Mr. Ricco (1975) User Reviews

Better than you'd expect

[the_great · 7/10 · 23 February 2012]

Dean Martin's final lead role has somehow managed to slip under the radar of his fans and 70s crime thriller aficionados. Watching this, I expected to find some critical flaw that accounts for it, but found none. Maybe playing against genre expectations hurt the reception. To me that is not a flaw.

Like others have said, this is a very 70s movie. This time the renegade is not a cop but a defense lawyer. Cop is not the law, he's there to enforce it, is the running theme. There are delightful gags involving Ricco's dog that could be from Columbo, and Dino makes fun of his own golf playing. Cindy Williams plays a spunky aid that Ricco tries to help find a man. Philip Michael Thomas of Miami Vice fame has a memorable early performance.

Inspite of the mellow insider group, pay attention to the case. The action is on the streets. Not much happens inside a courtroom. You may think you are about to see an open and shut case, but there are twists and turns. There are clues as well. To avoid spoilers, avoid Robert Ebert's review that misses the point.

It's an '70's movie alright! But not the best one around.

[Boba_Fett1138 · 6/10 · 19 January 2007]

I always enjoy watching '70's movies, even when it are bad ones. '70's movies always have a certain atmosphere and are made with a great style of movie-making, that is realistic, gritty and straightforward and also always makes uses of some experimental, non-formulaic techniques when it comes down to its storytelling and cinematography, among other things. "Mr. Ricco" might not the the best '70's movies around, it still is a good example of good old film-making from the golden '70's.

The movie its story is quite messy and weak but still made look interesting at times, due to its style of film-making. It provided the movie with a couple of nice moments, including a typical '70's-like car chase trough the streets of San Fransico.

San Fransico serves as a pretty good backdrop for the entire movie, as it always does in any movie.

The storytelling makes sure that is hard to keep track on the movie, with as a result that all the movie its weaker points become less notable as well. The movie its story is actually quite unlikely and ridicules at points but due to the muddled way the entire story is told, it becomes less obvious and notable all. Lots of things don't really make sense in the movie once you start really thinking about them and to make it all the more confusing, the movie features many, unneeded, characters, that don't add enough to the movie and only provide the story with some needless and distracting subplots.

Dean Martin of course already had his best years behind him but he still puts down a pretty good main character for the movie. The character is well developed and deepened out more thanks to Dean Martin's performance, who makes the character likable, by playing him mostly in a non-likable way.

The movie on all accounts is a pretty average one. Nothing too exceptional, just another good enough movie from the golden '70's but you're just as good off watching a "Law & Order" episode, or something along those lines.

6/10

http://bobafett1138.blogspot.com/

Dean Martin's kinda punchy in this film.

[planktonrules · 5/10 · 26 January 2023]

"Mr. Ricco" is the final starring role for Dean Martin in films, though he'd make a few more appearances in smaller parts.

In many ways, "Mr. Ricco" seems a lot like the other tough-as-nails and gritty cop movies of the 1970s, though he is NOT a cop...just a defense attorney. Soon after getting a black militant off on a murder charge, it appears as if this defendant is on a killing spree...killing cops and now trying to kill Ricco. Can Ricco manage to stay alive long enough to discover the truth about this maniac?

"Mr. Ricco" is one of the most difficult films I've seen recently. This is because it's quite good in some ways...and quite sloppy in others. The main plot, though hard to believe, is exciting and interesting. Also, Martin isn't bad in the lead and there's a lot of action. But on the other hand, MUCH of Ricco's actions are hard to understand. Why does he punch so many people?! Isn't he supposed to be an attorney and not some slap-happy goon? Also, the use of stuntmen for Martin was SLOPPY.

Again and again, it's pretty obvious the 58 year-old actor isn't in many of the action scenes.

Additionally, some of the plot (such as WHY would the killer shoot cops??) also didn't make a ton of sense. Overall, a film where the good and bad are about equal. Worth seeing if you love Dean Martin but clearly one of his lesser films.

