The St. Valentine’s Day Massacre
Directed by Roger Corman
Written by Howard Browne
1967/US
IMDb link
First viewing/Amazon Instant
[box] Reporter: Y’know some are sayin’ that it really was the cops who shot those men.
Bugs Moran: You must be new to this town, mister. Only Al Capone kills like that.[/box]
20th Century Fox gave cheapskate Roger Corman $2 million and some A list actors to make this film. I think he could have made a better movie with less money.
The story of how Al Capone’s gang wiped out a good portion of Bugs Moran’s gang on February 14, 1929 has been told many times. I don’t need to repeat it here. With Jason Robards as Al Capone, George Segal as hitman Peter Gusenberg, and Ralph Meeker as “Bugs” Moran.
Naturally, Corman came in ahead of schedule and under budget once again. He claimed he could have made the film for half as much if he had been allowed to shoot on location.
The final product was marred by incessant monotone voice-overs that sucked the life right out of it. In addition, whose idea was it to cast Robards? He doesn’t even attempt to appear or sound Italian and makes a pretty boring Capone, not withstanding his cigar chomping. Corman made some very entertaining films when he actually sat in the director’s chair. This was not one of them.
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