The Brothers Rico
Directed by Phil Karlson
Written by Lewis Meltzer, Ben Perry and Dalton Trumbo; story by Georges Simenon
1957/USA
William Goetz Productions
First viewing/Netflix rental
[box] Johnny Rico: [to Eddie] Okay, okay, so nobody’s blaming you. Let’s just say something happened way back when, huh? So maybe I am gonna die, but Eddie, you’ve got even bigger troubles. You’re gonna live.[/box]
An entire family is dragged down by the mob in this effective late film noir.
Eddie Rico (Richard Conte) has gone straight. He used to work as an accountant for the mob but now he runs a successful laundry. Yet when he gets an early morning call asking him to hide an associate in a back room, he agrees. No questions asked.
His life becomes more complicated when his brother Gino comes to call. Gino says he was the trigger man and brother Johnny (James Darren) was the driver in a mob assassination. Now the mob is looking for Gino and he is terrified. Johnny has disappeared. Eddie gives Gino money to help him leave the country. Soon Eddie’s “Uncle” Sid, the mob’s boss, summons Eddie to Miami. Eddie and his wife are trying to adopt and this is happening at the worst possible time.
In Miami, Sid tells Eddie that Johnny’s brother-in-law has gone to the DA and he is afraid Johnny will snitch. He asks Eddie to locate his youngest brother, warn him, and get him out of the country. Things get pretty bloody after that.
The wages of crime, like sin, is death and this is a very dark noir. Conte is excellent as the conflicted protagonist. I have a mixed reaction to Karlson’s crime films. I liked this one a lot.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RWcSC1bLNjo
Trailer – spoilers
