Wiretapper

Wiretapper
Wiretapper
Directed by	Dick Ross
Written by	Jim Vaus Jr. ; John O'Dea
Produced by	J.D. Kendis
Starring	Bill Williams; Georgia Lee; Douglas Kennedy
Cinematography	Ralph Woolsey
Edited by	Eugene Pendleton
Music by	Ralph Carmichael
Production; company	Great Commission Films
Distributed by	Continental Pictures
Release date	August 10, 1955;
Running time	80 minutes
Country	United States
Language	English

Wiretapper is a 1955 American biographical crime drama film 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 the true story of Jim Vaus Jr.^[1] The score was composed by Ralph Carmichael.

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.

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)

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]

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

[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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