Tagarchief: Edward G. Robinson

Little Caesar (1931)

Posted on by Jeppe Kleijngeld


‘Big boss of racketeerdom. Master of men until he defied a girl in love!’

Directed by:
Mervyn LeRoy

Written by:
W.R. Burnett (novel)
Francis Edward Faragoh (screenplay)
Robert N. Lee (screenplay)

Cast:
Edward G. Robinson (Caesar Enrico ‘Rico’ Bandello), Douglas Fairbanks Jr. (Joe Massara), Glenda Farrell (Olga Stassoff), William Collier Jr. (Tony Passa), Sidney Blackmer (Big Boy), Ralph Ince (Pete Montana), Thomas E. Jackson (Sgt. Flaherty), Stanley Fields (Sam Vettori), Maurice Black (Little Arnie Lorch), George E. Stone (Otero)

Two friends, Joe Massera and Caesar Enrico ‘Rico’ Bandello, head East to work for a gang. Joe’s true dream is to be a dancer, but Rico is driven by ambition. He envies the powerful gangsters they encounter and craves the lifestyle—the women, the clothes, the respect.

During a New Year’s Eve nightclub heist, Rico impulsively shoots and kills the head of the newly formed crime commission. His boss is furious, but Rico quickly convinces the crew that he should take charge. As their leader, however, he brings the full weight of the police down on them.

Meanwhile, Joe falls in love with fellow dancer Olga and longs to leave the gang behind. Rico refuses to let him go. Though Rico proves himself a sharper and bolder leader than his predecessor, his recklessness and raw emotion expose the kind of flaws that would define countless cinematic mobsters to come.

Released just a year after The Doorway to Hell with James Cagney – a film that introduced many of the tropes later cemented in gangster cinema – Little Caesar is often considered the first fully realized entry in the genre. Edward G. Robinson, in his breakout role, is terrific as the hotheaded gangster desperate to show he fears no one.

The film’s ending – Rico’s death behind the billboard that advertises a dance performance by Joe and Olga – is extremely memorable (“Is this the end of Rico?). It has a great final shot, another hallmark of the genre. In those moments, and through Robinson’s commanding performance, Little Caesar reveals why it stands as such a landmark in gangster film history.

Rating:

Quote:
RICO BANDELLO: “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? And when I get in a tight spot, I shoot my way out of it. Why sure. Shoot first and argue afterwards. You know, this game ain’t for guys that’s soft!”

Trivia:
Speculation has it that a federal anti-organized crime law – The Racketeering Influence Corrupt Organization Act, or RICO – got its acronym from Edward G. Robinson’s character.

The Sopranos – 100 Greatest Moments: 60-51

Posted on by Jeppe Kleijngeld

60. Informal Investors

Episode: Mayham (SE6, EP3)
Characters: Christopher, Little Carmine, J.T. Dolan, Silvio, Larry Barese, Benny Fazio, Patsy, Vito and Murmur

Screenwriter J.T. Dolan is summoned to the Bing by Christopher to do a pitch on a new kind of slasher film. Present are potential investors, all wiseguys and the film’s creative team Christopher and Little Carmine Lupertazzi. The dialogues in this scene are quite hilarious. Especially funny is how scared Dolan is of the mobsters present. Silvio shows his knowledge of the entertainment business. “How is that a slasher movie? Michael Myers is an escaped mental patient. Jason and Freddy, different kind of movie.”

59. Making of a Legend

Episode: Amour Fou (SE3, EP12)
Characters: Ralphie, Jackie Jr. and Dino Zerilli

The Sopranos is so rich, so detailed. Every character has a whole history. The scene in which Ralph tells a legendary tale about the old days makes Tony even more larger than life than he already was at this point. After hearing the story of how Tony and Jackie Aprile, Sr. got on the fast track to getting made after robbing Feech La Manna’s card game, Jackie Jr. and Dino Zerilli get their stupid idea of pulling a similar stunt. And why didn’t Ralphie go along with the robbery? “Please, I’m still sick of it. I caught the clap from some hippie broad I was fucking. My dick was dripping like a busted pipe.” Whahahaha!!!

