Little Caesar (1931)

Little Caesar (1931) – Rico (Robinson), small town hood, moves to the city and rises quickly through the ranks.  His natural viciousness sweeps all his competition to the side.  Killing the wrong man will eventually bring “Little Caesar” down.

Directed by: Mervyn LeRoy                               Starring: Edward G. Robinson, Douglas Fairbanks, Jr.

This is a break through movie on a variety of levels.  It is the movie that made Robinson a star.  He had a total of 9 movie appearances (only three “talkies”) before making this one.  His work on stage included a tough, snarling character that would serve him well through his career.

This is also one of the movies that launched the glory days of the mobster movie.  Controversial then and now, they tend to glorify the violent criminal behavior of the lead characters.  The 1930’s saw a run of them following the success of “Little Caesar”.  This is also probably the first movie to feature a drive by shooting.  All the mobsters that came after walk in the footsteps of Rico.

Modern viewers will have to throw a switch in their heads to watch it.  The tempo of the movie is leisurely by modern standards and the acting style is very different than today.  Visually the movies were very “stagy” in presentation.  Because cameras were hard to move quickly or smoothly, scenes tended to be more static.  Filmed just three years after the first feature length talking movie, there is still a lot of silent movie technique here, including the use of narrative “cards”.

In the end, this is a movie that every movie fan should see.

Why I Liked It : Edward G. Robinson is the beginning, middle and end of this movie.  Everyone else slides to the background when he’s onscreen.  When he’s not on screen the movie drags.

Why You Will Like It : See above.  Robinson snarls, struts and shows why he was about to become a star.  It ends with one of the great final lines too.

Rating – **** Recommended