Hollywood Briefly: Brian, Child Actor and Union Suit Fan
Hi Chris, I thought you might be interested to know that as a little boy I had a “cameo” in the 1967 movie classic, The St. Valentine's Day Massacre. In a brief scene with Bruce Dern who played my father, John May, I appeared in my long underwear. It was a chance of a life time to be chosen for a small part in a movie with Jason Robards and Bruce Dern.
The real John May was not a brutal man nor a true mobster as such. But since he was hired as a mechanic and driver for the notorious Moran Gang of Chicago, Illinois he was a member of an organized crime family. His gang was led by Irishman George “Bugs” Moran who was one of Al Capone's bitter enemies. In the 1920's Capone wanted to consolidate his power over the city during prohibition. He had his henchmen assassinate a number of leaders and members of other Chicago gangs.
It was never proven, but Capone sent four of his men, dressed as Chicago police, to a Lincoln Park garage in north Chicago where they lined up seven members of the Moran Gang against the wall. They were then mowed down, shot full of holes, with machine guns. This occurred on February 14, 1929, Valentine's Day. May and his wife had seven children, one of whom was played by me in the movie.
The son I portrayed in my union suit had been told by his father to lay down in bed and go to sleep while he discussed his being hired as the driver for the Moran Gang. May died in that shoot out.
Chris, I really enjoy viewing your blogs, especially actors and performers in their long johns just like me way back when... Brian
Hey, Brian! Thanks for contacting me and providing a little of your Hollywood personal history. I remember watching this movie with my dad when I was a youngster. It is a classic. Regards, Chris
Added
January 25, 2019 from Jess of Chicago:
As
part of Al Capone's income tax evasion trial his purchase of clothing
was a part of the prosecutor's case. The prosecution took pains to
present his extravagant life style at trial beginning in October,
1931. His purchase of expensive furnishings and clothing right down
to his underwear helped convict him. You might say his union suits buttoned things up for the prosecution to bring him down.
He
made many of his purchases at Chicago's Marshall Fields department
stores. Testimony from various salesmen revealed that ol' Al
purchased ties at $5 each, shirts for $18 each and custom tailored
suits for $135! But it was his underwear that made those in
attendance at his trial gasp.
Testimony was heard from at least three different underwear salesmen from the Marshall
Fields men's department. One testified that Capone in one visit
purchased nine undershirts and nine boxer shorts at $5 each. Another
salesman reported that in 1927 Capone bought himself three union
suits from him at $12 each, a princely sum for underwear back then.
Who paid that much for long underwear? Certainly not the ordinary,
everyday man. That was a lot of dough for underwear in the 1920's.
Capone must have purchased the top of the line if he paid $12 per
union suit. That's expensive underwear! Think what that would cost in
today's dollars.
Forty
years after the mafia king bought his underwear, I bought a union suit at
Sears in 1971 on clearance for only two bucks. It was several years later
that I forked over $10 for one. And today the cost of one union suit?
Don't get me started. Let's just say it's robbery for what we have
to pay now.
