Sadly Over-hyped

This story has more twists and turns than a second-rate soap opera.

Each character in this movie — down to the smallest one — is an individual rather than a type, prone to spontaneous changes of mood and sometimes amusing outbursts of pettiness or ill humor.

Exactly the movie you think it is, but not the movie you want it to be.

I think anyone who enjoys classic films has heard of this film. And, probably has seen the scene where Robinson says, "Is this the end of Rico?" But I had always avoided the film because I am no fan of gangster movies (or for that matter Hollywood's other obsession of the 1930s -- the lives of rich people). But, I also enjoy Edward G. Robinson, so I make occasional exceptions for his gangster films. My most basic conclusion is that while this is a very good gangster film, it's not a 4 star film, as TCM classes it.I always had the idea this was Edward G. Robinson's first film, which it's not. But it certainly was his breakthrough performance. I wouldn't quite class it as a truly great performance, but Robinson sure does strut his stuff.I won't praise any of the supporting actors because they seem very stereotypical, although the writers and director do develop some of the characters to a depth that was not typical in 1931 (particularly in regard to ethnicity).Warner Brothers obviously some money into this film. The sets are quite impressive.The question has come up many times regarding whether or not there are gay overtones to this film. It's subtle. Would I have noticed it without reading about it...perhaps not. But, once I was looking for it, it was obviously there.Better than the average gangster pic? Absolutely. Great acting by Robinson? Well, memorable, at least. It put Robinson on the map, so I'm grateful for that. Recommended for film history buffs and those who like gangster films.

In director Mervyn LeRoy's landmark crime thriller "Little Caesar," actor Edward G. Robinson typecast himself as a snarling, cigar-chomping, tough-guy gangster without a trace of compassion. Reportedly, the eponymous character that he portrayed was based on the real-life crime czar Al Capone. Robinson played variations on his gangster persona in subsequent films like the lightweight "A Slight Case of Murder" and the heavyweight "Key Largo." "Little Caesar" was based on W.R. Burnett's novel. This urban shoot'em up generated quite a bit of controversy when Warner Brothers released it. Some censors claimed the film served as a primer for hoodlums. Now, "Little Caesar" seems tame, even compared with other crime classics such as "The Public Enemy" and "Scarface." Although it was produced before the Production Code Administration acquired teeth to enforce its agenda in Hollywood, "Little Caesar" rarely depicts violence in all its savagery. We see Enrico "Rico" Bandello (Edward G. Robinson) blast innocent bystanders in two scenes. Never do we actually see him pull the trigger. LeRoy edited the action so the violence seems illusionary. In the opening scene, when our protagonist knocks over a gasoline station, he extinguishes the lights, plunging the place into darkness and then a couple of shots erupt. Later, at a night club, a similar incident occurs when Rico blasts Crime Commissioner McClure without realizing who he is shooting. He believes the crime commissioner is reaching to a piece when he blasts him. Nevertheless, all we see is the crime commissioner writhing in agony from Rico's bullets. Even when the violence occurs against Rico, we see no physical manifestation of it. Rico is walking along a city street in broad daylight when a milk wagon cruises past and a fusillade of lead slugs pours out of it and wounds our protagonist. We are never shown the gangsters inside firing the machine gun. The Code expressly forbade scenes of gangsters wielding machine guns because it glamorized the hoods.Basically, "Little Caesar" chronicles the rise and fall of Enrico "Rico" Bandello. Rico and his best friend Joe Massara (Douglas Fairbanks, Jr.) are robbing gas stations in the sticks when Rico decides to clear out for the bright lights of the big city. A newspaper article about Diamond Pete Montana as the guest of honor at an underworld banquet catches Rico's eyes. Secretly, Rico dreams of being like Pete. Rico assures Joe, "I could do all the things that fella does, and more, only I never got my chance. Why, what's there to be afraid of?" Rico and Joe head off to the big city. Rico joins Sam Vettori's mob. Meanwhile, Joe lands a dancing job at the Bronze Peacock gambling club. As it turns out, Rico couldn't have chosen a worst time to join Sam's outfit.. Sam clamors about gun violence and urges his men to exercise self-discipline in the face of provocation. Rico doesn't espouse Sam's ideology. He states, "And when I get in a tight spot, I shoot my way out of it. Why sure. Shoot first and argue afterwords. You know, this game ain't for guys that's soft!" "If anybody turns yellow and squeals, my gun's going to speak its peace." Rico is both fearless but reckless. Rico creates chaos when he guns down Crime Commissioner McClure (Landers Stevens) as the latter appears to be procuring a pistol at the New Years' Eve celebrations at The Bronze Peacock. Not only does Rico kill the commissioner, but he also usurps his boss Sam after the job. Rico has nothing but contempt for Sam. "Sam, you can dish it out, but you're getting so you can't take it no more. You're through." Afterward, Rico's rise is meteoric. Along the way, after he topples Sam and the Big Boy gives him a boost up the ladder. Before long Rico has changes is residence and now it resembles the sumptuous interior of the Big Boy's office. Before long Rico is so big that the opposition tries to rub him out as he strolls down the street. Miraculously, the gunmen riding in a milk wagon try to strafe Rico into stitches with a machine gun.Robinson's performance is superb, and Mervyn LeRoy never allows "Little Caesar" to bog down. Ultimately, "Little Caesar" is a classic.