An average movie

[Scarlight · 7/10 · 15 June 2004]

*Possible Spoilers*

"Mr. Ricco" tells the story of Joe Ricco, an attorney who is hired to try and clean a young man of murder. After the trial, Ricco faces an assassin who hunts him down wherever he goes. Even when the police arrest who they believe to be the assassin in 100%, he still manages to bother Ricco. Ricco must find out who the assassin is, before he hurts him or the people he cares about.

This is a nice movie to kill some time when you're bored, but certainly not a masterpiece. Dean Martin's acting is OK, but the whole plot is confusing.

Only watch this if there's nothing interesting on TV...

Dean Martin For the Defense

[zardoz-13 · 7/10 · 6 August 2018]

Dean Martin plays a serious, straightforward lawyer in "Marlowe" director Paul Bogart's "Mr. Ricco," a predictable but violent crime thriller set in contemporary San Francisco. "Mr. Ricco" constituted something of a change of pace for the "King of Cool." Unlike his frivolous Matt Helm espionage comedies, this Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer release followed the efforts of a conscientious lawyer to obtain justice for an African-American accused of murdering a white woman. Actually, nothing that Joe Ricco does on behalf of his client, Frankie Steele (Thalmus Rasulala of "Cool Breeze"), proves his innocence. Later, when Steele is on the run and Ricco catches up with him, Steele admits to him that he did indeed murder the white woman, but he explains that he didn't set out to kill her. Nevertheless, this revelation comes as something of a shock to Ricco. As it turned out, Steele won his freedom because the police had tampered with evidence in the case. Unfortunately, we're never told who was responsible for the tampering. No sooner has Steele been released that two uniformed policemen are gunned down by an African-American wielding a shotgun. A young African-American adolescent spots the shooter as he is fleeing the scene of the murder. The child goes to the police and gives them a description of the shooter that fits Steele's description. Later, Ricco finds himself the target of this same African-American shooter. This individual attempts to kill Ricco three times without success. Naturally, Captain George Cronyn (Eugene Roche of "Newman's Law") assigns a man, Lieutenant Barrett (George Tyne of "Sands of Iwo Jima"), to shadow the lawyer. Meantime, the police pursue a lead and nearly capture Steele at his place where he serves as an activist. It seems Steele has attained legitimacy as an outspoken racial activist with an organization that he created known as 'the Black Serpents." There isn't a trace of altruism in Steele's bones, and he wastes the funds that Washington provided him with to help poor, disadvantaged African-Americans. Moreover, when the San Francisco police raided his headquarters, they found two of his underlings on the premises, Purvis Mapes (Philip Michael Thomas of "Miami Vice") and his brother Calvin (Oliver Givens of "Trader Horn"), and Detective Tanner (Michael Gregory of "Total Recall") shoots Calvin in the head. Unfortunately for the gung-ho Tanner who is a dyed-in-the-wool racist, he discovers too late that Calvin was unarmed. Tanner grabs a shotgun and plants the weapon on Calvin. Initially, Captain Cronyn believes Tanner. Our hero defends Purvis in court and the charges against him are dropped. Consequently, Purvis tells Ricco where Steele is holed up and hiding. Ricco has to throw the police off his tail; he has his rental Mustang repainted to complicate their efforts to track him, and he finds Steele. Steele confesses about the murder, and Ricco punches him out.

