The Revenge of Al Capone

*The Revenge of Al Capone*
The Revenge of Al Capone
Genre	Drama
Written by	Tracy Keenan Wynn
Directed by	Michael Pressman
Starring	Keith Carradine; Ray Sharkey
Theme music composer	Craig Safan
Country of origin	United States
Original language	English
Production
Executive producers	John Levoff; Robert Lovenheim
Producer	Vicki Niemi
Cinematography	Tim Suhrstedt
Editor	Jeff Freeman
Running time	96 minutes
Production companies	River City Productions Inc.; Unity Productions Inc.
Original release
Network	NBC
Release	February 26, 1989

The Revenge of Al Capone (also known as Revenge of Capone) is a 1989 American television film about Al Capone starring Keith Carradine as Michael Rourke.^[1] Ray Sharkey portrays Al Capone.^[2]^[3]^[4] Tracy Keenan Wynn wrote the script.^[5] The plot is not based on fact but rather is based on a revisionist interpretation of the 1933 attempted murder of President-elect Roosevelt by delusional anarchist Giuseppe Zangara.

Plot

Following his imprisonment, Al Capone still continues to run his crime empire and plots to assassinate the mayor of Chicago, Anton Cermak.

Cast

Keith Carradine as Michael Rourke
Ray Sharkey as Scarface
Debrah Farentino as Jennie
Charles Haid as Alex Connors
Jayne Atkinson as Elizabeth
Neil Giuntoli as Dutch Schultz
Scott Paulin as Eliot Ness
Alan Rosenberg as Frank Nitti
Jordan Charney as J. Edgar Hoover
Robert Bernedetti as Mayor Anton Cermak
Conor O'Farrell as Sergeant Callahan
Troy Evans as Harry Lang

Critical response

Chris Willman of the Los Angeles Times wrote: "Revenge is an offer that can be refused."^[6]

Robert Bianco of The Pittsburgh Press wrote: "Luck, however, is a rare entertainment commodity. What TV's tight production schedule – and NBC's new-found affection for exploding blood capsules – gives you Sunday at 9 two hours of by-the-numbers boredom, The Revenge of Al Capone."^[7]

Tom Ensign of the Toledo Blade wrote: "I have no idea how much, if any, fact is involved in this film. Carradine is about the only bright spot."^[8]

Faye Zuckerman of TimesDaily wrote : "Both Sharkey and Carradine will keep you engaged with their fine acting in this tense movie, which is reminiscent of a gritty episode of from the 1959–63 TV series The Untouchables.^[9]

Ratings

The Revenge of Al Capone ranked 35th overall with a 13.9 share. Its competitor, Naked Life, ranked 9th overall with a 21.2 share.^[10]

References

^ Heldenfels, R.D. (February 15, 1989). "Al Capone Is Living In The Beaver's House". Schenectady Gazette. Vol. XCV, no. 118. The Daily Gazette Co. (now Schenectady Printing Association). p. 12. ISSN 2996-1718. OCLC 427365671. Retrieved February 6, 2026 – via Newspapers.com.
^ Buck, Jerry (February 21, 1989). "Actor plays real bad guy in TV movie on Capone". The Telegraph. Ogden Newspapers. Associated Press. p. 23. OCLC 22532489. Retrieved February 6, 2026 – via Newspapers.com.
^ Nash 2019, p. 2678.
^ Burlingame, Jon (June 18, 1991). "'Man in the Family' needs doctor in the house". Ocala Star-Banner. Vol. 45, no. 331. USA Today Co. p. 5B. ISSN 0163-3201. OCLC 1001642345. Retrieved February 6, 2026 – via Newspapers.com.
^ Dawndziak, Mark (January 21, 1989). "'Capone Offer Lures Sharkey". The Spokesman-Review. Vol. 4, no. 31. Cowles Company. p. B2. ISSN 2993-1274. OCLC 11102529. Retrieved February 6, 2026 – via Newspapers.com.
^ Willman, Chris (February 25, 1989). "Television Reviews : 'Revenge of Capone' Riddled With Cliches". Los Angeles Times. Times Mirror Company (now Los Angeles Times Communications LLC). ISSN 0458-3035. OCLC 3638237. Archived from the original on January 26, 2025. Retrieved February 5, 2026.
^ Bianco, Robert (February 23, 1989). "Weekend TV: NBC's 'Al Capone' takes its revenge in boredom". The Pittsburgh Press. Vol. 105, no. 241. E. W. Scripps Company (now Block Communications). p. D1. OCLC 2266185. Retrieved February 6, 2026 – via Newspapers.com.
^ Ensign, Tom (February 24, 1989). "NBC leaves out the realism in 'Al Capone'". Toledo Blade. Block Communications. p. P8. ISSN 2578-9961. OCLC 12962717. Retrieved February 6, 2026 – via Newspapers.com.
^ Zukerman, Faye (February 25, 1989). "Movie Repeats Matlock Episode". TimesDaily. Vol. 120, no. 56. Tennessee Valley Printing Co., Inc. p. 7B. ISSN 2998-3657. OCLC 964829746. Retrieved February 6, 2026 – via Newspapers.com.
^ "CBS comes on strong, but NBC still tops". Kentucky New Era. Vol. 102, no. 88. Paxton Media Group. March 1, 1989. p. 7B. OCLC 14064300. Retrieved February 6, 2026 – via Newspapers.com.

