Little Caesar (Mervyn LeRoy, 1930)

***½
USA

The story of Rico Bandello was among the first half-dynamic Hollywood talkies and, although not the first, probably the defining gangster picture. Though it's more alive and engaging than a lot of things made around the time, it hasn't dated sensationally well. As directed by the rarely exciting Mervyn LeRoy, it lacks the zest and tension of the other genre-defining classics, like Scarface and The Public Enemy. But in his star-making role, Edward G. Robinson is still vivid and wonderful to watch. He went on to do much more nutritious parts but remained closely identified with Rico throughout his career.