This crime melodrama taps into the racism of the day. Tanner believes that he should have been given a commendation for tampering with the evidence and later shooting Calvin Mapes. Meanwhile, Ricco is set up by his Cupid of a secretary, Jamison (Cindy Williams of "Laverne & Shirley"), with a woman, Katherine Fremont (Geraldine Brooks of "Johnny Tiger"), who is twice divorced. They sleep together after one date. Later, they attend an art auction for the ACLU that Purvis's sister Irene (Denise Nicholas of "Capricorn One") has set up. The shotgun-toting assailant strikes again, killing three police as well as shooting Katherine in the back and Lieutenant Barrett. Earlier that evening after the police arrested Steele, Ricco left a snub-nosed revolver in a drawer at his residence because he felt like he no longer needed the gun. He retrieved Lieutenant Barrett's revolver and shot the killer to death. The catch here is that Bogart wanted audiences to think that Steele was out to ice Ricco. Of course, why would Steele want to kill the man who got him cleared of a murder charge. Everything comes out of the wash during the final twenty minutes. "Mr. Ricco" is a believable, conventional, but entertaining crime mystery, and Martin gives a restrained but convincing performance. Lenser Paul Stanley who photographed "Mr. Ricco" makes it look smooth and elegant at the same time. The film's only stab at humor involves Ricco's horny dog Hank who eventually knocks up a neighbor's dog. Altogether, "Mr. Ricco" qualifies as an above-average movie.

mr ricco

[mossgrymk · 4/10 · 14 February 2023]

Kinda resembles a pilot for a cop/lawyer show that the networks gave up on, perhaps because the characters are not worth spending an hour with, let alone a season, and the direction by Paul Bogart is like a mid level episode of "Streets Of San Francisco", with a tired, standard establishing shot, often repeated, of the Hall Of Justice or the title character's home in what looks to be The Marina. As for the acting it's molto brutto (lots of Italian schtick in this thing) with Dino both phoning and, as previous reviewer plankton noted, punching it in, with a really awful looking sunlamp tan (unless he acquired it in Stinson Beach), Eugene Roche over acting and yelling and Cindy Williams annoyingly perky. African American actors fare better perhaps because they are less burdened by Robert Hoban's heavy, jokey dialogue. C minus.

later Dean Martin

[ksf-2 · 7/10 · 4 October 2018]

A real departure for Dean Martin.. usually he's singing his way through a detective story. In this one, Martin is lawyer (Joe Ricco) defending a black man in a murder charge. Things get more wack when the latest two victims are cops. Is it a frame-up, or not? Cindy Williams (Shirley!!) is in here as "Jamison", Ricco's assistant. and you'll recognize Gene Roche (was the archbishop in "Foul Play.... fun film!) Here, Roche is Cronyn, head of homicide, investigating the moidah. It's pretty good. Certainly entertaining. It was the 1970s, so lots of issues to confront.. black rights, militant groups. Proper police procedures. All the things still relevant today! This was towards the end of Martin's acting career... he only made five more appearances after this, and two of those were in TV series. Cute gag where Joe (Martin) trains his dog to go fetch his ball when he slices into the woods. A fair amount of cussing and racist language and issues, so probably not for the young ones. Some clever banter between Ricco and Roch. Only rated 5.8 as of today, but that's only 400 votes. must not show this one very often. Directed by Paul Bogart, who did some REALLY well known stuff... All in the Family, Golden Girls, and the film version of the Torch Song Trilogy. It's pretty good. Surprised at the really low rating.

Tired Hack Job from All Involved Dean Martin's Last Starring Role

[LeonLouisRicci · 3/10 · 1 September 2016]

The Only Reason for a Dean Martin Fan to seek out this Unremarkable Movie is to See Dino in His Last Starring Role in a Major Motion Picture. Dean, as well as the Film itself, is not a Pretty Picture.

Gone is the Playful Playboy, Gone is the Charming Boozer, Gone is the Suave Aloofness of His Persona that was a Schict He Employed for most of His Career, Gone is the sometimes Very Effective Dramatic Actor, Gone Baby Gone, as witnessed here, is Dean Martin.

The Movie is a Bland, Boring, Turgid Story of a Lawyer and Defender of the Underdog that is Never Quite Fleshed Out. It's a Clunky Film with a TV Look and at times is Unprofessionally Acted, Shot, and Edited.

There is a Twist Ending that Falls Flat as is most of the Movie and the Characters within. Humorous Scenes Bomb, the Mystery is Muddled, the Action is Pedestrian, and none of it is the Least Bit Intriguing. This Thing can be Summed UP in One Word......Tired.

