and television actor as well as screenwriter. He frequently appeared in the works of Sam Fuller. Among Dubov's radio credits include the 05/02/1953 episode of Gunsm ...

) Other Untouchables members who were prominent at first, but didn't last past the pilot or the first season, were portrayed by : *

Jerry Paris William Gerald Paris (July 25, 1925 – March 31, 1986) was an American actor and director best known for playing Jerry Helper, the dentist and next-door neighbor of Rob and Laura Petrie, on ''The Dick Van Dyke Show'', and for directing the majo ...

as Agent Martin Flaherty, (first season only-portrayed in the pilot by Bill Williams) *

Chuck Hicks Charles Dallas Hicks (December 26, 1927 – May 4, 2021) was an American actor and stuntman. During World War II, Hicks served in the U.S. Merchant Marine and later in the Navy.

as Agent LaMarr Kane (first season only-portrayed in the pilot by

Peter Leeds Peter Leeds (May 30, 1917 – November 12, 1996) was an American actor who appeared on television more than 8,000 times and also had many film, Broadway, and radio credits. The majority of his work took place in the 1950s and 1960s. Working ...

) killed off in the first season episode, "The Tri-State Gang." *

Anthony George Anthony George (born Ottavio Gabriel George; January 29, 1921 – March 16, 2005) was an American actor mostly seen on television. He is best known for roles of Don Corey in CBS's ''Checkmate'', Burke Devlin #2 and Jeremiah Collins on ABC's ...

as Agent Cam Allison, (first season only) * Keenan Wynn as Agent Joe Fuselli (pilot episode only) *

Eddie Firestone Eddie Firestone (December 11, 1920 – March 1, 2007) was an American radio, television, and film actor who accumulated over 200 total credits during his performing career. Early life When he was 12, Firestone was in the cast of ''Wheatenavil ...

as Agent Eric Hansen (pilot episode only) *

Robert Osterloh Robert Osterloh (May 31, 1918 – April 16, 2001) was an American actor. His career spanned 20 years, appearing in films such as ''The Dark Past'' (1948), ''The Wild One'' (1953), '' I Bury the Living'' (1958) and ''Young Dillinger'' (1965). Bio ...

as Agent Tom Kopka (pilot episode only) In addition to the Untouchables themselves, there were several recurring allies in more than one episode: *

Frank Wilcox Frank Reppy Wilcox (March 13, 1907 – March 3, 1974) was an American actor. He appeared in numerous films and television series, as well as Broadway plays. Background Wilcox was the son of Mr. and Mrs. Roger V. Wilcox. He was born in De Soto ...

as Federal District Attorney Beecher Asbury *

Robert Bice Robert Bice (March 14, 1914 – January 8, 1968), was an American television and film actor. Biography He was born on March 14, 1914, in Dallas, Texas. He died on January 8, 1968, in Los Angeles, California. Career Bice appeared in 199 films a ...

as Police Capt. Johnson *

Jason Wingreen Jason Wingreen (October 9, 1920 – December 25, 2015) was an American actor. He portrayed bartender Harry Snowden on the CBS sitcom ''All in the Family'' (1977–1979), a role he reprised on the continuation series ''Archie Bunker's Place'' ( ...

as Police Capt. Dorset *

Raymond Bailey Raymond Thomas Bailey (May 6, 1904 – April 15, 1980) was an American actor, and comedian on the Broadway stage, films, and television. He is best known for his role as greedy banker Milburn Drysdale in the television series ''The Beverly Hill ...

as US Attorney for New York John Carvell *

Barbara Nichols Barbara Marie Nickerauer (December 10, 1928 – October 5, 1976), known professionally as Barbara Nichols, was an American actress who often played brassy or comic roles in films in the 1950s and 1960s. Early life and career Nichols was b ...

as Brandy La France, showgirl and wife/widow of an informant, appearing in both the pilot and premiere *

Dane Clark Dane Clark (born Bernard Zanville; February 26, 1912September 11, 1998) was an American character actor who was known for playing, as he labeled himself, "Joe Average." Early life Clark was born in Brooklyn, New York City, the son of Jewish imm ...

as Dr. Victor Garr * John Gabriel as Dr. Daniel Gilford *

Barbara Stanwyck Barbara Stanwyck (; born Ruby Catherine Stevens; July 16, 1907 – January 20, 1990) was an American actress, model and dancer. A stage, film, and television star, during her 60-year professional career she was known for her strong, realistic sc ...

as Lt. Agatha Stewart, head of the Missing Persons Bureau *

Ed Asner Eddie Asner (; November 15, 1929 – August 29, 2021) was an American actor and former president of the Screen Actors Guild. He is best remembered for portraying Lou Grant during the 1970s and early 1980s, on both ''The Mary Tyler Moore Show'' a ...

as Frank, one of Agatha Stewart's assistants *

Virginia Capers Eliza "Virginia" Capers (September 22, 1925 – May 6, 2004) was an American actress. She won the Tony Award for Best Lead Actress in a Musical in 1974 for her performance as Lena Younger in ''Raisin'', a musical version of Lorraine Hansberry's ...

as June, one of Agatha Stewart's assistants The show also had several recurrent gangsters, many of them loosely based on real life gangsters of the time period: *

, Capone's enforcer who takes over the Chicago mob after Capone is imprisoned, portrayed by Bruce Gordon, and appearing in far more episodes than any other gangster * Joe Kulak, portrayed by

Oscar Beregi, Jr. Oscar Beregi Jr. (May 12, 1918 – November 1, 1976) was a Hungarian-born film and television actor. He was the son of actor Oscar Beregi (actor, born 1876), Oscar Beregi Sr. and often was billed simply as Oscar Beregi. Beregi was most famous ...

, portrayed in different episodes by

Lawrence Dobkin Lawrence Dobkin (September 16, 1919 – October 28, 2002) was an American television director, character actor and screenwriter whose career spanned seven decades. Dobkin was a prolific performer during the Golden Age of Radio. He narrate ...

, Robert J. Wilke, and Warren J. Kemmerling * Jake "Greasy Thumb" Guzik, portrayed in the pilot by Bern Hoffman, and in the series by

Nehemiah Persoff Nehemiah Persoff (August 2, 1919 – April 5, 2022) was an American character actor and painter. He appeared in more than 200 television series, films, and theatre productions and also performed as a voice artist in a career spanning 55 years, be ...

* George "Bugs" Moran, portrayed in different episodes by

Lloyd Nolan Lloyd Benedict Nolan (August 11, 1902 – September 27, 1985) was an American film and television actor. Among his many roles, Nolan is remembered for originating the role of private investigator Michael Shayne in a series of 1940s B movies. B ...

, Robert J. Wilke, and

Harry Morgan Harry Morgan (born Harry Bratsberg; April 10, 1915 – December 7, 2011) was an American actor and director whose television and film career spanned six decades. Morgan's major roles included Pete Porter in both ''December Bride'' (1954–1959 ...

* Louis Lepke Buchalter, portrayed in different episodes by

Gene Roth Eugene Oliver Edgar Stutenroth (January 8, 1903 – July 19, 1976), known profesionally as Gene Roth, was an American film actor and film manager. Early years Roth was born in Redfield, South Dakota. He was the son of a German father an ...