First National must have spent all of ten bucks on the production. The sets are spare, the "streets" ghostly, while the gloom hangs heavy. Looks like the main expense was the nightclub scene that really comes alive with crowds and lighting. Good thing there's Robinson, otherwise the film would be thoroughly forgettable. As the snarling Rico, he delivers tough guy in spades, while climbing the ladder of criminal success. Actually, the violence totals much less than you might expect. Mostly it's gangsters dropping in on each other to size up the competition.Okay, the biggest reviewer issue seems to be whether Rico is gay or not. Mark me down in the affirmative. As others point out, there're simply too many hints to ignore. Besides it makes his tough guy all the more interesting, especially when he would jeopardize his criminal empire by making the decidedly non-tough Joe (Fairbanks) his "trusted" companion.Anyway, the movie creaks with age, has a ton of sometimes silly dialog, plus too much wooden acting (e.g. Fairbanks), but still showcases a central performance that remains a classic of its kind.

As the first mobster to make a big dent in cinema, Rico "Little Caesar" Bandello deserves respect. But does he make for a great movie? I say no.After a final gas station hold-up, Rico (Edward G. Robinson) and pal Joe Massara (Douglas Fairbanks Jr.) breeze into the big city to score with mob boss Sam Vettori (Stanley Fields) and his crew. Soon Rico is the one running things, but will his itchy trigger finger and habitual line-stepping run him afoul of police Sergeant Flaherty (Thomas E. Jackson)?"The bigger they come, the harder the fall," Rico boasts. "I ain't doin' bad in this business so far."The problem with "Little Caesar" is obvious from the start and more so as the film progresses: Rico is an idiot. He only makes it as far as he does because all the hoods he messes with, like Sam, are even dumber. When he takes over Sam's gang, he just tells Sam he's through and that's that. When he wants to make a statement about running things, he throws a party and invites the papers. When he starts shooting, he zaps the new crime commissioner and then tells everyone to mind not to say nothing about it.Maybe if the film showed this to be dumb behavior, I'd feel a little different. But instead this is suggested as being the typical road to hoodlum hegemony, and highly effective if not for a human foible or two that slip Rico up.Robinson stands out in the flawed proceedings almost as much by default as by his considerable talent. He's great with his rough banter, and his flourishes with his cigar, but he is playing a Snidley Whiplash caricature and it shows.It reminds me of another Romanian-born actor who made his big splash in movies the same year, Bela Lugosi in "Dracula." Both films are atmospheric potboilers focused on a single over-the-top villain. Both are sadly diminished by time with their formulaic conventions, weak supporting cast, and creaky early-sound production.When "Little Caesar" wants to project menace, we see Rico warn people "my gun's gonna speak its piece," only he doesn't really do much with it. Fairbanks is lost as a lamb in a hurricane playing Joe, especially when he hooks up with Glenda Farrell and tries to make his break from Rico, a matter the film pushes into the background until the last 15 minutes. Watching Fairbanks and Farrell have their clinches reminds you of what was so wrong with early talkies: Even in a clinch, the lovers always shouted at each other.Though a Pre-Code film, "Little Caesar" makes strange concessions to regional censors. When someone is shot, director Mervyn LeRoy is careful not to show Rico or anyone else actually pulling the trigger. There's no mention of booze, or vice, or any other illegal activity. Apparently these guys make all their money holding up each other's parties.Critics looking at the film today scrape for matters of interest such as Rico's possible homosexuality, and the matter of how mob activity might be seen as mirroring big business. But in the end, what you get here is a thin story featuring a character who defies gravity and convention without doing very much of anything interesting.Maybe I should be more grateful to "Little Caesar" for paving the way to other, better gangster films of the 1930s. By itself it is a curio more than anything else, testament to one big talent who left a lasting impression but would make his mark on better films to come.