The name Eliot Ness carries with it images of Chicago gangland speakeasies and shootouts with some of the nation's most notorious criminals. Ness has been transformed into a legendary figure by the films and television programs that depicted the war he and his Untouchables waged against the mobsters of Prohibition-era Chicago. Yet the real Ness is an enigma and the actual men who worked with him are little known. This analysis of Ness the person and Ness the myth brings together careful historical analysis and descriptive critiques of the many films and television programs devoted to interpreting his life and war with Al Capone. Reasons for the popularity of Eliot Ness and his mythic importance are also explored. Photographs, bibliography, and an index are included.