Robert Carricart Robert Anthony Carricart (January 18, 1917 – March 3, 1993) was a French-American film, television and theatre actor. He was known for playing the role of Pepe Cordoza in the American Action fiction, action Drama (film and television), drama t ...

, and

Joseph Ruskin Joseph Ruskin (born Joseph Richard Schlafman; April 14, 1924 – December 28, 2013) was an American character actor. Also appeared in several underworld character roles on the tv series The Untouchables (1959-1963) Early life Ruskin was born ...

* Lucky Luciano, portrayed by Robert Carricart * Pete Konitz, portrayed by Carl Milletaire * Frankie Resko, portrayed by Grant Richards *

, portrayed by

, and appearing only in the 2 hour pilot and a 2 part episode *

Louis Campagna Louis "Little New York" Campagna (March 31, 1900 – May 31, 1955) was an American gangster and mobster and a high-ranking member of the Chicago Outfit for over three decades. Early years Campagna was born in Brooklyn to parents from mainland Ital ...

, portrayed by

Frank de Kova Frank de Kova (March 17, 1910 – October 15, 1981) was an American character actor in films, stage, and TV. Biography De Kova was born in New York City. He was a teacher at a school in New York before joining a Shakespeare repertory group. He ...

* Augie Viale, portrayed by

John Beradino John Beradino (born Giovanni Berardino, May 1, 1917 – May 19, 1996) was an American infielder in Major League Baseball and an actor. Known as Johnny Berardino during his baseball career, he was also credited during his acting career as John Ber ...

* Little Charlie Sebastino, portrayed by

Henry Silva Henry Silva (September 23, 1926 – September 14, 2022) was an American actor. A prolific character actor, Silva was a regular staple of international genre cinema, usually playing criminals or gangsters. His notable film appearances include ...

* Louis Latito, portrayed by

Joe De Santis Joseph Vito Marcello De Santis (June 15, 1909 – August 30, 1989) was an American radio, television, movie and theatrical actor and sculptor. Biography Joe De Santis was born Joseph Vito Marcello De Santis to Italian immigrant parents in Ne ...

* Archie Devlin, Capone's attorney, portrayed by George N. Neise * Lucky Quinn, portrayed by John Kellogg * Joe Aiello portrayed in two episodes (where he's killed off in both episodes) by

H. M. Wynant H. M. Wynant (born Chaim Winant; February 12, 1927) is an American film and television actor. Biography Wynant was born in Detroit, Michigan. He made his feature film debut as an Indian in Samuel Fuller's ''Run of the Arrow'' (1957). In the ...

and Grant Richards * Phil D'Andrea, portrayed by

Wally Cassell Wally Cassell (born Oswaldo Silvestri Trippilini Rolando Vincenza Castellano; March 3, 1912 – April 2, 2015) was an Italian-born American character actor and businessman. Early years Wally Cassell was born as Oswaldo Silvestri Trippilin ...

, and appearing only in the pilot and premiere * "Fur" Sammons, portrayed by

Richard Benedict Richard "Pepe" Benedict (born Riccardo Benedetto, January 8, 1920 – April 25, 1984) was an Italian-American television and film actor and director. He was born in Palermo, Italy. He appeared in dozens of television programs and movies from ...

, and appearing only in the pilot and premiere * Tony "Mops" Volpe, portrayed by Herman Rudin, and appearing only in the pilot and premiere Finally, heard in every episode, but never shown onscreen: * Announcer: Les Lampson * Narrator:

Paul Picerni and Nicholas Georgiade were cast as gangsters in Capone and Nitti's mob in the 1959 pilot before being cast in the series. * Steve London's character of Untouchable Jack Rossman (played in the "Scarface Mob" pilot by

), was in the series since the original season-one series episode, "The Empty Chair", not from season two on as is commonly reported. ** The character of Untouchable William Youngfellow, portrayed by Abel Fernandez, has been mistakenly referred to by ''

Saturday Night Live ''Saturday Night Live'' (often abbreviated to ''SNL'') is an American late-night live television sketch comedy and variety show created by Lorne Michaels and developed by Dick Ebersol that airs on NBC and Peacock. Michaels currently serves a ...

'' actor

Dan Aykroyd Daniel Edward Aykroyd ( ; born July 1, 1952) is a Canadian actor, comedian, producer, musician and writer. He was an original member of the "Not Ready for Prime Time Players" on ''Saturday Night Live'' (1975–1979). During his tenure on ''SNL'' ...

as "Youngblood". This name is incorrect.

Guest stars

''The Untouchables'' (due to Robert Stack's star power as a successful motion picture actor), was notable for the large number of past and future motion picture and television stars who signed and appeared as guest stars on the show during its four-year run. These include: (S#=Season number, E#=Episode number) *

Luther Adler Luther Adler (born Lutha Adler; May 4, 1903 – December 8, 1984) was an American actor best known for his work in theatre, but who also worked in film and television. He also directed plays on Broadway. Early life and career Adler was born on ...

in S2/E3 "Nicky", S2/E22 "Murder Under Glass", S3/E17 "Takeover" *

William Bendix William Bendix (January 14, 1906 – December 14, 1964) was an American film, radio, and television actor, who typically played rough, blue-collar characters. He is best remembered for his role in ''Wake Island'', which earned him an Academy ...

in S1/E9 The Tri-State Gang Dec'59 *

Herbie Faye Herbie Faye (February 2, 1899 – June 28, 1980) was an American actor and vaudeville comedian who appeared in both of Phil Silvers' CBS television series, ''The Phil Silvers Show'' (1955–1959) and ''The New Phil Silvers Show'' (1963–1964 ...

in S3E12 "Fall Guy" *

in S2E5 "The Mark of Cain", S2E14 "The Masterpiece", S2E20 "The Antidote", S2E30 "The King of Champagne", S3E5 "The Matt Bass Scheme", S4E5 "The Pea", S4E7 "The Eddie O'Gara Story", S4E28 "The Torpedo" *

John Hoyt John Hoyt (born John McArthur Hoysradt; October 5, 1905 – September 15, 1991) was an American actor. He began his acting career on Broadway, later appearing in numerous films and television series. He is perhaps best known for his film and TV ...

in S1E19 "The Big Squeeze" * Ted de Corsia in S1E5 "Ain't We Got Fun", S4E9 "Come and Kill Me" *

Anne Helm Anne Helm (born September 12, 1938) is a retired Canadian-born actress and children's author (as Annie Helm), who primarily appeared in guest roles on episodes of various American television series. Her few film roles include playing Elvis Presl ...

in S3/E8 "Mankiller" *

Carole Eastman Carole Eastman (February 19, 1934 – February 13, 2004) was an American actress and screenwriter. Among her credits are screenplays for Monte Hellman's '' The Shooting'' (1967), Bob Rafelson's '' Five Easy Pieces'' (1970) (for which she was ...

in S2E26 "Death for Sale" *

Claude Akins Claude Aubrey Akins (May 25, 1926 – January 27, 1994) was an American character actor with a long career on stage, screen, and television. He was best known as Sheriff Lobo on the 1979–1981 television series ''B.J. and the Bear'', and l ...

