Wiretapper

Wiretapper
Wiretapper
Directed by	Dick Ross
Written by	Jim Vaus Jr. ; John O'Dea
Produced by	World Wide Pictures
Starring	Bill Williams; Georgia Lee; Douglas Kennedy
Release date	August 10, 1955;
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)

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

[1] Peter T. Chattaway (August 23, 2005). "Billy Graham Goes to the Movies". Christianity Today. Retrieved 2013-11-30.

[Whitwell-2] Cutler B. Whitwell (December 17, 1949). "The Great Awakening in Los Angeles". The Sunday School Times. (3) 1127. Retrieved 2013-11-30.

[3] 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.

[4] Will Vaus (April 1, 2008). "The original wiretapper". Los Angeles Times.

[willvaus-5] My Father Was a Gangster: The Jim Vaus Story

[6] Carolyn Kellogg (November 9, 2009). "Gangland L.A. in the 1950s, via pulp nonfiction". The Los Angeles Times.

[7] John Buntin (November 5, 2009). "Notes from the (Bibliographic) Underground". PowellsBooks.

[8] Wiretapper (1955) at AllMovie

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