Little Caesar set the tone for the gangster movie genre in the early 1930's. In this film Edward G. Robinson is cast as Rico Bandello, murderous egomaniac and small-time hoodlum who rises to the top of the crime world. As the story opens, Rico and his friend Joe Massera (Douglas Fairbanks, Jr.) hold up a gas station and Rico cold-bloodedly shoots the clerk. This is only a beginning for Rico, who has big dreams for a career in crime. Rico and Joe soon arrive in a large city and begin work as underlings for Pete Montana, big-city crime boss. Rico quickly earns a reputation for a boastful manner and is quick to use his gun to back up what he says. For this, he is nicknamed "Little Caesar".

Although still involved with Rico, Joe does not totally share Rico's criminal ambitions and obtains a job as a nightclub dancer. There he meets Olga (Glenda Farrell) and falls in love. Olga tries to convince Joe to give up his association with Rico but the soft-hearted Joe is reluctant because of their longtime friendship. Even though he has told Rico that he wants to get out of crime, he is persuaded to help Rico's gang rob the club where he works. Even after that, Rico is still jealous and ridicules Joe for his love for Olga. Doubting Joe's loyalty and urged on by other gang members, Rico eventually plans to kill Joe but is unable to do so, for the first time showing any kind of sentiment in the film.

Rico's plan had always been to become the most powerful man in the underworld and he has no problems murdering his way to the top. Rico advances by eliminating his superiors one by one. However, when he reaches the top, those city officials who really control the gang find him expendable, mainly because of his murderous tactics and the public outcry that follows. Rico is also plagued by the dogged policeman Sergeant Flaherty, who vowed to put Rico away early in his career.

In a shootout, most of Rico's gang is killed by police, while the rest are murdered by Rico. He escapes police and goes into hiding. When his money runs out, he has nowhere to turn and is reduced to living as a tramp, returning once again to the gutter. Police try in vain to capture Rico. However, the police know that Rico's only real weakness is his huge ego, which they use to trap him. They plant an item in a newspaper suggesting that Rico is a coward. Rico reads the article and, infuriated, telephones the police. The police wait trace Rico's call. They locate and surround Rico but, predictably, he refuses to turn himself in. The story ends as he is shot to death in a hail of police gunfire, fulfilling the movie's earlier prophesy.

This is a powerful and violent movie with a brilliant performance by Edward G. Robinson. It also has a great many stereotypical characters--the Irish policeman, the criminal who wants to go straight, etc. Most of these characters, however, are forgettable. It is on the character of Rico that the story revolves. Rico is shown as a cruel, murderous psychopath whose only desire is complete control of every person and situation he meets. Rico has no female love interest, as in The Public Enemy, and no friends other than Joe. But, even Joe is, at one point, a target for Rico's murderous wrath. Rico is not shown to have any positive attributes. No details of Rico's family life are shown, making him an even more unsympathetic character by allowing the audience no excuses for his amorality. He is seen as a totally evil character who revels in his ability to ruthlessly dominate his surroundings and obtain the power he craves.

Just as The Public Enemy, Little Caesar was intended as a public service warning to get across a "crime does not pay" message. In the opening moments, the quote "For all those who take up the sword shall perish with the sword." flashes on the screen, setting the stage for the story. Edward G. Robinson set a standard for the gangster characters in all such movies to follow.

Released in 1930, Little Caesar was based on a novel by W. R. Burnett and produced by Hal B. Wallis. It received an Oscar nomination for Best Screenplay but was unsuccessful. Edward G. Robinson went on to play many other gangsters, somewhat typecasting himself. However, Robinson had a wide-ranging talent and played many different types of roles, although he is still best-remembered for his fast-talking, violent gangster portrayals.

I recommend this film for anyone who is a classic movie fan or interested in comparing the earlier gangster films with more recent crime movies such as Scarface or The Godfather.


Recommended:
Yes

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