in S1/E20 "The Unhired Assassin" Part 1, S3/E28 "The Monkey Wrench", S4/E23 The Spoiler *

Richard Anderson Richard Norman Anderson (August 8, 1926 – August 31, 2017) was an American film and television actor. Among his best-known roles was his portrayal of Oscar Goldman, the boss of Steve Austin (Lee Majors) and Jaime Sommers (Lindsay Wagner) in b ...

in S1E28 "The Frank Nitti Story" *

Norma Crane Norma Crane (born Norma Anna Bella Zuckerman; November 10, 1928 — September 28, 1973) was an American actress of stage, film, and television best known for her role as Golde in the 1971 film adaptation of '' Fiddler on the Roof''. She also sta ...

in S1/E14 "Noise of Death", S2/E2 "Jack Legs Diamond", S2/E21 "The Lily Dallas Story" *

Joseph Campanella Joseph Anthony Campanella (November 21, 1924 – May 16, 2018) was an American character actor. He appeared in more than 200 television and film roles from the early 1950s to 2009. Campanella was best remembered for his roles as Joe Turino on ' ...

in S4E11 "The Floyd Gibbons Story" * Vince Edwards in S1/E7 " Mexican Stake out " *

Jack Elam William Scott "Jack" Elam (November 13, 1920 – October 20, 2003) was an American film and television actor best known for his numerous roles as villains in Western films and, later in his career, comedies (sometimes spoofing his villainou ...

in S1E13 in "Syndicate Sanctuary", S2E23 "Testimony of Evil", S3E26 "Pressure" *

James MacArthur James Gordon MacArthur (December 8, 1937 – October 28, 2010) was an American actor with a long career in both movies and television. MacArthur's early work was predominantly in supporting roles in films. Later, he had a starring role as ...

in S2/E26 "Death for Sale" *

Robert Gist Robert Marion Gist (October 1, 1917 – May 21, 1998) was an American actor and film director. Life and career Gist was reared around the stockyards of Chicago, Illinois, during the Great Depression. Reform school-bound after injuring an ...

in S1E21 "The Unhired Assassin" Part 2 * Larry Gates in S1E17 "One Armed Bandit", S2E9 "The Larry Fay Story" *

J.D. Cannon John Donovan Cannon (April 24, 1922 – May 20, 2005) was an American actor. An alumnus of the American Academy of Dramatic Arts in New York City, he is best known for his co-starring role of Chief of Detectives Peter B. Clifford in the tele ...

in S4/E2 The Cooker in the Sky, S4/E21 "The Man in the Cooler" * Jeff Corey in S2E20 "The Antidote" * Thomas Mitchell in S1E26 "The Underworld Bank" *

Gloria Talbott Gloria Talbott (February 7, 1931 – September 19, 2000) was an American film and television actress. Early life and career Gloria Maude Talbott was born in Glendale, California. Her great-grandfather Benjamin F. Patterson arrived from Oh ...

in S3E25 "The Contract" *

Michael Ansara Michael George Ansara (April 15, 1922 – July 31, 2013) was an American actor. He portrayed Cochise in the television series '' Broken Arrow'', Kane in the 1979–1981 series '' Buck Rogers in the 25th Century'', Commander Kang in '' Star Tr ...

in S2E3 "Nicky" and S2E16 "The Jamaica Ginger Story" *

Val Avery Val may refer to: Val-a Film * ''Val'' (film), an American documentary about Val Kilmer, directed by Leo Scott and Ting Poo Military equipment * Aichi D3A, a Japanese World War II dive bomber codenamed "Val" by the Allies * AS Val, a So ...

in S1E26 "The Underworld Bank", S2E6 "A Seat on the Fence" *

Edward Asner Eddie Asner (; November 15, 1929 – August 29, 2021) was an American actor and former president of the Screen Actors Guild. He is best remembered for portraying Lou Grant during the 1970s and early 1980s, on both ''The Mary Tyler Moore Show'' a ...

in S3/E16 "The Death Tree", S4/E1 "The Night They Shot Santa Claus " and Frank in two episodes, S4/E8 "Elegy", S4/E13 "Search for a Dead Man", *

Paul Frees Solomon Hersh "Paul" Frees (June 22, 1920November 2, 1986) was an American actor, comedian, impressionist, and vaudevillian. He is known for his work on Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer, Walter Lantz, Rankin/Bass, and Walt Disney theatrical cartoons during ...

as radio announcer ''uncredited'' in S1E21 "The Unhired Asssassin": Part 2 *

Gene Lyons Gene Lyons is an American political columnist who has defended former U.S. President Bill Clinton. Writing He and Joe Conason co-authored '' The Hunting of the President: The 10 Year Campaign to Destroy Bill and Hillary Clinton'', a documentary ...

in S2E6 "A Seat on the Fence" * Lee Phillips in S2E17 "Augie 'The Banker' Ciamino" *

Peggy Ann Garner Peggy Ann Garner (February 3, 1932 – October 16, 1984) was an American child actress. As a child actress, Garner had her first film role in 1938. At the 18th Academy Awards, Garner won the Academy Juvenile Award, recognizing her body of c ...

in S4E8 "Elegy, S4E25 "The Giant Killer" *

Larry Parks Samuel Lawrence Klausman Parks (December 13, 1914 – April 13, 1975) was an American stage and film actor. His career arced from bit player and supporting roles to top billing, before it was virtually ended when he admitted to having once been ...

in S2E21 "The Lilly Dallas Story" *

Jim Backus James Gilmore Backus (February 25, 1913 – July 3, 1989) was an American actor. Among his most famous roles were Thurston Howell III on the 1960s sitcom '' Gilligan's Island,'' the father of James Dean's character in ''Rebel Without a Cause ...

in S1/E15 "Star Witness" *

Kevin Hagen Kevin Hagen (April 3, 1928 – July 9, 2005) was an American actor best known for his role as Dr. Hiram Baker on NBC's ''Little House on the Prairie (TV series), Little House on the Prairie.'' Early life Hagen was born in Chicago, Illinois, t ...

in S2E27 "Stranglehold" and S3E27 "Arsenal" *

Albert Paulsen Albert Paulsen (born Albert Paulson; 13 December 1925 in Guayaquil, Ecuador – 25 April 2004 in Los Angeles, California) was an Ecuadorian-American actor who appeared in many American television series beginning in the 1960s, playing charac ...

in S4E5 "The Pea" *

Al Ruscio Al Ruscio (June 2, 1924 – November 12, 2013) was an American character actor who appeared in numerous television shows and films. Early life Ruscio was born in Salem, Massachusetts on June 2, 1924. He graduated from Salem High School, after ...

in S1E8 "The Artichoke King", S3E19 "Element of Danger", S4E23 "The Spoiler" *

Arlene Martel Arlene Martel (born Arline Greta Sax; April 14, 1936 – August 12, 2014) was an American actress. Before 1964, she was frequently billed as Arline Sax or Arlene Sax. Casting directors, among other Hollywood insiders, called Martel the Chamel ...

