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The Brotherhood

  • 19681968
  • PG-13PG-13
  • 1h 36m
IMDb RATING
6.1/10
1.1K
YOUR RATING
Kirk Douglas in The Brotherhood (1968)
CrimeDrama
The son of a powerful Mafia don comes home from his army service in Vietnam and wants to lead his own life, but family tradition, intrigues and powerplays involving his older brother dictate... Read allThe son of a powerful Mafia don comes home from his army service in Vietnam and wants to lead his own life, but family tradition, intrigues and powerplays involving his older brother dictate otherwise, and he finds himself being slowly drawn back into that world.The son of a powerful Mafia don comes home from his army service in Vietnam and wants to lead his own life, but family tradition, intrigues and powerplays involving his older brother dictate otherwise, and he finds himself being slowly drawn back into that world.
IMDb RATING
6.1/10
1.1K
YOUR RATING
  • Director
    • Martin Ritt
  • Writer
    • Lewis John Carlino
  • Stars
    • Kirk Douglas
    • Alex Cord
    • Irene Papas
  • Director
    • Martin Ritt
  • Writer
    • Lewis John Carlino
  • Stars
    • Kirk Douglas
    • Alex Cord
    • Irene Papas
  • See production, box office & company info
    • 17User reviews
    • 28Critic reviews
  • See production, box office & company info
  • See more at IMDbPro
    • Awards
      • 1 nomination

    Photos22

    Kirk Douglas and Alex Cord in The Brotherhood (1968)
    Kirk Douglas and Alex Cord in The Brotherhood (1968)
    The Brotherhood (1968)
    Kirk Douglas and Alex Cord in The Brotherhood (1968)
    Kirk Douglas, Alex Cord, and Connie Scott in The Brotherhood (1968)
    Kirk Douglas and Luther Adler in The Brotherhood (1968)
    Kirk Douglas in The Brotherhood (1968)
    Kirk Douglas and Luther Adler in The Brotherhood (1968)
    Kirk Douglas, Susan Strasberg, Alex Cord, and Irene Papas in The Brotherhood (1968)
    Kirk Douglas and Irene Papas in The Brotherhood (1968)
    Alex Cord in The Brotherhood (1968)
    Kirk Douglas in The Brotherhood (1968)

    Top cast

    Edit
    Kirk Douglas
    Kirk Douglas
    • Frank Ginetta
    Alex Cord
    Alex Cord
    • Vince Ginetta
    Irene Papas
    Irene Papas
    • Ida Ginetta
    Luther Adler
    Luther Adler
    • Dominick Bertolo
    Susan Strasberg
    Susan Strasberg
    • Emma Ginetta
    Murray Hamilton
    Murray Hamilton
    • Jim Egan
    Eduardo Ciannelli
    Eduardo Ciannelli
    • Don Peppino
    Joe De Santis
    Joe De Santis
    • Pietro Rizzi
    • (as Joe DeSantis)
    Connie Scott
    Connie Scott
    • Carmela Ginetta
    Val Avery
    Val Avery
    • Jake Rotherman
    Val Bisoglio
    Val Bisoglio
    • Cheech
    Alan Hewitt
    Alan Hewitt
    • Sol Levin
    Barry Primus
    Barry Primus
    • Vido
    Michele Cimarosa
    • Toto
    Louis Badolati
    • Don Turridu
    Hal Holbrook
    Hal Holbrook
    • Man at table
    • (uncredited)
    Anthony Marciona
    Anthony Marciona
    • Antonio
    • (uncredited)
    Gloria Matthews
    • Wedding Guest
    • (uncredited)
    • Director
      • Martin Ritt
    • Writer
      • Lewis John Carlino
    • All cast & crew
    • Production, box office & more at IMDbPro

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    Storyline

    Edit

    Did you know

    Edit
    • Trivia
      When this film came out, it did not do very well at the box office. As a result, studios were reluctant to do more organized crime stories. The failure of this film almost convinced Paramount not to make The Godfather (1972).
    • Connections
      Edited into Lo schermo a tre punte (1995)

    User reviews17

    Review
    Review
    Featured review
    7/10
    Superior precursor to The Godfather
    Of all the actors who were hurt, angry, and resentful that they weren't cast as Don Corleone in The Godfather, I feel particularly sorry for Kirk Douglas. Unlike Anthony Quinn, Lee J. Cobb, and all the others, Kirk had acted in a precursor to The Godfather with an incredibly similar plot. It's a Sicilian family business with double-crosses, takeovers, and blood loyalty at the forefront. Violent, dramatic, and menacing, there's no reason why The Brotherhood was a bomb and The Godfather was a hit. Even more tragic, The Brotherhood was such a bomb, Hollywood said, "I guess mafia movies are out," and purposely didn't make another one for four years. It must have been a very eventful four years for audiences to suddenly change their minds.

    Kirk Douglas is, obviously, the head of the family. His younger brother, Alex Cord, is just getting out of the service and returning to the family, but he doesn't fall in line with Kirk's plans. He does at first, but when he finds out through hearsay that Kirk was responsible for a family member's murder, his mindset changes. And if you're Sicilian, we all know you have a hard time with forgiveness.

    In this movie, you'll see a big, Italian wedding. You'll see lots of family meetings discussing whose loyalties have shifted, who needs to be cut out, and who can get elevated in power. There's the classic "kiss of death" that everyone incorrectly thinks Al Pacino invented, two feuding brothers, and a powerful patriarch who does favors and expects more than just loyalty in return. Besides excessive blood, animal cruelty, and sex scenes, what did The Godfather have that this movie didn't have first?
    helpful•0
    3
    • HotToastyRag
    • Jul 10, 2022

    Details

    Edit
    • Release date
      • January 31, 1969 (France)
    • Country of origin
      • United States
    • Languages
      • English
      • Italian
    • Also known as
      • The Hoods
    • Filming locations
      • Filmways Studios - 246 East 127th Street, East Harlem, Manhattan, New York City, New York, USA(Studio)
    • Production company
      • Brotherhood Company
    • See more company credits at IMDbPro

    Technical specs

    Edit
    • Runtime
      1 hour 36 minutes
    • Color
      • Color
    • Sound mix
      • Mono
    • Aspect ratio
      • 1.85 : 1

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