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Little Caesar (1931)
Rate:
2
Viewed:
10/08
10/08:
Let's get one thing out of the way: Little Caesar, not Scarface with Paul Muni, is the original that
started the gangster genre.
It also put Edward G. Robinson on the map as his career took off, becoming one of the best actors during the 30's and 40's.
After hearing his character's name Rico so many times, I wondered if it was a labeling influence for a special act that
finally put gangsters away for life.
Anyway, Little Caesar is a slow and boring movie. There's not much of development in every scene as everybody
smokes cigars, drinks liquor, and chatters away. On the other hand, the performances are average.
Edward G. Robinson has been better in other films. Douglas Fairbanks, Jr., is terrible. I don't like the dialogue. It's like
trying to build a house without nails. In other words, the plot rarely advances. The truth is that Mervyn LeRoy had never been a
good director. I Am a Fugitive from a Chain Gang is the only exception of his career, and that's because Paul Muni
gave an outstanding performance.
All in all, Little Caesar is outdated today as compared to other gangster pictures of the time.