in S2E6 "A Seat on the Fence", S3E4 "The Genna Brothers" *

in S1E7 "Mexican Stake-Out", S2E14 "The Masterpiece", S2E29 "The Seventh Vote", S3E3 "Tunnel of Horrors", S3E20 "The Maggie Storm Story", S4E17 "Blues for a Gone Goose" *

Linda Watkins Linda Mathews Watkins (May 23, 1908 – October 31, 1976) was an American stage, film, and television actress. Early years Born in Boston, Massachusetts, Watkins was the daughter of Gardiner and Elizabeth R. (née Mathews) Watkins. Her fat ...

in S2E21 "The Lily Dallas Story" *

Mort Mills Mort Mills (born Mortimer Morris Kaplan; January 11, 1919 – June 6, 1993) was an American film and television actor who had roles in over 150 movies and television episodes. He was often the town lawman or the local bad guy in many popular w ...

in S1E10 "The Dutch Schultz Story", S3E17 "Takeover" * Paul Genge in S2E23 "Testimony of Evil", S3E2 "Power Play", S4E2 "Cooker in the Sky" *

Sam Jaffe Shalom "Sam" Jaffe (March 10, 1891 – March 24, 1984) was an American actor, teacher, musician, and engineer. In 1951, he was nominated for the Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor for his performance in '' The Asphalt Jungle'' (1950) and ap ...

in S2E17 "Augie 'The Banker' Ciamino" *

Martin Balsam Martin Henry Balsam (November 4, 1919 – February 13, 1996) was an American actor. He had a prolific career in character roles in film, in theatre, and on television. An early member of the Actors Studio, he began his career on the New ...

in S3/E3 "Tunnel of Horrors", S3/E21 "Man in the Middle" *

June Dayton June Dayton (born Mary June Wetzel; August 24, 1923 – June 13, 1994) was an American television actress who appeared in a variety of shows from the 1950s into the 1980s. Early life Dayton was born in Dayton, Ohio. She used her hometown of Da ...

in S2E16 "The Jamaica Ginger Story" *

Bernard Kates Bernard Kates (December 26, 1922 – February 2, 2010) was an American actor on television, in movies and on the stage. Serving as a bomber pilot during World War II, Kates earned an Air Medal with three clusters and a Distinguished Flying Cro ...

in S1E26 "The Underworld Bank", S2E17 "Augie 'The Banker' Ciamino" *

John Dehner John Dehner (DAY-ner) (born John Dehner Forkum, also credited Dehner Forkum; November 23, 1915February 4, 1992) was an American stage, radio, film, and television actor. From the late 1930s to the late 1980s, he amassed a long list of performan ...

in S2E28 "The Nero Rankin Story" *

Milton Selzer Milton Selzer (October 25, 1918 – October 21, 2006) was an American stage, film, and television actor. Early life Born in Lowell, Massachusetts, Selzer and his family moved to Portsmouth, New Hampshire where he was raised. After graduating fro ...

in S2E15 "The Organization, S3E5 "The Matt Bass Scheme", S3E22 "Downfall", S4E2 "Cooker in the Sky" * Richard Deacon in S1E20 "The Unhired Assassin part 1" *

Robert Emhardt Robert Emhardt (July 24, 1914 – December 26, 1994) was an American character actor who worked on stage, in film and on television. Emhardt was frequently cast as a villain, often a crooked businessman or corrupt politician. Early years E ...

in S2E9 "The Larry Fay Story", S3E12 "Fall Guy", S4E27 "The Jazz Man" *

Rebecca Welles Rebecca Welles (born Reba Tassell; February 5, 1928 – February 13, 2017) was an American television and film actress. Early years Welles was born in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania to Lena (née Schiller and Samuel Tassell. Her only sibling was fas ...

in S2E17 "Augie 'The Banker' Ciamino" *

Whit Bissell Whitner Nutting Bissell (October 25, 1909 – March 5, 1996) was an American character actor. Early life Born in New York City, Bissell was the son of surgeon Dr. J. Dougal Bissell and Helen Nutting Bissell. He was educated at the Allen-S ...

in S1E11 "You Can't Pick the Number" * Robert Cornthwaite in S2E23 "Testimony of Evil", S2E29 "The Seventh Vote" * John Larkin in S3E25 "The Contract", S4E22 "The Butcher's Boy" *

Peter Whitney Peter Whitney (born Peter King Engle; May 24, 1916 – March 30, 1972) was an American actor in film and television. Tall and heavyset, he played brutish villains in many Hollywood films in the 1940s and 1950s. Early years Whitney was born ...

in S2E2 "Jack Legs Diamond", S4E21 " Man in The Cooler" *

Joan Blondell Joan Blondell (born Rose Joan Bluestein; August 30, 1906 – December 25, 1979) was an American actress who performed in film and television for 50 years. Blondell began her career in vaudeville. After winning a beauty pageant, she embarked on ...

in S2E18 "The Underground Court" *

Robert F. Simon Robert Frank Simon (December 2, 1908 – November 29, 1992) was an American character actor. Earlier years Simon began acting with Mansfield's Community Players organization when he worked as a clerk in a meat market. Following that experience ...

in S1E13 "Syndicate Sanctuary", S2E12 "The Big Train": Part 1 *

Mickey Shaughnessy Joseph C. Shaughnessy (August 5, 1920 – July 23, 1985), better known as Mickey Shaughnessy, was an American actor and comedian. Early life Joseph C. Shaughnessy was born in New York City. He began in show business working as a singer at res ...

in S2E8 "Kiss of death Girl" * Barbara Luna in S1E7 "Mexican Stake out", S3E16 "The Death Tree" *

Than Wyenn Than Wyenn (May 2, 1919January 30, 2015) was an American character actor. His acting career spanned more than forty years with more than 150 credits in film and television. He may be best known for his role in the 1960 '' Twilight Zone'' episode ...

in S3E11 "The Canada Run", S4E20 "Junk Man" *

John McIntire John Herrick McIntire (June 27, 1907 – January 30, 1991) was an American character actor who appeared in 65 theatrical films and many television series. McIntire is well known for having replaced Ward Bond, upon Bond's sudden death in Novem ...

in S2/E6 "A Seat on the Fence" *

Nan Martin Nan Martin (July 15, 1927 – March 4, 2010) was an American actress who starred in movies and on television. Life and career Early life Born in Decatur, Illinois, and raised in Santa Monica, California, she attended Santa Monica High School. ...

in S4E6 "Bird in the Hand" *

Scott Brady Scott Brady (born Gerard Kenneth Tierney; September 13, 1924 – April 16, 1985) was an American film and television actor best known for his roles in Western films and as a ubiquitous television presence. He played the title role in the televi ...

in S4/E11 "The Floyd Gibbons Story" *

Robert Brubaker Robert Brubaker (October 9, 1916 – April 15, 2010) was an American character actor best known for his roles in television and movie westerns, including '' Gunsmoke'' and ''40 Guns to Apache Pass''. Early years Brubaker was born in Robinson ...

in S2E23 "Testimony of Evil" * Charles Bronson in S3/E16 "The Death Tree" * Ruth White in S4E1 "The Night They Shot Santa Claus" *

