Lepke (1975)

63% of users liked it
(51 ratings)

Tony Curtis stars as the feared leader of "Murder Incorporated" in this underworld drama based on the life of Louis "Lepke" Buchalter. Lepke began his criminal career as a petty thief in his teens; a stretch in prison taught him the finer points of life on the wrong side of the law. After getting… More Tony Curtis stars as the feared leader of "Murder Incorporated" in this underworld drama based on the life of Louis "Lepke" Buchalter. Lepke began his criminal career as a petty thief in his teens; a stretch in prison taught him the finer points of life on the wrong side of the law. After getting out of jail, Lepke and his pal Gurrah Shapiro (Warren Berlinger) join a gang who hire themselves out as strikebreakers, and the vicious but clever Lepke soon rises through the ranks. Lepke makes powerful friends with mob kingpins "Lucky" Luciano (Vic Tayback) and Albert Anastasia (Gianni Russo), and when high-ranking but deranged gangster "Dutch" Schultz (John Durren) announces he's going to kill District Attorney Thomas E. Dewey (Richard C. Adams), Lepke is chosen to rub "Dutch" out. Lepke handles the assignment well, and he's able to strike up a deal with the various Mafia families -- he'll form a separate organization to handle executions and assassinations, and he'll hire out his services to any mobsters who need it, provided the mob bosses approve the killings. Between "Murder Incorporated" and a drug ring operated with Luciano, Lepke has become a wealthy and important man in the underworld, but ironically he finds soon himself himself investigated by the man whose life he unwittingly saved -- Dewey. Lepke also features comedian and impressionist Vaughn Meader as the voice of Walter Winchell. ~ Mark Deming, Rovi

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Rating, Runtime: R, 1 hr. 49 min.
Directed By: Menahem Golan
Written By: Tamar Simon Hoffs, Wesley Lau
Genres: Drama

In Theaters: May 23, 1975 Wide
Studio: Warner Bros

Critic Reviews

Dennis Schwartz, Ozus' World Movie Reviews
So-so Prohibition-era mobster tale that's ripped from the tabloid headlines of the day.
Chuck O'Leary, FulvueDrive-in.com
Tony Curtis gives one of his best performances in this violent, overlooked underworld drama about the famed Jewish gangster. A really good movie that suffered from poor distribution.

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Cast

            Tony Curtis as Louis "Lepke" Buchalter

            Anjanette Comer as Bernice Meyer

            Michael Callan as Robert Kane

            Warren Berlinger as Gurrah Shapiro

            Gianni Russo as Albert Anastasia

            Vic Tayback as Lucky Luciano

            Milton Berle as Mr. Meyer

            Jack Ackerman as Little Augie

            Lillian Adams as Mama Meyer

            Simmy Bow as Tannenbaum

            Guy Christopher as Reporter

            Albert Cole as Gross

            John Durren as Dutch Schultz

            Matt Greene as Skinny

            Louis Guss as Max Rubin

            Jon Ian Jacobs as Big Hesh

            Zitto Kazann as Abe "Kid Twist" Reles

            Joseph Kim as Lin Phoo

            Wesley Lau as Detective

            Vaughn Meader as Walter Winchell

            Barry Miller as Young Lepke

            Johnny Silver as Schwartz

            Jack Tesler as Feldman

            Mary Charlotte Wilcox as Marion

            Crane Jackson as Judge

            J.S. Johnson as Mendy Weiss

            Thomas Castranova as Policeman
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