Little Caesar (1931) | |
| Director(s) | Mervyn LeRoy |
| Producer(s) | Hal B. Wallis (uncredited), Darryl F. Zanuck (uncredited) |
| Top Genres | Crime, Drama |
| Top Topics | Book-Based, Gangsters, Pre-Code Cinema |
Featured Cast:
Little Caesar Overview:
Little Caesar (1931) was a Crime - Drama Film directed by Mervyn LeRoy and produced by Hal B. Wallis and Darryl F. Zanuck.
The film was based on the novel of the same name written by W.R. Burnett published in 1924.
Little Caesar was inducted into the National Film Registry in 2000.
Academy Awards 1930/31 --- Ceremony Number 4 (source: AMPAS)
| Award | Recipient | Result |
| Best Writing | Francis Faragoh, Robert N. Lee | Nominated |
BlogHub Articles:
Little Caesar (1931)
By Raquel Stecher on Feb 18, 2013 From Out of the Past - A Classic Film Blogimage source Little Caesar (1931) is one of the original gangster films and influenced the movies in that genre that were to come. It was directed by Mervyn LeRoy and based on a novel by W. R. Burnett. Edward G. Robinson stars as Little Caesar aka Rico, a small time gangster looking to make it bi... Read full article
See all Little Caesar articles
Quotes from
Caesar Enrico Bandello: You want me, you're going to have to come and get me!
Caesar Enrico Bandello: This is Rico speaking. Rico! R-I-C-O! Rico! Little Caesar, that's who! Listen, you crummy, flat-footed copper, I'll show you whether I've lost my nerve and my brains!
Caesar Enrico Bandello: If you ain't out of town by tomorrow morning... you won't ever leave it except in a pine box.
read more quotes from Little Caesar...
Caesar Enrico Bandello: This is Rico speaking. Rico! R-I-C-O! Rico! Little Caesar, that's who! Listen, you crummy, flat-footed copper, I'll show you whether I've lost my nerve and my brains!
Caesar Enrico Bandello: If you ain't out of town by tomorrow morning... you won't ever leave it except in a pine box.
read more quotes from Little Caesar...
Facts about
There were two versions of Rico's final words filmed, "Mother of God, is this the end of Rico?" and "Mother of mercy, is this the end of Rico?" Although "Mother of God" was taken directly from W.R. Burnett's novel, it was decided the line was potentially blasphemous coming from a murderous gangster and "mother of mercy" was used instead.
The character Diamond Pete Montana was modeled on Jim Colosimo, who was murdered by Al Capone; and "The Big Boy" was based on corrupt politician William 'Big Bill' Thompson, Mayor of Chicago. The underworld banquet sequence was also based on a real event - a notorious party in honor of two gangsters, Charles Dion O'Bannion and Samuel J. "Nails" Morton, which received unfavorable coverage in the Chicago press.
In one scene, Edward G. Robinson had to fire a pistol while facing the camera. Try as he might, he was unable to keep his eyes open each time he pulled the trigger. The problem was eventually solved by having Robinson's eyes held open with cellophane tape.
read more facts about Little Caesar...
The character Diamond Pete Montana was modeled on Jim Colosimo, who was murdered by Al Capone; and "The Big Boy" was based on corrupt politician William 'Big Bill' Thompson, Mayor of Chicago. The underworld banquet sequence was also based on a real event - a notorious party in honor of two gangsters, Charles Dion O'Bannion and Samuel J. "Nails" Morton, which received unfavorable coverage in the Chicago press.
In one scene, Edward G. Robinson had to fire a pistol while facing the camera. Try as he might, he was unable to keep his eyes open each time he pulled the trigger. The problem was eventually solved by having Robinson's eyes held open with cellophane tape.
read more facts about Little Caesar...