Philip Pine Phillip Pine (July 16, 1920 – December 22, 2006) was an American film and television actor, writer, film director, and producer. Despite incorrect biographical information repeated on many entertainment sites, he was not related to Robert P ...

in S1E3 "The Jake Lingle Killing", S2E3 "Nicky", S2E27 "Stranglehold" S3E15 "The Whitey Steele Story", S4E18 "Globe of Death" * George Matthews in S3E27 "Aresnal", S4E4 "The Economist" *

William Schallert William Joseph Schallert (July 6, 1922 – May 8, 2016) was an American character actor who appeared in dozens of television shows and films over a career spanning more than 60 years. He is known for his roles on '' Richard Diamond, Privat ...

in S2E13 "The Big Train Part 2" * Arthur Malet in S3E26 "Pressure", S4E25 "The Giant Killer" *

Frank Ferguson Frank S. Ferguson (December 25, 1906 – September 12, 1978) was an American character actor with hundreds of appearances in both film and television. Background Ferguson was the younger of two children of W. Thomas Ferguson, a native Scottish ...

in S1E12 "The Underground Railway" * Adam Williams in S1E2 "Ma Barker and Her Boys", S4E15 "The Snowball" *

Victor Buono Victor Charles Buono (February 3, 1938January 1, 1982) was an American actor, comic, and briefly a recording artist. He was known for playing the villain King Tut in the television series ''Batman (TV series), Batman'' (1966–1968) and musician ...

as Melanthos Moon in S2/E25 "Mr. Moon" and as Parnise Surigao in S3/E13 "The Gang War" *

James Caan James Edmund Caan ( ; March 26, 1940 – July 6, 2022) was an American actor. He came to prominence playing Sonny Corleone in ''The Godfather'' (1972) – a performance which earned him Academy Award and Golden Globe nominations for Best Suppo ...

in S4/E10 "A Fist of Five" *

Jeremy Slate Jeremy Slate (born Robert Bullard Perham; February 17, 1926 – November 19, 2006) was an American film and television actor, and songwriter. He is best known for Larry Lahr in ''The Aquanauts'' (1960–1961), Chuck Wilson in ''One Life to Li ...

in S1E22 "The White Slavers", S4E30 "A Taste for Pineapple" *

Steve Cochran Steve Cochran (born Robert Alexander Cochran, May 25, 1917 – June 15, 1965) was an American film, television and stage actor. He attended the University of Wyoming. After a stint working as a cowboy, Cochran developed his acting skills in loca ...

in S2/E7 "The Purple Gang", S2/E32 "90-Proof Dame" *

Constance Ford Constance Ford (born Cornelia M. Ford; July 1, 1923 – February 26, 1993) was an American actress and model. She is best known for her long-running role as Ada Lucas Hobson on the daytime soap opera '' Another World'', which she played from 1 ...

in S2E31 "The Nick Acropolis Story" * Anthony Caruso in S1E13 "Syndicate Sanctuary" *

Phyllis Coates Phyllis Coates (born Gypsie Ann Evarts Stell; January 15, 1927) is an American former actress, with a career spanning over fifty years. She is best known for her portrayal of reporter Lois Lane in the 1951 film ''Superman and the Mole Men'' and ...

in S1E5 "Ain't We Got Fun", S1E28 "The Frank Nitti Story", and S4E10 "A Fist of Five" * James Coburn in S2/E16 "The Jamaica Ginger Story" *

Mike Connors Krekor Ohanian (August 15, 1925 – January 26, 2017), known professionally as Mike Connors, was an American actor best known for playing private detective Joe Mannix in the CBS television series ''Mannix'' from 1967 to 1975, a role which earne ...

in S4/E7 "The Eddie O'Gara Story" *

Richard Conte Nicholas Peter Conte (March 24, 1910 – April 15, 1975), known professionally as Richard Conte, was an American actor. He appeared in more than 100 films from the 1940s through 1970s, including '' I'll Cry Tomorrow'', ''Ocean's 11'', and ''Th ...

in S2/E15 "The Organization", S4/E3 "The Chess Game" * Marc Lawrence in S1E15 "Star Witness", S3E4 "The Genna Brothers", S4E17 "Blues for a Gone Goose" *

Dan Dailey Daniel James Dailey Jr. (December 14, 1915 – October 16, 1978) was an American dancer and actor. He is best remembered for a series of popular musicals he made at 20th Century Fox such as '' Mother Wore Tights'' (1947). Biography Early life D ...

in S4/E9 "Come and Kill Me" *

Robert Duvall Robert Selden Duvall (; born January 5, 1931) is an American actor and filmmaker. His career spans more than seven decades and he is considered one of the greatest American actors of all time. He is the recipient of an Academy Award, four Gold ...

in S4/E17 "Blues for a Gone Goose" * Peter Falk in S1/E26 "The Underworld Bank", as Nate Selko in S3/E1 "The Troubleshooter" *

Betty Field Betty Field (February 8, 1916 – September 13, 1973) was an American film and stage actress. Early years Field was born in Boston, Massachusetts, to George and Katharine (née Lynch) Field. She began acting before she reached age 15, and went ...

in S1E22 "The White Slavers" *

Ford Rainey Ford Rainey (August 8, 1908 – July 25, 2005) was an American film, stage, and television actor.Myrna Oliver"Ford Rainey, 96; Performed Shakespeare, Shepard and Variety of Film, TV Roles" ''Los Angeles Times'', July 26, 2005. Early life Rainey ...

in S4E9 "Come and kill Me", S4E29 "Line of Fire" *

John Marley John Marley (born Mortimer Marlieb, October 17, 1907 – May 22, 1984) was an American actor who was known for his role as Phil Cavalleri in ''Love Story'' and as Jack Woltz—the defiant film mogul who awakens to find the severed head o ...

in S1E18 "Little Egypt", S2E23 "Testimony of Evil" *

Louise Fletcher Estelle Louise Fletcher (July 22, 1934 – September 23, 2022) was an American actress who portrayed the antagonist Nurse Ratched in ''One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest'' (1975), which earned her an Academy Award for Best Actress, a BAFTA Award, a ...

in S1E2 "Ma Barker and Her Boys" as a girlfriend to one of Ma's boys *

Woodrow Parfrey Sydney Woodrow Parfrey (October 5, 1922 – July 29, 1984) was an American film and television actor from the 1950s to the early 1980s. He is often remembered as "one of TV's great slimeball villains". Early life Parfrey was born on October 5, ...

in S4E8 "Elegy", S4E24 "One Last Killing" * Anne Francis in S1/E24 "The Doreen Maney Story" *

Harry Guardino Harry Guardino (December 23, 1925 – July 17, 1995) was an American actor whose career spanned from the early 1950s to the early 1990s. Biography Guardino was born to an Italian family on the Lower East Side of Manhattan and raised in Bro ...

in S1/E17 "One-Armed Bandits", S2/E19 "The Nick Moses Story", S3/E25 "The Contract" *

