The Brothers Rico

1957

1h 32m

IMDb RATING

6.2/10

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Crime

Eddie Rico, the erstwhile bookkeeper for a big Mafia boss, is now making a living as an honest merchant in Florida with his family. Things go sour when the police start a search for his syndicate-linked brothers who are on the lam after a big hit, forcing Eddie to get involved with the Mafia again.

Directors

Phil Karlson

Writers

Lewis Meltzer(screenplay by)

Ben Perry(screenplay by)

Dalton Trumbo(screenplay by)

Stars

Richard Conte

Dianne Foster

Kathryn Grant

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Videos1

Trailer
Watch The Brothers Rico (1957) Original Trailer [FHD]

Photos19

Top cast

Eddie Rico

Alice Rico

Norah Malaks Rico

Sid Kubik

Johnny Rico

Mrs. Rico

Peter Malaks

Mike Lamotta

Gino Rico

Phil

Charlie Gonzales

Vic Tucci

Joe Wesson

Directors

Writers

Lewis Meltzer(screenplay by)

Ben Perry(screenplay by)

Dalton Trumbo(screenplay by)

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User reviews1

Review

Featured review

6/10

But Eddie you got even bigger troubles. You going to live. The Brothers Rico is directed by Phil Karlson and adapted to screenplay by Lewis Meltzer, Ben Perry and Dalton Trumbo from a story written by Georges Simenon. It stars Richard Conte, Dianne Foster, Kathryn Crosby, Larry Gates and James Darren. Music is scored by George Duning and cinematography by Burnett Guffey. Retired from the mob and happy in his new found family life, Eddie Rico (Conte) is pulled back into the underworld when word comes that his two brothers, who are still working for the syndicate, are wanted men. Coming at the end of the film noir cycle, The Brothers Rico sits somewhere in between noir and pure crime drama. Conte's character is a classic noir protagonist, a man who is unable to shake off his past and gets drawn into the dark underworld by family ties. Waiting there for him is a surprise, and not a good one at that. The script is very well written, which in Karlson's hands paints a sinister mob underworld operating right under the noses of everyday folk. There's much talking and very little action for most of the running time, but the dialogue is strong, always imbuing the narrative with a sense of menace, background characters are always a threat and violence implied looms over proceedings. However, in spite of it being well written and acted with great skill by Conte, Gates and the support cast, it's a dull visual experience and crowned off by a ridiculous "aint life grand epilogue". Top cinematographer Burnett Guffey is wasted here, the film is very minimalist in production, with the film often feeling like an episode of some TV cop show. There's a brief glimpse in the last five minutes of what Guffey could do, but that's it. Conte's character provides the ticket to the noir universe, but ultimately this represents the changing of the guard, a winding down of true film noir. From a viewpoint of the film being a crime drama that provides an observation of a crime syndicate as a real presence, Karlson's movie scores a more than safe 7/10. As a film noir, though, it barely registers and noir fans should expect a flat 5/10 movie. Rounded out I make it 6/10.

John Chard14 Apr, 2019