What do you think she meant when she said “a huge black monster with giant claws”?
Of the three archetypal gangster films of the early 1930s, Little Caesar might be the least. Scarface is an opera of sex and violence, The Public Enemy is hard-bitten and shocking. In Little Caesar though, we never learn what Rico’s racket really is. Is he just muscle?
Another flaw in the film is the potato-faced Glenda Farrell. She seems to serve no purpose other than as a nag, pushing her boyfriend Joe to compromise his safety for the sake of what is “right.” In comparison with the smoldering Ann Dvorak of Scarface… well… there is no comparison.
These flaws don’t detract too much from the power of the film, though. Edward G. Robinson’s characterization of Rico as a tacky, flashy hoodlum set the standard for all portrayals of petty gangsters to come and the movie fairly crackles with energy thanks to the fluid direction of Mervyn LeRoy.
by Matt Bailey | Source: Warner Bros. DVD
11 Feb 2005 11:23 PM | Submit Comment