Dan Seymour Dan Seymour (February 22, 1915 – May 25, 1993) was an American character actor who frequently played villains in Warner Bros. films. He appeared in several Humphrey Bogart films, including ''Casablanca'' (1942), ''To Have and Have Not'' ...

in S1E23 "Three Thousand Suspects", S2E19 "The Nick Moses Story", S2E28 "The Nero Rankin Story", S4E12 "Doublecross" *

Norman Fell Norman Fell (born Norman Noah Feld; March 24, 1924 – December 14, 1998) was an American actor of film and television, most famous for his role as landlord Mr. Roper on the sitcom ''Three's Company'' and its spin-off, ''The Ropers'', and his fi ...

in S2E1 "The Rusty Heller Story" *

Dick Foran John Nicholas "Dick" Foran (June 18, 1910 – August 10, 1979) was an American actor, known for his performances in Western musicals and for playing supporting roles in dramatic pictures. Early years Foran was born in Flemington, New Jer ...

in S1E28 "The Frank Nitti Story" *

Dabbs Greer Robert William "Dabbs" Greer (April 2, 1917 – April 28, 2007) was an American character actor in film and television for over 60 years. With nearly 100 film roles and appearances in nearly 600 television episodes of various series, Greer ...

in S2E21 "The Lily Dallas Story", S3E11 "The Canada Run", S4E18 "Globe of Death" *

Clu Gulager William Martin Gulager (; November 16, 1928 – August 5, 2022), better known as Clu Gulager, was an American television and film actor and director born in Holdenville, Oklahoma. He first became known for his work in television, appearing in ...

as S1/E6 Vincent 'Mad Dog' Coll * Alan Hale, Jr. in S1E9 "The Tri State Gang" *

Marianna Hill Marianna Hill ( Schwarzkopf, February 9, 1942) is an American actress. She predominantly worked in American television and is known for her starring roles in the Western films '' El Condor'' and '' High Plains Drifter'' and the cult horror film ' ...

in S4E10 A Fist of Five *

Michael Constantine Michael Constantine (born Gus Efstratiou (Ευστρατίου); May 22, 1927 – August 31, 2021) was an American actor. He is most widely recognized for his portrayal of Kostas "Gus" Portokalos, the Windex bottle-toting Greek father of Toula ...

, in S2E19 "The Nick Moses Story", S2E30 "The king of Champagne", S3E5 "The Matt Bass Scheme", S4E3 "The Chess Game", S4E20 "Junkman" * Arthur Hill in S3E11 "The Canada Run" *

Florence Halop Florence Halop (January 23, 1923 – July 15, 1986) was an American actress. Best known for her roles as surly patient Mrs. Hufnagel on the drama ''St. Elsewhere'' and the raspy-voiced bailiff Florence Kleiner on the sitcom '' Night Court''. H ...

in S1E9 "The Tri State Gang" *

Anne Jackson Anne Jackson (September 3, 1925 – April 12, 2016); retrieved April 16, 2016Archivedfrom the original on April 16, 2016. was an American actress of stage, screen, and television. She was the wife of actor Eli Wallach, with whom she often co-sta ...

in S4/E2 The Cooker in the Sky *

Werner Klemperer Werner Klemperer (March 22, 1920 – December 6, 2000) was an American actor. He was known for playing Colonel Wilhelm Klink on the CBS television sitcom ''Hogan's Heroes'', for which he twice won the award for Outstanding Supporting Actor in ...

in S2E7 "The Purple Gang" *

Richard Bakalyan Richard Bakalyan (January 29, 1931 – February 27, 2015) was an American actor who started his career playing juvenile delinquents in his first several films. Early life Richard Bakalyan was born on January 29, 1931, in Watertown, Massachuset ...

in S1E16 "The St. Louis Story", S2E12 "The Big Train Part 1", S2E19 "The Nick Moses Story", S3E16 "The Death Tree", S4E17 "Blues for a Gone Goose", S4E29 "Line of Fire" * Dennis Patrick in S2E22 "Murder Under Glass" * Christopher Dark in S1E24 "The Doreen Maney Story", S4E26" The Charlie Argos Story" * Sheldon Allman in S2E24 "Ring of Terror", S3E28 "The Monkey Wrench", S4E19 "An Eye for An Eye" * George Tobias in S3E6 "Loophole" * Howard Caine in S2E24 "Ring of Terror, S2E29 "The Seventh Vote" * Malachi Throne in S4E4 "The Economist", S4E12 "Doublecross", S4E18 "Globe of Death" * Connie Hines in S1E24 "The Doreen Maney Story" * Patricia Owens in S4E26 "The Charlie Argos Story" * Salome Jens in S3/E27 Arsenal, S4/E21 "The Man in the Cooler" * Walter Burke in S2E24 "Ring of Terror", S4E18 "Globe of Death" * Brian Keith in S2/E16 "The Jamaica Ginger Story" * George Kennedy as 'Birdie' the mute in S2/E30 "The King of Champagne" * Jack Klugman in S3/E6 "Loophole", S4/E19 "An Eye for an Eye" * Gail Kobe in S1E13 "Syndicate Sanctuary", S4E28 "The Torpedo" * Steven Hill in S2E2 "Jack Legs Diamond", S3E22 "Downfall" * Cloris Leachman in S3E7 "Jigsaw", S3E21 "Man in the Middle" * Sam Levene and June Havoc in S2E9 "The Larry Fay Story" * Marge Redmond in S4E25 "The Giant Killer" * Jack Lord in S1/E3 "The Jake Lingle Killing" * Harold J. Stone in S2E1 "The Rusty Heller Story", S2E11 "The Tommy Karples Story", S2E24 "Ring Of Terror", S3E10 "Hammerlock", S3E26 "Pressure", S4E24 "One Last Killing" * Dan O'Herlihy in S1E19 "The Big Squeeze" * Gavin MacLeod as a minor criminal with almost the exact same last name of "McLeod" in S1E9 "The Tri State Gang", also S2E12 & S2E13 "The Big Train" part 1 & 2, S3E6 "Loophole", and S3E21 "Man in the Middle" * Dorothy Malone in S4/E11 "The Floyd Gibbons Story" * Joe Mantell as George Ricci (Brandy LaFrance's husband) in the 2 hour pilot, and as Giuseppe Zangara in S1E20 & S1E21 "The Unhired Assassin" part 1 & 2 * Frank Silvera in S2E6 "A Seat on the Fence" * Lee Marvin in S2/E31 "The Nick Acropolis Story", S3/E19 "Element of Danger", S4/E10 "A Fist of Five" * Robert Middleton as Mayor Anton Cermak in S1E20 & S1E21 "The Unhired Assassin" part 1 & 2, also S2E14 "The Masterpiece", S2E30 "The King of Champagne" * Martin Landau in S1/E7 "Mexican Stakeout", S3/E6 "Loophole" * Dolores Dorn in S3E28 "The Monkey Wrench" * Bert Freed in S1E23 "Three Thousand Suspects" * Ricardo Montalban in S2/E27 "Stranglehold" * Marc Lawrence in S1E15 "Star Witness", S3E04"The Genna Brothers", and S4E17 "Blues for a Gone Goose" * Wesley Lau in S2E8 "Kiss of Death Girl" * Elizabeth Montgomery as Rusty Heller (received a nomination for the 13th Primetime Emmy Awards, 13th Primetime Emmy Award for an "Outstanding Performance in a Supporting Role by an Actor or Actress in a Single Program") S2/E1 "The Rusty Heller Story" (1960) * Joanna Moore in S2/E28 The Nero Rankin Story *

