COLUMBIA PICTURES FILM NOIR: “The Brothers Rico”
by Gene Blottner.
1957 Lobby Card
In 1946, American movies returned to France. Among these were films with dark themes and mood, stories that displayed the underbelly of life. One of these was Gilda (Columbia, 1946) with Rita Hayworth and Glenn Ford. The French movie critics dubbed this style of film making, “Film Noir” or dark film. This was not Columbia’s first Noir production. Unbeknownst to them, the studio had been producing Noir features since 1940 with Angels Over Broadway. This style suited Columbia well, allowing films to be produced within strong budgetary restraints. With the exception of western noir, most noir films were contemporary. Elaborate sets were unnecessary. With low key lighting, which in itself saved money, minimal sets could be employed.
The Brothers Rico (1957)
Early Columbia Noir was evident in their “B” films, both in The Whistler and I Love a Mystery series, and such well remembered films like My Name is Julia Ross (1945), So Dark the Night (1946) and Night Editor (1946). With Gilda, Columbia began producing larger budget Noirs. Some Noir films receiving major critical acclaim include All the King’s Men (1949), In a Lonely Place (1950), Death of a Salesman (1951), On the Waterfront (1954) and Anatomy of a Murder (1959). In the late forties, Columbia moved from studio bound features to those filmed on location. San Francisco (Walk a Crooked Mile (1948)), Chicago, (The Undercover Man (1949)), New York (The Killer That Stalked New York (1950), The Glass Wall (1953) and The Garment Jungle (1957)) and Boston (Walk East on Beacon (1952)) were among the cities used. In the fifties, Columbia joined the trend to produce semi-documentary films that described how vice and corruption were eliminated in such cities as Houston (The Houston Story (1956)), Detroit (Inside Detroit (1956)), Chicago (Chicago Syndicate (1955)) and Miami twice (The Miami Story (1954) and Miami Expose (1956).
Trailer Title Card
With The Brothers Rico (1957), Columbia took on the Organization, a conglomerate that controlled criminal activities throughout the United States. The film was based on Georges Simenon’s novella which told of a family’s bond with organized crime. The oldest brother is recruited by a gangland czar to locate the youngest brother, who they believe might testify against the Organization over a gangland hit. The oldest brother believes the youngest brother will be allowed to leave the country until the furor blows over. In reality, he’s bringing his brother out of hiding to be murdered. Richard Conte was cast as Eddie Rico, the oldest brother. Conte was a film noir favorite, having appeared in over fifteen such films. Newcomer James Darren was chosen to play the youngest brother. Darren is very much able to hold his own in his emotion charged scenes with Conte. As good as the movie is, most observers believe the film would have been a stronger Noir had it had adhered closer to Simenon’s work in which the oldest brother solemnly returns home to his family after his brother’s murder. Darren would follow this film with the semi-documentary Noir, The Tijuana Story (1957) and then a western Noir, Gunman’s Walk (1958). In both Darren would give a good account of himself.
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James Darren will be a guest at the 2012 Mid-Atlantic Nostalgia Convention. Be sure to take the time to watch the film during the weekend!
About the Author: A retired pharmacist, Gene Blottner has written for such publications as Western Clippings and Under Western Skies. He is the author of several books with McFarland Publishing, including Columbia Pictures Movie Series, 1926-55: The Harry Cohn Years. Gene lives in Norfolk, Virginia.