A Film Best Forgotten and Ignored, because there is Nothing to See Here that is the Least Bit Pleasant and Borderline Embarrassing for Anyone Involved in the Production.

You have the right to an attorney... He might sing "That's Amore" for you!

[Coventry · 7/10 · 28 May 2019]

Like most people, I reckon, I primarily know Dean Martin as the singer of numerous Christmas Carols or as the performer of many legendary soundtrack tunes like "You're nobody till somebody loves you", "That's Amore" or "Ain't that a kick in the head". Not being a fan of the Rat Pack or comedy flicks starring Jerry Lewis, the only supportive films roles I've seen Martin in were "Airport" and "The Cannonball Run", so I was quite curious to see him appear in a thriller; - let alone a raw, gritty and violent mid-70s exploitation thriller!

But "Mr. Ricco" is a very competent and unjustly obscure thriller, with a solid and convincing role for Dean Martin! Although suffering from occasional slow-pacing and plot-predictability, "Mr. Ricco" is a compelling and suspenseful story about cops and lawyers, and more particularly about the tensions that arise when thugs, after they get acquitted by their sly attorneys, immediately revert back to committing crimes. The case even becomes extra sensitive when the crime in question is homicide of police officers. One of the main themes/morals of the film is that policemen should always uphold the law rather than acting as judge, jury and executioner themselves. This was quite a heavy and courageous theme in the contemporary cinematic era, especially since the formula of unorthodox macho coppers ("Dirty Harry", "The French Connection", ...) was so popular and commercially beneficiary. There are several good action sequences in "Mr. Ricco", but still the most powerful moments remain those where Ricco's friendship with police commissioner Cronyn (Eugene Roche) is put under pressure. The relatively unknown but experienced director Paul Bogart makes good use of the San Franciscan locations, but many scenes during the middle section are dull and redundant. The supposed twist-ending is far too easy to guess, but it's nevertheless presented in a pleasingly raw and violent fashion. This film may not stand out in the crowd of 70s action-thrillers, but it's a lot more intelligent than it looks and definitely worth seeking out!

One last word of advise for Joe Ricco: when you're almost out of toothpaste, you have to roll up the tube from the bottom...

Air of disinterestedness

[bkoganbing · 5/10 · 17 March 2013]

It's possible that Dean Martin might have taken the title role in Mr. Ricco because every player likes doing a courtroom drama and Mr. Ricco is a high priced San Francisco defense attorney. But other than the very beginning when Judge Harry Wingreen dismisses with prejudice the charge of murder against Dino's client Thalmus Rasulala we don't see a courtroom again.

Right after that a rash of killings start breaking out and there is an attempt in fact a couple of attempts on Martin's life. Eyewitnesses identify the sniper with a rifle as Martin's own client. That doesn't make sense to Martin, why would the man he just got off be trying to kill him? But somebody is certainly using him for target practice.

Dino looks pretty bored with the whole business, he's got an air of disinterestedness throughout the film. According to Nick Tosches's fine biography of Dean Martin, his co-star Thalmus Rasulala said he never was able to connect with him on any level during the production of Mr. Ricco. At the time Martin was going through a lot financial and romantic entanglements and the film was clearly one he did for the money.

Geraldine Brooks plays a woman who Dean's friends try to fix up with and Cindy Williams plays a girl Friday assistant. Mr. Ricco has the look and feel of a television pilot and Dino had shown some spark might have been picked up as a series.

As it is he saunters through the film like it was his nightclub act in Vegas.

