The Brothers Rico (1957)

A retired mob accountant is drawn back in when his brothers, who have recently made a hit for the organization, decide to go to the authorities.

Director:

Phil Karlson

Writers:

Georges Simenon (story), Lewis Meltzer (screenplay),

Stars:

Richard Conte, Dianne Foster, Kathryn Grant

Cast

Complete credited cast:
Richard Conte	...	Eddie Rico
Dianne Foster	...	Alice Rico
Kathryn Grant	...	Norah Malaks Rico
Larry Gates	...	Sid Kubik
James Darren	...	Johnny Rico
Argentina Brunetti	...	Mrs. Rico
Lamont Johnson	...	Peter Malaks
Harry Bellaver	...	Mike Lamotta
Paul Picerni	...	Gino Rico
Paul Dubov	...	Phil
Rudy Bond	...	Charlie Gonzales
Richard Bakalyan	...	Vic Tucci
William Phipps	...	Joe Wesson

Storyline

Eddie Rico has been the book-keeper of an important Mafia boss but now he is an honest merchant and lives with his family in Florida. Everything changes when the police starts to search for his brothers. Now Eddie sees himself forced to get in touch with the Mafia again.

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Plot Keywords:

accountant | double cross | syndicate | speaking italian | bathroom | 

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Taglines:

Three hunted men and their desperate women...

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Genres:

Crime | Film-Noir | Drama

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Certificate:

Approved

Details

Country:

USA

Language:

English Italian

Release Date:

September 1957 (USA)

Also Known As:

Hyänen der Straße

Filming Locations:

Miami, Florida, USA

Company Credits

Production Co:

William Goetz Productions

Technical Specs

Runtime:

92 min

Sound Mix:

Mono (Westrex Recording System)

Color:

Black and White

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

Mimi Aguglia, who plays Argentina Brunetti's mother in the film, was her real life mother too.

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Quotes

Eddie Rico: [to Johnny] Now don't be a dumb kid all your life!
Norah Malaks Rico: Why dumb? Because he's too smart to listen to you?

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Connections

Remade as The Family Rico (1972)

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Soundtracks

"Let's Fall in Love"
(uncredited)
Written by Harold Arlen and Ted Koehler (1933)
Sung and hummed by Richard Conte in bathroom while shaving

User Reviews

Mob going corporate is subject of crime flick from Karlson, Conte

It's a long way from the Little Caesars, Public Enemies and Scarfaces of the earliest sound movies to the Godfathers, Goodfellas and Scarfaces Miami-style of more recent decades. Along the way, there were intermediate stages, and director Phil Karlson (99 River Street, Kansas City Confidential) tries his hand at one -- oddly enough, working from material by venerable French pulp-writer Georges Simenon. Richard Conte runs a commercial laundry and, with his new wife, is trying to adopt a child; after a tarnished youth, he's gone straight. The younger males in his family, it so happens, have not, and a syndicate kingpin sends Conte off to smoke out his youngest brother, in hiding, supposedly to save his life; the young squirt is played by 50s recording heart-throb Bobby Darrin. But Conte is just being used as bait.... The Brothers Rico introduces us to an all-American, corporate, impersonal view of organized crime, ranging from New York's Mulberry Street to palm-fanned Florida to the mobbed-up sunbelt of Phoenix -- and to a world where the terms "family" has lost all of its many meanings. Only the bottom line now counts.