Caesar Enrico Bandello, better known as Rico, was a product of America's slums of the first part of the twentieth century. A lot of youths went to make names for themselves in crime. Existing conditions made the basically new generations of Americans of the immigrant class go into the areas their hard working parents would not have dreamed of. In part, being connected gave these aimless individuals a role in life and a style they could never achieve doing what their parents did.
Rico, a man without scruples, and his good friend, Joe Massara, begin as small time hoodlums. Rico, joins the gang of a man involved in extortion. "Little Caesar" as he is known, decides to prove he can do what is expected of him by showing he is not afraid to deliver. His good friend Joe, takes a different path when he is hired to perform with the beautiful Olga, a night club act. When Rico kills Alvin McClure, a police commissioner, during a New Year's Eve celebration, he makes a name for himself, but he also attracts the attention of Flaherty, who is determined to get him.
Rico sees opportunities in which to get Sam Vettori out of the way to become the most powerful man. His bold approach gains him the notoriety he was looking for with the unexpected amounts of money his criminal activities gave him. Unfortunately, like with other men involved in this type of life, his luck begins turning as the police closes on him. Joe, on the other hand, goes in the opposite direction from his friend. Rico's empire comes crashing down and has to pay dearly for his sins.
Mervyn Leroy, the director of "Little Caesar", was responsible for creating a genre that started it all. Working on the adaptation of novel by W.R. Burnett, he gave the American public a portrait of the way the criminal element behaved. The way he conceived the Rico character comes clearly in the film. This man had no redeeming qualities. He was ruthless and egotistical. Power was Rico's drug of choice.
The casting of Edward G. Robinson as Rico was crucial for the success of the film. Mr. Robinson, who made a career playing a lot of the strong men on the other side of the law gave the performance of his lifetime for the director. The sequence where Rico realizes all is lost, and the close up of face registering what his life has turned out to be, has to be one of the best examples of acting in a motion picture.
Douglas Fairbanks Jr. has nothing to do. His character is too bland, perhaps to make Rico a stronger man. Glenda Farrell's Olga is only seen briefly. The other supporting members of the cast, notably, William Collier, Sidney Blackmer, Thomas Jackson, and the rest, contribute to our enjoyment in watching the film.
Mervyn Leroy and Edward G. Robinson made a great contribution in a film that stands as a rare achievement in movie history.
Rico, a man without scruples, and his good friend, Joe Massara, begin as small time hoodlums. Rico, joins the gang of a man involved in extortion. "Little Caesar" as he is known, decides to prove he can do what is expected of him by showing he is not afraid to deliver. His good friend Joe, takes a different path when he is hired to perform with the beautiful Olga, a night club act. When Rico kills Alvin McClure, a police commissioner, during a New Year's Eve celebration, he makes a name for himself, but he also attracts the attention of Flaherty, who is determined to get him.
Rico sees opportunities in which to get Sam Vettori out of the way to become the most powerful man. His bold approach gains him the notoriety he was looking for with the unexpected amounts of money his criminal activities gave him. Unfortunately, like with other men involved in this type of life, his luck begins turning as the police closes on him. Joe, on the other hand, goes in the opposite direction from his friend. Rico's empire comes crashing down and has to pay dearly for his sins.
Mervyn Leroy, the director of "Little Caesar", was responsible for creating a genre that started it all. Working on the adaptation of novel by W.R. Burnett, he gave the American public a portrait of the way the criminal element behaved. The way he conceived the Rico character comes clearly in the film. This man had no redeeming qualities. He was ruthless and egotistical. Power was Rico's drug of choice.
The casting of Edward G. Robinson as Rico was crucial for the success of the film. Mr. Robinson, who made a career playing a lot of the strong men on the other side of the law gave the performance of his lifetime for the director. The sequence where Rico realizes all is lost, and the close up of face registering what his life has turned out to be, has to be one of the best examples of acting in a motion picture.
Douglas Fairbanks Jr. has nothing to do. His character is too bland, perhaps to make Rico a stronger man. Glenda Farrell's Olga is only seen briefly. The other supporting members of the cast, notably, William Collier, Sidney Blackmer, Thomas Jackson, and the rest, contribute to our enjoyment in watching the film.
Mervyn Leroy and Edward G. Robinson made a great contribution in a film that stands as a rare achievement in movie history.