Sources

Nash, Jay Robert (2019). The Encyclopedia of Best Films: A Century of All the Finest Movies, S-U (eBook). Lanham, Maryland: Rowman & Littlefield Publishing Group. p. 2678. ISBN 978-1538134177.

External links

The Revenge of Al Capone at IMDb

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[1] Heldenfels, R.D. (February 15, 1989). "Al Capone Is Living In The Beaver's House". Schenectady Gazette. Vol. XCV, no. 118. The Daily Gazette Co. (now Schenectady Printing Association). p. 12. ISSN 2996-1718. OCLC 427365671. Retrieved February 6, 2026 – via Newspapers.com.

[2] Buck, Jerry (February 21, 1989). "Actor plays real bad guy in TV movie on Capone". The Telegraph. Ogden Newspapers. Associated Press. p. 23. OCLC 22532489. Retrieved February 6, 2026 – via Newspapers.com.

[FOOTNOTENash20192678-3] Nash 2019, p. 2678.

[4] Burlingame, Jon (June 18, 1991). "'Man in the Family' needs doctor in the house". Ocala Star-Banner. Vol. 45, no. 331. USA Today Co. p. 5B. ISSN 0163-3201. OCLC 1001642345. Retrieved February 6, 2026 – via Newspapers.com.

[5] Dawndziak, Mark (January 21, 1989). "'Capone Offer Lures Sharkey". The Spokesman-Review. Vol. 4, no. 31. Cowles Company. p. B2. ISSN 2993-1274. OCLC 11102529. Retrieved February 6, 2026 – via Newspapers.com.

[6] Willman, Chris (February 25, 1989). "Television Reviews : 'Revenge of Capone' Riddled With Cliches". Los Angeles Times. Times Mirror Company (now Los Angeles Times Communications LLC). ISSN 0458-3035. OCLC 3638237. Archived from the original on January 26, 2025. Retrieved February 5, 2026.

[7] Bianco, Robert (February 23, 1989). "Weekend TV: NBC's 'Al Capone' takes its revenge in boredom". The Pittsburgh Press. Vol. 105, no. 241. E. W. Scripps Company (now Block Communications). p. D1. OCLC 2266185. Retrieved February 6, 2026 – via Newspapers.com.

[8] Ensign, Tom (February 24, 1989). "NBC leaves out the realism in 'Al Capone'". Toledo Blade. Block Communications. p. P8. ISSN 2578-9961. OCLC 12962717. Retrieved February 6, 2026 – via Newspapers.com.

[9] Zukerman, Faye (February 25, 1989). "Movie Repeats Matlock Episode". TimesDaily. Vol. 120, no. 56. Tennessee Valley Printing Co., Inc. p. 7B. ISSN 2998-3657. OCLC 964829746. Retrieved February 6, 2026 – via Newspapers.com.

[10] "CBS comes on strong, but NBC still tops". Kentucky New Era. Vol. 102, no. 88. Paxton Media Group. March 1, 1989. p. 7B. OCLC 14064300. Retrieved February 6, 2026 – via Newspapers.com.

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