I recently watched the 1975 film CAPONE, which Roger Corman produced with Ben Gazzara as Capone, Sylvester Stallone as Frank Nitti, and some action footage from his 1967 hit THE ST. VALENTINE’S DAY MASSACRE, which covered some of the same ground. To score CAPONE, Corman and director Steve Carver (LONE WOLF McQUADE) called upon 30-year-old bluegrass mandolinist and composer David Grisman. Grisman grew up in Hackensack, New Jersey. He started his musical career in 1963 as a member of Even Dozen Jug Band, who recorded an album that year on Elektra Records. Grisman would play with a number of groups during the late 1960s and early 1970s. In 1974, Grisman, Peter Rowan, and Richard Greene joined Bill Keith, and the late, great Clarence White, in the group Muleskinner. That same year, Grisman scored his first film, also for director Steve Carver, BIG BAD MAMA.
After CAPONE, Grisman scored director Charles B. Griffith’s EAT MY DUST (1976). His fourth and final feature film was Frank Pierson’s KING OF THE GYPSIES (1978) in which he also appeared on screen as a gypsy mandolinist. Since then, Grisman has released albums with his own groups (David Grisman Quintet and Old and in the Way), performed in collaborations (with Jerry Garcia, Andy Statman, Martin Taylor, John Sebastian, Tony Rice), produced a number of solo records, and cooperated with many other artists in different genres. Grisman founded the independent record label Acoustic Disc is in 1990. The label, based in San Rafael, California, specializes in folk, bluegrass, and New Acoustic Music. Grisman turned 70 years old this past Monday (March 23rd).
Here is Grisman’s mandolin-infused theme for CAPONE:
i enjoyed this film. Gazzara was rarely anything but decent. seem to recall i taped the music but found the lone mandolin evocative but a little hardgoing. back then - late 60s and into 70s - we had a whole spate of those Tommy gun prohibition gangster films such as this one, Bonnie n clyde, as mentioned valentines day massacre, bloody mama, and a few others. dont know if Lepke counts. early part of Valachi papers. Hard times maybe. there was also one called Kansas something or other with Bo Hopkins but that may have been a tv movie. and T.vs The Manhunter. did i forget any Bob? There were a few. i couldnt get enough of them back then.
we had a whole spate of those Tommy gun prohibition gangster films such as this one, Bonnie n clyde, as mentioned valentines day massacre, bloody mama, and a few others. dont know if Lepke counts. early part of Valachi papers. Hard times maybe. there was also one called Kansas something or other with Bo Hopkins but that may have been a tv movie. and T.vs The Manhunter. did i forget any Bob? There were a few. i couldnt get enough of them back then.
LEPKE certainly counts. One of my favorites is 1973's DILLINGER, starring Warren Oates. That same year, there was the little-known BAD CHARLESTON CHARLIE, with Ross Hagen. Then there was Larry Buchanan's A BULLET FOR PRETTY BOY (1970) starring Fabian Forte as Charles Arthur "Pretty Boy" Floyd. Fabian also starred with Karen Black in 1973's LITTLE LAURA & BIG JOHN.
Bo Hopkins played Pretty Boy Floyd in the 1975 TV movie "The Kansas City Massacre." Dale Robertson starred as Melvin Purvis. That film was a sequel of sorts to 1974's TV movie "Melvin Purvis: G-Man,” which also starred Robertson in the title role. That 1974 film was released theatrically overseas as “The Legend of Machine Gun Kelly.”
nice one bob. And how could i forget dillinger with Oates!
of course, Kansas city massacre - thanks, i had in my mind kansas city raiders but i knew that was wrong. i remember lots of car chases with men on fenders firing tommy guns back and forth to Strouse-style music. there was also the early part of Private files of j edgar hoover with broderick crawford. there may be more. Always thought that Manhunter series with Ken Howard was brilliant. never seemed to take off.
Didnt mean to steer thread away from Capone, but it reminded me that was part of quite a popular mini genre of sorts, - where Corman played a big part - kind of revisiting in colour format and with more stylish violence than their multitude of previous b and w originals made in the 40s and 50s.
yeah i always like Gazzara. He was solid opposite Segal in Remargen and superb acting in qb7.
