The Brothers Rico

1957 "Three hunted men and their desperate women..."
6.8| 1h32m| NA| en| More Info
Released: 01 September 1957 Released
Producted By: William Goetz Productions
Country: United States of America
Budget: 0
Revenue: 0
Official Website:
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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.

Genre

Crime

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Director

Phil Karlson

Production Companies

William Goetz Productions

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The Brothers Rico Audience Reviews

Sexyloutak Absolutely the worst movie.
Merolliv I really wanted to like this movie. I feel terribly cynical trashing it, and that's why I'm giving it a middling 5. Actually, I'm giving it a 5 because there were some superb performances.
Hattie I didn’t really have many expectations going into the movie (good or bad), but I actually really enjoyed it. I really liked the characters and the banter between them.
Guillelmina The film's masterful storytelling did its job. The message was clear. No need to overdo.
JohnHowardReid Copyright 1956 by Columbia Pictures Corp. No New York opening. U.S. release: September 1957. U.K. release: 11 August 1957. Australian release: 1 August 1957. Sydney opening at the Victory. 94 minutes.SYNOPSIS: An ex-mobster turned successful businessman, Eddie Rico, is contacted by the syndicate to locate his younger brothers who have apparently double-crossed their gangland associates. He feels obliged to search for his brothers, not only to protect their lives but of his family as well. As he tracks his brothers down, the elder Rico begins to suspect ulterior motives for his frenzied manhunt.COMMENT: Slow-moving and not very satisfying crime melodrama. Just about all the action occurs off-camera and the film throws a considerable emphasis on talk. Skilful trimming improves the film no end. I have seen a version in which 20 minutes was lopped out. Diane Foster's part was reduced virtually to a walk-on and the consequent improvement in pace was amazing.However, we are reviewing the full version here - and that is a horse of a different color. After this elaborate build-up, the climax is disappointingly weak and tame and Larry Gates - his is the one outstanding portrayal in this film, you can actually sense the evil behind his gloved voice - seems to have a much smaller role than he does in the shortened version.Extensive locations lensing is an asset, although Karlson does not make all that much out of them. In fact, the handling is often uncomfortably reminiscent of a TV show, with lots of medium close-ups and the feeling that the film was shot on a very tight budget. The interior sets are not impressive and other production credits are merely capable.Conte's age is showing and one is not surprised to learn that this film virtually marked the end of his screen career. Aside from the Italian-made This Angry Age and Robert Rossen's They Came to Cordura, Conte depended exclusively on his buddy Frank Sinatra for future roles.
treywillwest This is part of the fantastic series put out by Columbia Pictures of "Film Noir Classics"- '50s B-movies from the studio's vault. The B's of the '50s took far more chances than the major Hollywood pictures of the era. If the headlining film appealed to the audiences of the time's need for a reassurance that the hope manifested in the emerging suburban phantasmagoria was real and true, the B-movie that preceded it gave space to the fears aroused by memories of the war, the revelation of the Nazi's atrocities, and the specter of nuclear war. The Brothers Rico feels quite distinctive even among the edgy Bs of the era. It gives an unusually honest depiction of a family's history and travails throughout the country. The son of Italian immigrants grew up in NYC and got involved in organized crime, moved down to Florida to realize the suburban ideal, while his younger siblings head west to California to escape the family's criminal legacy. The frank depiction of Italian-American culture surely endeared the film to Martin Scorsese. A road-movie as well as a Noir, with an acute sense of location, one can easily imagine it a favorite of Wim Wenders. This would be a near-great film except for one thing. Like Nightfall, another film unearthed from Columbia's vaults, Brothers Rico has, for its time, startlingly visceral depictions of sadism and cruelty. (The only thing akin in Hollywood A-films of the era would be those directed by Anthony Mann, but Mann's work offered depictions of the suffering of the violated, not so much of the perpetuation of suffering.) Both Brothers Rico and Nightfall offer as a condolence to the audience tacked on, artificial and utterly tone-deaf happy endings. In this way, they serve the functions of both A and B pictures. Give catharsis to those fearing the darkness, but assure them that the light at the end of the tunnel is real.
nomoons11 This one I didn't have a clue what it was about when I decided to watch it. Being that Richard Conte was in it I expected more of the same with him. Lo and behold, he finally gets a role that's a little different from his usual bad guy/scumbag roles.Eddie Rico runs and owns a laundry service in Florida and does really well for himself. He and his wife can't have kids so they decide to adopt but something in the way of and old acquaintance needs a favor derails his plans. His wife demands he doesn't do what they want but he has no choice...he's a former account for the mob. He still believes his old connections are "OK" so he tells her not to worry. His old friend from years back wouldn't steer him wrong. Turns out his brothers were involved in a killing and their bosses think one of them is going to squeal so they disappear. He's ordered to find them under the guise of they just wanna make sure "they're safe" under wraps. Eddie doesn't realize he's being used to find his brothers so his old connections can kill his brothers.I will say that right up until the end this is a pretty good little film. For the lack of cast it had they really picked some decent B grade actors to make this believable. The tension and watching Conte play this clueless ex mob guy railroad his brothers to their death is sad. He thinks you really can be left alone when you leave the mob, but in reality, you can't. He's naive in this regard.Richard Conte has always played the scumbag roles but this one is a tad different. He's an old mob accountant who really has no violent or bad guy tendencies. The real down point of this film is the end. It's beyond unrealistic. It just about wastes the entire film's effectiveness. Throughout you realize that this guy is not gonna get revenge through violence for them killing his brothers and he would turns states evidence instead. It's a pretty transparent conclusion throughout but the real "yeah right" in this is turning states evidence and his life in the end resumes to normal. This wouldn't happen lol. I've read enough news stories and books in my life to know that would never happen. He would have been relocated somewhere else with a new name. Not in this. Keeping up with every things ends up alright theme of Hollywood in the 50's, they just about give it a "G" rating ending.Outside of the ending this is a really decent film. Not a great cast but it was well written and solidly acted without a doubt. I wouldn't hesitate to recommend it for someone to see. Well worth the time.
laurmartin I had requested it for almost two years over on TCM's suggest a movie site. It's also being released to DVD as part of a film noir collection due out in November. Being a big fan of James Darren, he was the biggest reason for my interest in this film but it's also a pretty good film. Richard Conte is a good lead with Dianne Foster as his worried wife. Kathryn Grant and James Darren would play a couple a year later in Gunman's Walk also directed by Karlson. James Darren's two scenes as the youngest brother make you wish they had continued casting him in these types of roles, although I like the first two Gidget movies. Anyway Thank you TCM for showing this.