The film opens with Eddie Rico (Richard Conte) and his wife, Alice (Dianne Foster) in separate beds, asleep. The phone rings; it is Phil (Paul Dubov). He is sending someone to Eddie to work in his successful laundry business. Although it is not stated immediately, it is clear that Eddie used to be involved in organized crime (it is later revealed that he was an accountant for the "syndicate").
Eddie's brothers Gino (Paul Picerni) and Johnny (James Darren) have gone missing after carrying out a mob hit. Eddie's old boss - Sid Kubik (Larry Gates) - has Eddie go in search of Johnny, after telling him that the other mob bosses are afraid Johnny might listen to his new wife (Eddie was unaware his brother was married) and talk about his role in the killing to the authorities. Although Kubik claims to be on Johnny's side and just wants him out of the country, after Eddie agrees to go in search of him, it is revealed that Gino is in Kubik's custody and has been tortured.
After some sleuthing, Eddie finds Johnny in southern California. After trying to convince him to go to Mexico, Eddie is met in his hotel room by the local mob boss, Mike Lamotta (Harry Bellaver). Mike tells Eddie that Johnny is going to die and that Kubik never planned to let him go. Eddie is powerless to stop the death of his brother - he also is told that Gino is dead - but escapes form Mike's lackey Charlie Gonzales (Rudy Bond) and goes looking for vengeance. There is a final, fatal, confrontation between Kubik and Eddie, which leaves Kubik dead...and Eddie and Alica living happily ever after. The End.
This is a tough movie to recommend. It is competently filmed by Phil Karlson (director, best known for the Joe Don Baker movie Walking Tall) and Burnett Guffey (cinematographer), but has no particular visual flair. The story suffers from a rushed ending and an out-of-place happy ending, as well as dropping a some story threads. For example, the mob member sent to Eddie at the beginning - who was involved in the same killing as the Rico boys - is sent off by Eddie to work, mentioned briefly when Eddie meets Kubik, but then just dropped form the story. And the last 90 seconds or so has the feeling of a studio mandated happy ending, not the finale that makes sense in the context of the rest of the story. Finally, the theme of family solidarity, which would logically be an important part of a story like this, is underdeveloped and perfunctorily addressed.
It is the uneven acting that really hurts the film. Conte and Foster make a believable couple and have on-screen chemistry. While they have separate beds, within the first few minutes, it is pretty clear they have sex right after the late-night phone call from Phil and then again the next morning in the shower. Their concerns - Eddie for both his family and for remaining apart for the mob, Alice for adopting a child to start her own family - are realistic and handled well. Larry Gates is a good villain, playing Kubik in low-key, ingratiating way, but with the right amount of condescension and menace to be accepted as a mob boss. Bellaver's Mike Lamotta is great, even though he only has about 10 minutes of screen time, playing a philosophical - and pragmatic - thug. But that's about it, as far as actors who deliver good performances.
Darren, Kathryn Crosby as Johnny's wife Norah and, most harmfully, Argentina Brunetti as "Mama" Rico all overact shamelessly. Brunetti seems to be playing a parody of Italian mothers, with lots of "Ima gonna make-a you some pasta" level dialogue. While the actual words can be blamed in the screenplay writers, it is up to the actor and director to make even bad dialogue acceptable, if not compelling. In The Brothers Rico that is not the case. Darren and Crosby are not as bad; however, Crosby's default method of emoting appears to be saying every line as shrilly as possible. Darren comes across as dense (again, this is partially the problem of the screenplay) and whiny. There is no reason for him not to immediately take his Eddie's advice and flee; but he refuses to, leading to his death.
I give this a weak recommendation for the good performances and the parts of the story that work. So, check it out; but don't expect too much.
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