Was I the only one who wondered as to how someone as totally wired as James Remar's portrayal of Dutch Schultz made it as a crime boss? I'm frankly surprised it took him so long to end up as a chalk outline.
Bob Hoskins' Owney Madden. Now there was a mob boss.
"I'm not reckless . . . I'm skillful!"
Sorry but the real Dutch Schultz was a volatile psychopath. Its the most spot on portrayal there has been of him
shareDon't feel you have to apologize. I'm pretty sure it wasn't your fault Schultz was a psychopath.
I'm going to have to go read up on the person (could you recommend some particular books on the subject?). It just amazes me that someone with that sort of personality could attract followers.
"I'm not reckless . . . I'm skillful!"
Haha I wasn't apologising on his behalf. Well, follow any link on the wikipedia article about him or look up organized crime docs on youtube, you'll find plenty of info. Well Lucky Luciano, Al Capone, pretty much any prolific crime figure all did horrible things to other people and slept well at night. Schultz, as opposed to being merely a cold, stoic business type like the others, was psychologically disturbed and notorious for his volcanic temper and using violence as a means to solve everything. You could easily describe Luciano, Capone, Bumpy Johnson, Meyer Lanksy and all those guys as cold and dangerous, but not necessarily psychotic, which Schultz most definitely was. Thats why there was a lot of controversy surrounding the movie Billy Bathgate, as Dustin Hoffman's portrayal of him was completely off the mark and utterly abysmal.
shareThanks, by the way, for the heads-up on "Billy Bathgate" (a film which I have not yet seen).
"I'm not reckless . . . I'm skillful!"
Oh man that movie sucks. Its not just Hoffman's performance its everything else about it (although there is a Nicole Kidman nude scene, for which I'll award it one point).
shareThere is another film that portrays Dutch Schultz quite accurately, Its called "Hoodlum" 1997 and its damn sight better than Billy Bathgate.
shareI'm beginning to think that "Frankenstein Meets the Space Monster" is a better film than "Billy Bathgate".
"I'm not reckless . . . I'm skillful!"
I liked "Billy Bathgate" and found Dustin Hoffman's portrayal of Schultz an interesting counterpoint to other portrayals. If you are comparing the movies on historical accuracy, "Billy Bathgate" was certainly no worse and probably a lot better reflection of the historical Dutch Schultz than "The Cotton Club."
Gangsters in general must have a twisted relationship with society to be in the profession that they are. If they aren't sociopathic to begin with, the profession must make them so. Dutch Schultz, in particular was quite a complex hodgepodge of intellect, philosophy, and rage.
I think that Dutch's death bed ramblings reflect a varied education that he must have acquired deliberately and on his own. That by itself makes him a rare criminal. If you haven't already, do avail yourself of some research into Arthur Flegenheimer.
The best diplomat I know is a fully charged phaser bank.
I could you possibly know that?
share