Beanbioca
As Good As It Gets
AutCuddly
Great movie! If you want to be entertained and have a few good laughs, see this movie. The music is also very good,
ThedevilChoose
When a movie has you begging for it to end not even half way through it's pure crap. We've all seen this movie and this characters millions of times, nothing new in it. Don't waste your time.
Richie-67-485852
First of all this movie has Ernie Borgnine in it so enjoy the movie for that reason. Then, we get to experience little Italy in its start stage which offers no end of things to take in and enjoy. Cars, clothing, life-style and how to make a living is all visited with and educational too. That's what is so good about these old black & whites. They end up being slices of history and entertaining too. Al Capone used to do the same thing they do in this movie i.e. extort money from people who have little choice but to pay. Police protection only worked well for police and not 100% of the time either. Anyone else was basically on their own and the movie captures this quite well. There is also a little bit of the Elliot Ness of the famous Untouchables in this movie. A special squad is put together to fight back Italian to Italian which ups the ante considerably. Entertaining and amusing story of one man's life to stand-up and make a difference even at the cost of his life? That's a good value lesson. Good movie to eat a sandwich and have a tasty drink with. Put up or shut up? NO! It's more serious than that! Pay or Die!
joe01-1
This movie stars Ernest Borgnine in a straight dramatic role, and he pulls it off quite well. Set in New York City in 1906, newly arrived Italian immigrants are preyed upon by the Black Hand (La Mana Nera), which eventually became the Mafia. Borgnine plays lieutenant Petrosino, an immigrant himself, who realizes that the new immigrants will not cooperate with the police because the police in Italy were corrupt, and they expect the same in their new country. Petrosino realizes that he needs a squad of men - immigrants themselves - who speak the language, and can convince the people that things are different here. The Police Comissioner - who happens to be Teddy Roosevelt - agrees with him, and he gets his Italian Squad. Some violence ensues, as the Squad goes about breaking the power of the Black Hand, including a plot to kill Enrico Caruso, the greatest tenor of his time. Zhora Lampert plays the role of Petrosino's girlfriend, and later wife with excellent restraint, and the final scenes (this is a true story) are wrenching.
lindarae1948
I am the great half niece of Lt. Petrosino. I have seen the movie many years ago and have been trying to purchase it on either video or DVD for many years now. Ernest Borgnine did a great job playing the part of Lt. Petrosino. If anyone knows how to purchase this movie, could you please email me? I have tried to contact the Petrosino Lodge (Sons of Italy) without success and have been searching many websites. It is something I would love my children and grandchildren to see and to have. I can remember my Uncle Joe Petrosino, who looks much like Lt. Guiseppe Petrosino, who now all go by Petrosine. Thank you for any input... Please email me at lindarae1948@aol.com
banse
In the early 1900's police detective Lieut. Joseph Petrosino (Ernest Borgnine) forms a special squard to combat the menacing Black Hand in New York City in this tough and convincing drama based on actual events. Hardworking store keepers are threatened with torture, death and destruction if they don't come across with "protection" money. Other than Borgnine's fine performance there's good support from Zohra Lampert (an actress who should have risen to the top), Al Austin, John Duke, Renata Vanni and John Marley (Hollywood mogul Woltz in "The Godfather"). The essence of the period is captured with the stunning black and white photography.
