“Brother Orchid” (1940) starring Edward G. Robinson, Ann Southern and Humphrey Bogart / Z-View
Brother Orchid (1940)
Director: Lloyd Bacon
Screenplay: Earl Baldwin; Jerry Wald (uncredited); Richard Macaulay (uncredited); based on Brother Orchid by Richard Connell
Stars: Edward G. Robinson, Ann Sothern, Humphrey Bogart, Donald Crisp, Ralph Bellamy, Cecil Kellaway, John Ridgely and Tom Tyler.
Tagline: Not Since “A Slight Case of Murder” has there been such a hysterical homicide, such mad mirth!
The Plot…
Little John Sarto rose from the streets to become head of a crime syndicate. He’s rich. People fear him, but he doesn’t want that. Sarto craves to be respected. To have… class.
So Sarto suddenly decides to give up his life of crime and become a gentleman of leisure. Sarto turns his syndicate over to his second in command, John Buck. He tells his girlfriend, Flo that he’s going to Europe and he’ll see her when he returns.
Things don’t go as planned in Europe. Every move Sarto makes is a bad one. He loses money on every deal. Five years pass and Sarto is broke. So he heads back to the states where he plans to regain control of his syndicate, and hook back up with Flo.
But it’s been five years.
Flo still loves Sarto, but thought he’d left for good. So she has a new man. John Buck and the crew felt abandoned when Sarto left. Buck isn’t going to give up control of the gang. So he puts out a hit on Sarto.
Sarto is caught off-guard and barely escapes with his life. He finds himself injured and outside of a monastery. The monks don’t recognize the infamous crime boss and take him in. Sarto plans to stay there until he heals…
… then he will get his revenge.
Thoughts (beware of spoilers)…
Brother Orchid is one of five films that Robinson and Bogart made together. It is the only one where neither of them is killed.
Brother Orchid (1940) rates 4 of 5 stars.
I love this movie! It shows how Robinson can play more than just a mobster! It was so cool to see him transform in the monastery. And it has Bogart, Ann Sothern, Ralph Bellamy and John Ridgely, who was great in Air Force, another great movie!
Bellamy plays the best character in the movie – completely honest and trustworthy; he helps Sarto even while he’s in love with Flo.
Little John’s cohorts explaining why they killed a guy:
“Don’t take that altitude with us!”,
“We thought you’d be glad to have that guy illuminated”
Flo: “Here’s my uncle’s lucky rabbit foot. My mother took it off him after they hung him.”
Another great Edward G. Robinson movie is Seven Thieves; not for sale it seems, but a 1960 version of a gang getting together to pull off the ultimate robbery of a casino. Has Eli Wallach, Joan Collins, Edward G., and Rod Steiger!
When I first watched BROTHER ORCHID as a kid, I thought it was okay. As an adult, I saw it was a much better film. Flo’s rabbit foot line always gets a laugh. I haven’t seen SEVEN THIEVES — I’ll have to search it out. Thanks for the heads-up!
Yes, the Seven Thieves sounds like Oceans Eleven. I think I saw it on Turner Classic Movies; that’s a great channel.
I am a HUGE fan of TCM!