as Bugs Moran in S4/E12 "Doublecross" *

in S1E6 "Vincent Mad Dog Call", S1E10 "The Dutch Schultz Story", S2E2 "Jack Legs Diamond" * Vic Morrow in S2E11 "The Tommy Karpeles Story", S3E20 "The Maggie Storm Story" * J. Carrol Naish in S1E14 "The Noise of Death" * Simon Oakland in S3/E11 "The Canada Run", S3/E22 "Downfall", S4/E27 "The Jazzman" * Robert H. Harris in S2E8 "Kiss of Death Girl" * Patricia Neal in S3/E20 "The Maggie Storm Story" *

in Pilot of The Untouchables, S1E1 The Empty Chair * Henry Jones (actor), Henry Jones and Edward Andrews in S1E25 "Portrait of a Thief" * Leslie Nielsen in S1/E23 "Three Thousand Suspects", who'd later co-star with Robert Stack in ''Airplane!'', satirizing their serious roles in dramas like ''The Untouchables'' * Sheree North in S4/E13 Search for a Dead Man * John Kellogg in S3E13 "Gang War", S3E20 "The Maggie Storm Story", S4E!2 "Doublecross" * Albert Salmi in S3E2 "Power Play" * Vaughn Taylor (actor), Vaughn Taylor in S1E2 "Ma Barker and Her Boys", S2E24 "Ring of Terror", S3E6 "Loophole" * Leonard Nimoy in S3/E17 "Takeover" *

in S1E12"The Underground Railway", S2E3 "Nicky", S2E19 "The Nick Moses Story", S4E20 "Junk Man", S4E29 "Line of Fire" * Warren Oates in S3/E26 "Pressure" * Susan Cummings (actress), Susan Cummings in S1E18 "Little Egypt" * Carroll O'Connor in S3/E2 "Power Play", S4/E6 "Bird in the Hand" * Jay Adler in S1E9 "The Tri State Gang", S2E9 "The Larry Fay Story", S3E8 "ManKiller", S4E3 "The Chess Game" * Susan Oliver in S2E15 "The Organization" * Victor Jory in S3E19 "Element of Danger" *

as Jake "Greasy Thumb" Guzik in three episodes, S1E1 "The Empty Chair", S2/E29 "The Seventh Vote", S4/E12 "Doublecross", also S1/E27 "Head of Fire- Feet of Clay", S2/E4 "The Waxey Gordon Story", S3/E18 "The Stryker Brothers" *

in S1/E17 "One Armed Bandits", S2/E19 "The Nick Moses Story", S3/E25 "The Contract" * Robert Redford in S4/E15 "Snowball" * Sterling Holloway in S1E21 "The Unhired Assassin: Part 2" * Madlyn Rhue in S1E27 "Head of Fire- Feet of Clay", S2E11 "The Tommy Karpeles Story" * Cliff Robertson in S1/E12 "The Underground Railway" * Ruth Roman in S3/E8 Man Killer * Telly Savalas in S2/E20 "The Antidote", S3/E5 "The Matt Bass Scheme", S4/E14 "The Speculator" * Johnny Seven (actor), Johnny Seven in S1E10 "The Dutch Schultz Story", S2E23 " Testimony of Evil ", S2E31 " The Nick Acropolis Story ", S3E27 Arsenal, S4E24 " One Last Killing" *

as Little Charlie Sebastino in two episodes, S1E14 "The Noise of Death", S2E5 "The Mark of Cain", also S3E15 "The Whitey Steele Story" *

in S4/E8 Elegy, S4/E13 Search for a Dead Man * Suzanne Storrs in S1/E6 Vincent 'Mad Dog' Coll,S2/E2 Jack 'Legs' Diamond * Nita Talbot in S1E22 "The White Slavers", S4E1 "The Night They Shot Santa Claus" * Mike Kellin in S1E14 "Noise of Death", S1E22 "The White Slavers", S3E9 "City Without a Name" * Frank Sutton in four episodes, S3E18 "The Stryker Brothers", S3E25 "The Contract", S4E14 "The Speculator", S4E22 "The Butcher's Boy" * Joyce Van Patten in S4E23 "The Spoiler" * Rip Torn as aka "Pittsburgh Phil" in S2/E14 "The Masterpiece", S4/E23 "The Spoiler" * Claire Trevor as Ma Barker in S1E2 "Ma Barker and her Boys" * Lee Van Cleef in S1E20 & E21 "The Unhired Assassin" part 1 & 2 * Robert Vaughn as Charlie Argos S4/E26 The Charlie Argos Story * Viveca Lindfors S2E24 "Ring of Terror" * Jack Warden in S1/E4 "The George 'Bugs' Moran Story", S1/E27 "Head of Fire-Feet of Clay", S2/E10 "The Otto Frick Story" * Jack Weston in S1/E8 The Artichoke King * Joanna Barnes in S2E32 "90-Proof Dame" * David White (actor), David White in S1E10 "The Dutch Schultz Story", and S2E1 "The Rusty Heller Story"; in the latter, appearing with his later ''Bewitched'' colleague Elizabeth Montgomery * Dick York in S1E22 "The White Slavers" * John Anderson (actor), John Anderson in S2E6 "A Seat on the Fence", S4E16 "Jake Dance", S4E28 "The Torpedo" * Ned Glass in S1E23 "Three Thousand Suspects", S2E26 "Death for Sale", S3E1 "The Troubleshooter", S4E3 "The Chess Game" * Ed Nelson in S2E21 "The Lily Dallas Story", S3E13 "The Gang War", S4E29 "Line of Fire" * Fred Clark in S1E18 "little Egypt" * Jeanne Cooper in S3E23 "The Case Against Eliot Ness", S4E24 "One Last Killing" * Leo Gordon in S1E16 "The St. Louis Story", S1E27 "Head of Fire: Feet of Clay" * Warren Stevens in S2E32 "90-Proof Dame" * Richard Devon in S2E18 "The Underground Court" * Vic Perrin in S2E5 "The Mark of Cain", S2E18 "The Underground Court", S3E9 "City Without a Name", S4E25 "The Giant Killer" * Paul Richards (actor), Paul Richards in S3E9 "City Without A Name", S4E25 "The Giant Killer" * Theodore Marcuse in S1E17 "One Armed Bandits", S3E9 "City Without a Name", S3E16 "The Death Tree", S4E6 "Bird in the Hand", S4E29 "Line of Fire" * Antony Carbone in S1E15 "Star Witness", S2E2 "Jack 'Legs' Diamond", S3E4 "The Genna Brothers", S4E13 "Search for a Dead Man" * Oscar Beregi (actor, born 1918), Oscar Beregi in S2E2 "Jack 'Legs' Diamond", S2E15 "The Organization", S2E27 "Stranglehold", S3E10 "Hammerlock", S3E15 "The Whitey Steele Story", S3E17 "Takeover", S3E25 "The Contract", S3E28 "The Monkey Wrench" * Leonard Stone in S2E31 "The Nick Acropolis Story" * David Brian in S1E16 "The St. Louis Story", S2E23 "Testimony of Evil" * Sean McClory in S3E15 "The Whitey Steele Story", S4E7 "The Eddie O'Gara Story"

