Everything
Despite a halt in Hollywood, Vertical Entertainment has forged on with its promotion of new film, Capone. Directed by Fantastic Four’s Josh Trank, the forthcoming biopic chronicles the final years of Al Capone’s life, prior to his death in 1947. During the prohibition era and even now, the gangster was known as a notorious killing machine and in this next feature film, an “untold story” will come to light.
Fronting the titular character is Tom Hardy, best known for his roles in The Dark Night Rises and more recently in Venom, but unlike past projects, his full transformative abilities have been challenged. In mid-April, viewers were treated with the first trailer of Capone, revealing a silver screen depiction of the Chicago gangster. Now, thanks to photographer Greg Williams, we have a closer and more eery look into the work behind Hardy’s incredible transformation. With a cigar resting on the side of his mouth, haunted eyes and lines drawn deep into his face, the resemblance of the man known as ‘Scarface’ is strangely mystifying.
But the story behind Al Capone is far from a run-of-the-mill mob boss who unmercifully killed victims. Leader of the Chicago Outfit, Capone rose to prominence as he amassed a personal fortune of over $100 million USD. He was a killer, but more-so, he was a genius businessman. His famous quotes include, “I’m a kind person, I’m kind to everyone, but if you are unkind to me, then kindness is not what you’ll remember me for” and “In this life all that I have is my word and my balls and I do not break them for nobody.” He was behind some of the most infamous killings of all-time, but was also considered a family man.
After seven years at the head of the Chicago crime ring – dealing in the likes of bootlegging, prostitution and gambling – Scarface was sent to Alactraz Prison in 1931 for a tax evasion conviction and sentenced to 11 years. Alcatraz was a maximum security federal prison on Alcatraz Island, two kilometres off the coast of San Francisco – notorious for its gangster and murderous inmates as well as being a military prison during the Civil War. In Capone’s last year behind bars, he spent the majority of time in its hospital where his health rapidly declined due to tertiary syphilis. After release, Capone slowly deteriorated at his Palm Island palace.
Alphonse Gabriel Capone was born in Brooklyn, New York, in 1899 to Italian immigrants. He was expelled from school at 14 and joined a gang. He died on January 25, 1947, of cardiac arrest at the age of 48. The new film portrays his late years.
Capone is slated to drop on May 12 for streaming. Where that will take place is unknown currently. Stay tuned.