58. Playing the Part

Episode: Stage 5 (SE6, EP14)
Characters: Tony, Christopher, Carmela, Kelly Moltisanti, A.J., Bobby Jr. & Sophia Baccalieri, Paulie, Silvio, Gabriella Dante, Rosalie Aprile, Bobby, Janice, Joanne Moltisanti, Nica and priest

The tension between Tony and Christopher is tangible when they embrace at the baptism of Chris’ daughter Caitlin, for whom Tony becomes godfather. In therapy earlier, Tony said he thinks Chris hates him and wants to kill him. Judging by the look in Chris’ eyes, he seems to be 100% right! Great scene over which the song/poem ‘Evidently Chickentown’ by John Cooper Clarke is heard.

57. Reconciliation

Episode: Long Term Parking (SE5, EP12)
Characters: Tony and Carmela

Tony and Carmela get back together after almost a season of separation. The price tag: 600.000 dollars. Carmela will use this cash to build a spec house. Tony also promises that his mid life crisis will no longer intrude on Carmela’s life and the deal is sealed.

56. Making his Bones

Episode: Pilot (SE1, EP1)
Characters: Christopher and Emil Kolar

A wiseguy’s first hit is always a big deal in the Mafia. This is Christopher’s first; he wets Emil Kolar to hang on to a few garbage stops. His inexperience is noticeable, but so is his talent; he doesn’t hesitate for a second and whacks the Kolar kid GoodFellas-style. He shoots him in the back of his head and then shoots at his dead body as though he’s Joe Pesci. The location of the hit is a pork store which gives it something sinister. The shooting is intertwined with pictures of gangster cinema icons like Humphrey Bogart, Dean Martin and Edward G. Robinson. Since Christopher is a Hollywood inspired gangster, this makes this scene absolutely perfect. Also notice the meat cleaver on which Kolar snorts coke. Inspiration for Christopher’s gangster/horror movie ‘Cleaver’ later on?

55. Finn’s Testimony

Episode: Live Free or Die (SE6, EP6)
Characters: Tony, Christopher, Paulie, Silvio, Patsy, Carlo, Bobby, Dante ‘Buddha’ Greco and Finn De Trolio

Finn’s testimony for witnessing Vito greasing a security guard’s weasel is a hilarious moment. Imagine having to come into a butcher shop to tell this story to a bunch of wiseguys. The responses are priceless, especially when Finn says; “It was the other way around. Vito was blowing the security guard.” Carlo: “Pitching, not catching.” Oh boy…

54. Out of the Closet

Episode: Cold Stones (SE6, EP11)
Characters: Phil, Vito, Gerry Torciano and Dominic ‘Fat Dom’ Gamiello

Vito meets his demise at the hands of Phil Leotardo. He should have stayed away, but couldn’t handle a lifestyle that didn’t include the thrills of the mob. When Phil steps out of the closet, it is like an image straight out of a horror movie. Four alternative versions of Vito’s death were reportedly shot. But they rightly chose this one, the most unpleasant one. It is an ugly moment.

53. Bad Draw

Episode: Amour Fou (SE3, EP12)
Characters: Jackie Jr., Carlo Renzi, Dino Zerilli, Eugene Pontecorvo, Furio, Christopher, Sunshine, Matush Gia and Ally Boy Barese

Every time a couple of young guys try to get higher up in the Mafia, a disaster happens. This card game robbery by Jackie Jr. is perhaps even worse than Matt Bevilaqua and Sean Gismonte’s attempt in Season 2. Jackie should have listened to his doubts rather than his friend Dino who says; “let’s do it before the crank wears off.” Oh, and remember never to hire Matush as your getaway driver.

52. Digging in the Past

Episode: Cold Cuts (SE5, EP10)
Characters: Christopher and Tony Blundetto

“My first. Czechoslovakian guy.” Christopher and Tony Blundetto are digging up corpses. It feels Shakespearian and that is because the scene in which Christopher holds the skull is a reference to the famous Yorick scene in Hamlet. The mood is very sinister, especially when Christopher is crushing the skull into tiny bits. Their complete lack of normal human emotions is mind boggling.