Broadcast history

''The Untouchables'' originally aired as a segment of the anthology series ''Desilu Playhouse'' in 1959. It was picked up as a regular series by ABC for the 1959 season and was aired on Thursdays from 9:30 to 10:30pm from 1959 to 1962, switching to Tuesday evenings from 9:30 to 10:30pm for its final season (1962–63). Desilu Productions president Desi Arnaz had originally offered the role of Ness to Van Johnson. Johnson's wife and manager rejected the deal, and demanded double the salary offer. Arnaz refused and signed Stack instead. Arnaz had had a long business relationship with CBS, which had aired many Desilu programs, including ''I Love Lucy'' and ''The Lucy-Desi Comedy Hour''. When CBS refused to buy the program, Arnaz sold it to ABC. Neville Brand reprised his role as Al Capone in the 1961 film ''The George Raft Story''. Some segments were released to theaters as movies: ''The Scarface Mob'' (from the two-part pilot), ''The Alcatraz Federal Penitentiary, Alcatraz Express'' (from "The Big Train"), and ''The Gun of Zangara'' (from "Unhired Assassin"). On November 10, 1991, NBC ran the two-hour film ''The Return of Eliot Ness'', with Robert Stack as Ness. It was set in 1947, after Capone's death, and depicted Ness investigating the death of an Untouchables agent named Labine.

Legacy

''The Untouchables'' was a landmark television series that has spawned numerous imitators over the decades, such as ''S.W.A.T. (1975 TV series), S.W.A.T.'', ''The F.B.I. (TV series), The F.B.I.'', ''Crime Story (U.S. TV series), Crime Story'', the original ''Hawaii Five-O (1968 TV series), Hawaii Five-O'' (Five-O's creator and executive producer, Leonard Freeman, served as executive producer on ''The Untouchables'' final season), Robert Stack's two later series, ''Strike Force (TV series), Strike Force'' and ''Most Wanted (1976 TV series), Most Wanted'', ''The Hat Squad'', and the 1993 The Untouchables (1993 TV series), ''The Untouchables'' syndicated TV series. It also inspired films such as ''Al Capone (film), Al Capone'' starring Rod Steiger, ''The Untouchables (film), The Untouchables'' (with Kevin Costner), ''Gangster Squad (film), Gangster Squad'', ''Mulholland Falls'', and others. ''The Untouchables'' is one of two series from 1959, the other being ''The Detectives (1959 TV series), The Detectives'', together credited with the concept of depicting a ''group'' of crime fighters. Previously, most TV crime dramas had followed one of two formats: either a duo composed of a stalwart police officer or detective and his trusty sidekick/partner (''Dragnet'', ''The Lineup''), or a lone-wolf private investigator, private eye or police detective (''Peter Gunn'', ''Richard Diamond'', ''M-Squad''). Warner Bros. Television spoofed the Untouchables series in the 1963 Merrie Melodies cartoon short ''The Unmentionables'', with Bugs Bunny playing the role of Elegant Mess, a crime fighter assigned to infiltrate a black market ring operated by Rocky and Mugsy. The series was also spoofed on an episode of the 1961-62 American Broadcasting Company, ABC-TV/Hanna Barbara cartoon series ''Top Cat'' entitled "The Unscratchables". NBC's ''Saturday Night Live'' spoofed ''The Untouchables'' several times during the 1970s, with

playing Eliot Ness.On a 1981 telecast of NBC-TV's The Tonight Show ,the Untouchables was spoofed with a skit entitled: "The Video Untouchables", with host Johnny Carson portraying Agent "Eliot Nielsen" , whose squad appreheaded citizens who unlawfully videotaped T.V. programs . (Video Available on YouTube). In their 1988 book, ''The Critics' Choice—The Best of Crime and Detective TV'', authors Max Allan Collins and John Javna chose ''The Untouchables'' as one of the "Top 10 Best Police TV Series (Police Procedurals) of All Time". The Lebanon (Pa.) ''Daily News'' said of ''The Untouchables'': "Between the hard-nosed approach, sharp dialogue, and a commendably crisp pace (something rare in dramatic TV at the time), this series is one of the few that remains fresh and vibrant. Only the monochrome presentation betrays its age. ''The Untouchables'' is one of the few Golden Age TV shows that deserves being called a classic." In 2019, a 60th Anniversary Retrospective title
''The Untouchables Retrospective''
was undertaken to celebrate the show's cultural impact and legacy in television and film history through mixed media, including extensive episode reviews, a podcast, and a making-of documentary. To date, the retrospective has interviewed several surviving participants involved with the program, including Pat Crowley and Nehemiah Persoff.

Episodes

In 1997, the episode "The Rusty Heller Story" was ranked number 99 on TV Guide's 100 Greatest Episodes of All Time, ''TV Guide''s 100 Greatest Episodes of All Time''.

Home media

Region 1

CBS Home Entertainment, CBS DVD (distributed by Paramount Home Entertainment) have released all four seasons of ''The Untouchables'' on DVD in region 1, all digitally remastered from the original negatives and presented uncut, unedited and in its original broadcast order. The first two seasons have also been released in region 4. On May 10, 2016, CBS DVD released ''The Untouchables- The Complete Series'' on DVD in Region 1.

Region 2

Paramount Home Entertainment released the first three seasons of ''The Untouchables'' on DVD in the UK. These releases are full-season sets as opposed to Region 1 and 4, where each season has been split into two volumes. The complete series (all 4 seasons) was released on DVD in the UK on May 29, 2017 by Medium Rare Entertainment.

Merchandising

The TV show was also adapted into a comic book by Dan Spiegle, distributed by Dell Comics.

References

External links

*
Encyclopedia of Television

Episode Broadcast Dates

Unedited open to ''The Untouchables''

''The Untouchables'' on YouTube

''The Untouchables 2'' on YouTube

{{DEFAULTSORT:Untouchables (1959 Tv Series), The 1959 American television series debuts 1963 American television series endings 1950s American crime drama television series 1960s American crime drama television series American Broadcasting Company original programming Black-and-white American television shows Cultural depictions of Al Capone Cultural depictions of American men Cultural depictions of Bugs Moran Cultural depictions of Dutch Schultz Cultural depictions of Eliot Ness Cultural depictions of Frank Nitti Cultural depictions of Louis Buchalter Cultural depictions of Lucky Luciano Cultural depictions of American police officers Cultural depictions of gangsters English-language television shows Great Depression television series Nonlinear narrative television series Television series based on books Television series based on actual events Television series by CBS Studios Television series set in the 1930s Television series set in 1931 Television series set in 1932 Television shows set in Chicago Television series about organized crime Television series by Desilu Productions Television shows adapted into comics The Untouchables Works about the Chicago Outfit