''Wiretapper'' is a 1955 crime drama

biopic A biographical film or biopic () is a film that dramatizes the life of a non-fictional or historically-based person or people. Such films show the life of a historical person and the central character's real name is used. They differ from docudra ...

directed by

Dick Ross Dick Ross is an American former Negro league outfielder who played in the 1920s. Ross made his Negro leagues The Negro leagues were United States professional baseball leagues comprising teams of African Americans and, to a lesser extent, La ...

, written by John O'Dea, and starring Bill Williams, Georgia Lee and Douglas Kennedy. The scenario of the film was based on a true story of Jim Vaus Jr.

Plot

Jim Vaus returns from the war and marries Alice. He struggles to make a living. He was hired by Charles Rumsden to fix a doorbell, and realizes that his client is a mob boss. Alice discovers the source of Jim's income and their relationship was expired and strained to the breaking point. She forces Jim to attend a Billy Graham's Los Angeles Crusade, in her attempt to save their marriage and Jim's soul.

Scenario

During the late 1940s, Jim Vaus Jr. worked for the police and for mobster

Mickey Cohen Meyer Harris "Mickey" Cohen (September 4, 1913 – July 29, 1976) was an American gangster, boxer and entrepreneur based in Los Angeles during the mid-20th century. Early life Mickey Cohen was born on September 4, 1913, in New York City to Je ...

. The story of Jim Vaus was described in magazines: ''Time'', ''Life'' and ''

Reader’s Digest ''Reader's Digest'' is an American general-interest family magazine, published ten times a year. Formerly based in Chappaqua, New York, it is now headquartered in midtown Manhattan. The magazine was founded in 1922 by DeWitt Wallace and his wi ...

''. Jim Vaus described his own story in his autobiography ''Why I Quit Syndicated Crime'' (1951). This autobiography was used by John O'Dea for a film scenario. In 2007 Will Vaus, son of Jim, published book ''My Father Was a Gangster''.''My Father Was a Gangster: The Jim Vaus Story''
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Cast

* Bill Williams as Jim Vaus Jr. * Georgia Lee as Alice Park Vaus * Douglas Kennedy as Charles Rumsden *

Phil Tead Phillips Tead (September 29, 1893 – June 9, 1974) was an American character actor in film and television, sometimes billed as Phil Tead. Biography Born in Somerville, Massachusetts, in 1893, among his many roles, Tead might be best reme ...

as Mr. Wiggins – Postman *

Stanley Clements Stanley Clements (born Stanislaw Klimowicz; July 16, 1926 – October 16, 1981) was an American actor and comedian, best known for portraying "Stash" in the East Side Kids film series, and group leader Stanislaus "Duke" Coveleskie in The Bowery ...

as Tony *

Ric Roman Ric R. Roman (September 29, 1916 – August 11, 2000) was an American actor. He was perhaps best known for his roles in the films '' Lone Star'' (1952), ''Shadows of Tombstone'' (1953), ''Lizzie'' (1957) and '' The Wayward Girl'' (1957). He also ...

as Nick Castro *

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 ...

as Romato *

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 Herbie *

Steve Conte Steve Conte is an American musician, songwriter, guitarist, music producer, and lead singer of the band Steve Conte NYC. He has worked with Japanese composer Yoko Kanno on a variety of anime soundtracks including ''Wolf's Rain'', '' Cowboy Bebo ...

as Henchman *

Melinda Plowman Melinda Ann Plowman (born May 13, 1941), also known as Melinda Ann Casey and Melinda Casey, is an American actress and associate director. She began her acting career at age 6 and appeared in feature films and television episodes through the 1960 ...

as Helen Park – Kid Sister *

Billy Graham William Franklin Graham Jr. (November 7, 1918 – February 21, 2018) was an American evangelist and an ordained Southern Baptist minister who became well known internationally in the late 1940s. He was a prominent evangelical Christi ...

as himself (uncredited)

References

External links

* * {{DEFAULTSORT:Wiretapper) 1955 films 1950s English-language films 1950s crime drama films American crime drama films Biographical films about gangsters Billy Graham Films directed by Dick Ross (director) 1950s American films American black-and-white films

Plot

Scenario

Cast

See also

References

External links