Little Caesar (1931)

Release date: 1931-01-25
Country: USA
Language: English
Director: Mervyn LeRoy
Production Co: First National Pictures
Genre: Action, Crime, Drama, Romance
Rating: 7.3/10
Length: 1h 19min

Storyline

Rico is a small-time hood who knocks off gas stations for whatever he can take. He heads east and signs up with Sam Vettori's mob. A New Year's Eve robbery at Little Arnie Lorch's casino results in the death of the new crime commissioner Alvin McClure. Rico's good friend Joe Massara, who works at the club as a professional dancer, works as the gang's lookout man and wants out of the gang. Rico is ambitious and eventually takes over Vettori's gang; he then moves up to the next echelon pushing out Diamond Pete Montana. When he orders Joe to dump his girlfriend Olga and re-join the gang, Olga decides there's only one way out for them.

Plot Keywords

gangster, chicago illinois, organized crime, 1930s, title spoken by character, rise and fall, nickname, drive by shooting, new year's eve, crime boss, murder, villain played by lead actor, hideout, shot to death, tommy gun, character name as title, assassination attempt, police shootout, male female relationship, shootout

Short Review

Ed. G. Robinson gives an excellent character study of the scheming Rico, and an effective cast also includes Douglas Fairbanks, Jun., Stanley Fields, Ralph Ince, Glenda Faxrell, and Sidney Blackmer.