Search - The Untouchables - Season Two, Vol. 1 on DVD

Great Series, Great DVD, Don't Sweat the Bumpers

Francis S. Duskiewicz | Canastota, NY USA | 08/20/2009

(5 out of 5 stars)

"Honestly, anyone who enjoys The Untouchables and who liked the DVD releases from the first year of the show, that passes up this superb collection of the series' best episodes simply because they changed the commercial break bumpers is foolish. Actually, the way they were handled in the first two sets was aggravating. How many times do I need to look at that foolish book anyway!?



Now on to fun stuff from Season Two:



1) Paul Picerni joins the crew as Lee Hobson, making Ness's line, "Rico, Lee" as famous as "Book 'em, Danno." However, Picerni was nowhere near as magnetic or interesting an actor as Anthony George, who was featured as Cam Allison during the first season. Evidently, George caught somebody's eye as he became one of the stars of Checkmate! the next year. If Picerni joined the cast as a reaction to Italian complaints, why give him such a whitebread name?



2) Steve London, as Rossman, must have examined the script each week and said, "Damn! No lines again!"



3) Character actors ruled!! The more European the better. And it becomes clear by this set that The Untouchables used a reperatory group of actors. Nehemiah Persoff had already starred as Jake Gusik, Johnny Fortunato and Waxey Gordon and Jack Warden was also featured three times, once as Ness's best friend. Makes me wonder why someone doesn't say, "Hmmm....you look awfully familiar!" Joseph Wiseman, Luther Adler, Will Kuluva and Val Avery are all over the place, too.



4) Time is not linear in The Untouchables. Frank Nitti is alive, then dies, then is featured again. Lee Hobson was not around when Capone was convicted, then "oops' there he is in a flashback when Capone was sent to jail in "The Big Train Part One" episode. It's 1931, no...it's 1933, wait, it's 1932..hmmm'34? This week Prohibition, next week no Prohibition..wait this episode Prohibition again.



5) It is a real kick to see Samantha (Elizabeth Montgomery) and Larry Tate (David White) make out in "The Rusty Heller Story"



6) Look for 30 seconds of a 20 year old Ryan O' Neal at the end of "The Legs Diamond Story"



7) The sets are pretty cheap. The Dew Drop Inn shows up whether they're in Chicago, New York or St Louis. Same thing with the Turkish Bath.



8) Lots of smoking! Wow, do these guys smoke. Same thing with drinking! And method acting galore!



I love these DVD sets, mostly because when The Untouchables came on when I was a kid, I had to go to bed and I always felt like I was missing something really good. Turns out, I was! These shows are incredible fun. Highly recommended!"