IMDb >
Little Caesar (1931)
Watch It
Buy it at Amazon
Rent it at Blockbuster.com
Discuss in Boards More at IMDb Pro Add to My Movies Update Data
BETA
Discuss in Boards More at IMDb Pro Add to My Movies Update Data
Quicklinks
Top Links
trailers and videosfull cast and crewtriviaofficial sitesmemorable quotesOverview
main detailscombined detailsfull cast and crewcompany creditstv scheduleAwards & Reviews
user commentsexternal reviewsnewsgroup reviewsawardsuser ratingsparents guiderecommendationsmessage boardPlot & Quotes
plot summarysynopsisplot keywordsAmazon.com summarymemorable quotesFun Stuff
triviagoofssoundtrack listingcrazy creditsalternate versionsmovie connectionsFAQOther Info
merchandising linksbox office/businessrelease datesfilming locationstechnical specslaserdisc detailsDVD detailsliterature listingsNewsDeskPromotional
taglines trailers and videos posters photo galleryExternal Links
showtimesofficial sitesmiscellaneousphotographssound clipsvideo clipsLittle Caesar (1931) More at IMDbPro »
| Photos (see all 11 | slideshow) |
Overview
User Rating:
Release Date:
28 August 1931 (France) morePlot:
The ambitious criminal Rico (Edward G. Robinson) moves from the country to the big city in the east... more | add synopsisAwards:
Nominated for Oscar. Another 1 win moreNewsDesk:
(4 articles)
AFI's 100 Years ...100 Movie Quotes (From Extra. 4 November 2009, 4:45 AM, PST)
A Gangster's Demise: Jarrett vs. Rico vs. Dillinger
(From Rope Of Silicon. 3 July 2009, 4:53 PM, PDT)
User Comments:
Still holds up very well more (58 total)Cast
(Complete credited cast)| Edward G. Robinson | ... | Little Caesar / 'Rico' | |
| 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 | ... | Sergeant Flaherty (as Thomas Jackson) | |
| Stanley Fields | ... | Sam Vettori | |
| Maurice Black | ... | Little Arnie Lorch | |
| George E. Stone | ... | Otero | |
| Armand Kaliz | ... | De Voss | |
| Nicholas Bela | ... | Ritz Colonna (as Nick Bela) |
Additional Details
Parents Guide:
Add content advisory for parentsRuntime:
79 minCountry:
USALanguage:
EnglishColor:
Black and WhiteAspect Ratio:
1.37 : 1 moreSound Mix:
Vitaphone (Western Electric Sound System)Certification:
Canada:PG (video rating) | Sweden:15 (cut) (1976) | Australia:PG | Sweden:(Banned) | Germany:12Fun Stuff
Trivia:
It is unknown when this movie actually premiered. The AFI states 1930 while other sources say it was 1931. moreGoofs:
Continuity: In the diner scene, Rico jumps from reading the newspaper to eating his spaghetti between shots. moreQuotes:
Sgt. Tom Flaherty: So somebody finally put one in you.Caesar Enrico Bandello: Yeah, but they just grazed me though.
Sgt. Tom Flaherty: The old man will be glad to hear it. He takes such an interest in you.
Caesar Enrico Bandello: You tell him the cops couldn't get me no other way, so they hired a couple of gunmen.
Sgt. Tom Flaherty: If I wasn't on the force I'd have done the job cheap.
Caesar Enrico Bandello: Did you ever stop to think what you'd look like with a lily in your hand?
Sgt. Tom Flaherty: No, I never did.
more
FAQ
This FAQ is empty. Add the first question.more (58 total)
Message Boards
Discuss this movie with other users on IMDb message board for Little Caesar (1931) moreRecommendations
If you enjoyed this title, our database also recommends:
Show more recommendations
|
|
|
|
|
| Miller's Crossing | Black Caesar | Scarface | Scarface | Underworld U.S.A. |
|
IMDb User Rating:
|
IMDb User Rating:
|
IMDb User Rating:
|
IMDb User Rating:
|
IMDb User Rating:
|
Related Links
| Full cast and crew | Company credits | External reviews |
| News articles | IMDb Crime section | IMDb USA section |
| Add this title to MyMovies |










Seminal gangster film about the rise and fall of Enrico Bandello, a Chicago hoodlum, based on the novel by W.R. Burnett. The prototype for Enrico was, like so many other gangster heroes, mobster Al Capone. If you know a little bit about his life story, you got your basic gangster plot for practically all films that followed, like Tony Camonte in SCARFACE.
This film was the first of "the big three", together with PUBLIC ENEMY (1931) and SCARFACE: SHAME OF THE NATION (1932) and provided the blueprint for the modern gangster crime flic. It was the first gangster film to reach a wide audience and launched Edward G. Robinson to stardom. The story is simple and straightforward and might feel a little overly familiar to modern audiences, but the film lost little of its power and still holds up pretty well. It's a tough movie, but mostly tough talking with not much violence on screen.
But the film would probably be instantly forgettable without Robinson's superb performance. Whenever he's on screen, his presence is incredibly menacing. The rest of the cast is so so, but Thomas Jackson as Flaherty, Rico's nemesis, gives a wonderfully cynical performance, mocking Rico and all the other gangsters. Like most other early gangster films, it lacks the real emotional depth and complexity that came with later films, like the French gangster films of the fifties or THE GODFATHER and was made primarily as popular entertainment. Pleasant entertainment nevertheless with Edward G. Robinson portraying the first classic gangster role in screen history.
Camera Obscura --- 8/10