| Wiretapper | |
|---|---|
| Directed by | Dick Ross |
| Produced by | World Wide Pictures |
| Written by | Jim Vaus Jr. John O'Dea |
| Starring | Bill Williams Georgia Lee Douglas Kennedy |
Release date |
|
Running time | 80 minutes |
| Country | United States |
| Language | English |
Wiretapper is a 1955 crime action biopic directed by Dick Ross, written by John O'Dea, and starring Bill Williams, Georgia Lee and Douglas Kennedy. The scenario of the film was based on a true story of Jim Vaus Jr.[1]
Plot
Jim Vaus returns from the war and marries Alice. He struggles to make a living. He was hired by Charles Rumsden to fix a doorbell, and realizes that his client is a mob boss. Alice discovers the source of Jim's income and their relationship was expired and strained to the breaking point. She forces Jim to attend a Billy Graham's Los Angeles Crusade, in her attempt to save their marriage and Jim's soul.
Scenario
During the late 1940s, Jim Vaus Jr. worked for the police and for mobster Mickey Cohen.[2][3][4] The story of Jim Vaus was described in magazines: Time, Life and Reader’s Digest.[5] Jim Vaus described his own story in his autobiography Why I Quit Syndicated Crime (1951).[6][7] This autobiography was used by John O'Dea for a film scenario.[8] In 2007 Will Vaus, son of Jim, published book My Father Was a Gangster.[5]
Cast
- Bill Williams as Jim Vaus Jr.
- Georgia Lee as Alice Park Vaus
- Douglas Kennedy as Charles Rumsden
- Phil Tead as Mr. Wiggins – Postman
- Stanley Clements as Tony
- Ric Roman as Nick Castro
- Richard Benedict as Romato
- Paul Picerni as Herbie
- Steve Conte as Henchman
- Melinda Plowman as Helen Park – Kid Sister
- Billy Graham as himself (uncredited)
See also
- List of Billy Graham's crusades
References
- ^ Peter T. Chattaway (August 23, 2005). "Billy Graham Goes to the Movies". Christianity Today. Retrieved 2013-11-30.
- ^ Cutler B. Whitwell (December 17, 1949). "The Great Awakening in Los Angeles". The Sunday School Times. (3) 1127. Retrieved 2013-11-30.
- ^ Mel Larson (1950). "TASTING REVIVAL — at Los Angeles". Revival In Our Time: The Story of the Billy Graham Evangelistic Campaigns including Six of his Sermons. Van Kampen Press. p. 17.
- ^ Will Vaus (April 1, 2008). "The original wiretapper". Los Angeles Times.
- ^ a b My Father Was a Gangster: The Jim Vaus Story
- ^ Carolyn Kellogg (November 9, 2009). "Gangland L.A. in the 1950s, via pulp nonfiction". The Los Angeles Times.
- ^ John Buntin (November 5, 2009). "Notes from the (Bibliographic) Underground". PowellsBooks.
- ^ Wiretapper (1955) at AllMovie
External links
- Wiretapper at IMDb
- Wiretapper at AllMovie