51. The Mix Up

Episode: Members Only (SE6, EP1)
Characters: Tony and Uncle Junior

The increasingly demented Junior confuses Tony for his former enemy Little Pussy Malanga and shoots him at the end of ‘Members Only’. Tony barely manages to dial 911 and then passes out. A true cliffhanger as they are rarely seen in The Sopranos. Great!!

The Public Enemy

Posted on by Jeppe Kleijngeld


All his life he took what he wanted…Why not women?

Directed by:
William A. Wellman

Written by:
Kubec Glasmon
John Bright
Harvey F. Thew

Cast:
James Cagney (Tom Powers), Jean Harlow (Gwen Allen), Edward Woods (Matt Doyle), Joan Blondell (Mamie), Donald Cook (Mike Powers), Leslie Fenton (Nails Nathan), Beryl Mercer (Ma Powers), Robert O’Connor (Paddy Ryan), Murray Kinnell (Putty Nose)

William A. Wellman’s The Public Enemy stands as one of the defining works of early gangster cinema. Released in 1931 – the same year as Little Caesar starring Edward G. Robinson – it helped kick off a gritty, hard-hitting genre that would become a Hollywood staple.

The film opens in industrial America circa 1909, where barrels of bootleg booze roll through the streets and petty crime leads to organized underworld dealings. At the heart of the story are two Irish-American youths who drift into gang life. One of them is Tom Powers, a volatile and ambitious thug played by the electric James Cagney in a star-making performance.

Cagney’s Tom Powers isn’t just another gangster – he’s a smoldering embodiment of the American outlaw spirit, tough, unpredictable, and ultimately doomed. And while the film famously features Cagney’s brutal shooting of a horse (what is it with gangsters and horses?), it’s the iconic grapefruit scene – where he smashes a half grapefruit into Mae Clarke’s face – that has become the movie’s enduring image.

Though Edward G. Robinson’s Little Caesar beat The Public Enemy to theaters by a few months, Wellman’s film surpasses it in terms of visual style and production value. Beautifully shot with a sharp eye for period detail, the direction gives the film a sense of realism and cinematic flair that feels advanced for its time. Interestingly, the film’s lead role was originally assigned to Edward Woods, with Cagney cast as his sidekick. But during rehearsals, Wellman recognized Cagney’s screen presence and wisely switched the roles. The result is one of the most memorable debuts in film history; Cagney utterly commands the screen.

The story charts Tom Powers’ rise through the criminal ranks during Prohibition, chronicling his growing influence and inevitable downfall. Like many gangster films of the era, such as Scarface (1932), The Public Enemy operates as a cautionary tale. While it thrills with its violence and bravado, it ultimately condemns the gangster lifestyle. As Powers’ actions begin to take a toll on those around him, the film steers toward its grim, uncompromising conclusion. Cagney’s final line – “I ain’t so tough” – rings with bitter irony.

The Public Enemy marked the beginning of two major cinematic milestones: the emergence of James Cagney as a major star and the ascendance of the gangster film as a serious Hollywood genre. Nearly a century later, it remains a landmark of American cinema: stylish, shocking, and still relevant.

Rating:

Quote:
PADDY RYAN: “As far as I’m concerned there’s only two kinds of people: Right and wrong. Now, I think you’re right. You’ll find that I am, unless you cross me.”

Trivia:
The scene where Tom shoots the horse that threw and killed Sam ‘Nails’ Nathan in a riding accident was based on an actual incident. In 1924, Sam ‘Nails’ Morton, a member of Dion O’Banion’s gang, was thrown from his horse and killed while riding in Chicago’s Lincoln Park. Other members of the gang, led by Louis ‘Two Gun’ Alteri, kidnapped the horse, took it to the spot where the accident occurred, and shot it dead. Source: Carl Sifakis, ‘Encyclopedia Of American Crime.’