Dean Martin's best role

[man72000 · 10/10 · 24 January 2023]

From what I've read this film was generally panned and Dean Martin treated very badly. Having just watched it I have to say it was an excellent film. In his final starring role Dean Martin gave an outstanding performance. Playing the world weary attorney with all the nuances appropriate to his age and totally out of character from his popular image. The supporting cast was excellent in this gritty tale and represented of the times. Eugene Roche andGeraldine Brooks are standouts as they represent true to life characters as they interact with Mr Martin's character. Released in 1975 it's a gritty tale of race relations, police and inequities in the law. Sad to say these issues still exist and not a damn thing has changed. I highly recommend this film, like a good wine it has gotten better with age. On a final note, as a Dean Martin fan I was simply blown away by how great he was in this film. Fans of my age and generation would enjoy this picture especially with a glass of fine red wine 🍷

Dean was noticeably too old for the part

[vincentlynch-moonoi · 7/10 · 19 September 2012]

When watching this film, the question is -- why did it end Dean Martin's film career? There were a number of reasons, really, that had nothing to do with the film itself. Just a little over a year before this film was released, Martin divorced his popular wife, Jeanne. And I personally know people who had been fans who "dropped" Dean, as a result. They saw the situation as Peck's bad boy really being bad, not just playing being bad. And, In 1974 his television show ended after a long (9 year) run. Since his smash hit (and financial bonanza) "Airport" in 1970, Dean had made only 2 movies before "Mr. Ricco". Clearly, Martin's career was winding down...and why not...he was approaching age 60.

And that's where this film comes into the story. Dean Martin was getting old. I was in college when this film came out, and as a Dean Martin fan, I rushed to the theater to see it. There was a fair-sized audience in the theater that day, and 3 minutes into the film there was a scene that set the theater abuzz with chatter. I had only seen such a thing happen once before -- at a theater presentation of "Gone With The Wind" -- the scene looking down the staircase where we first see the dashing figure of Clark Gable. But unlike the GWTW experience, when the chatter was about how handsome the actor was, now it was about how old the actor looked. I heard people say things such as, "Oh my god! Look how old he is!" Now today, when you watch this film on television -- even a high def widescreen television -- he doesn't look THAT old. But in the theater, on a wide screen, with particularly crisp cinematography, the wrinkles were startlingly clear...and my guess was that Dean was wearing very little makeup. And, in this picture it mattered, because later there are fight scenes, and one can't help but think that it's illogical that a man that old could fight like that. In my opinion, that brutal photography of Dean's character playing cards 3 minutes into the film was the end of Dean's film career (not counting the much later Cannonball knock-offs).

That's not to say that this is a bad film. It's not. Nor is it a great or almost-great film. It's a pretty average crime drama from the mid-1970s. As a TV-movie, this might have been a pretty decent release...much as was Frank Sinatra's "Contract On Cherry Street" as a TV-movie 2 years later. "Mr. Ricco" is a pretty gritty film, perhaps a little too gritty for a Dean Martin audience. Dean's acting is okay, in fact a little more subtle here, and he comes across believable as an attorney. And, this really is Dean's movie. While other roles are pivotal, and all the actors do their jobs, none have significant screen time.

If there's a specific criticism I have it's that the stunt double for Dean is so not Dean in many of those scenes.

It's interesting to watch the two flops at either end of Dean's solo film career -- this film and "Ten Thousand Bedrooms". Both are primarily for fans of Dean Martin.

A film that should've avoided fistfights

[Marco_Trevisiol · 5/10 · 27 April 2007]

In its opening scenes and setup, this film had several enjoyable and potentially interesting aspects to it. Dean Martin as Ricco had a pleasing understated realism in his performance, a million miles away from the plastic phoniness of his Matt Helm persona.

Even the small roles were acted well - ranging from Geraldine Brooks as the woman Martin hooks up with Ricco to Ella Edwards as Sally (who informs Ricco that her son was a witness to the killing of the two cops) who gives such a nice performance that its a shame we don't see her character again later in the film.

Also the plot, while nothing astonishing, has enough potential and variables in it to keep us interested to the end. In addition, the music added nicely to the atmosphere.

So why does the film end up as nothing better then mediocre? Because it really loses its way in the second half. Not only because the plot takes some ludicrous turns (more on that later) but of Ricco resorting to fighting with admittedly disreputable characters on more then one occasion. It's bad not only because Martin is too old for the physical stuff but it seems so out of character for the intelligent and considered person Martin portrays Ricco to be earlier in the film. The almost comical fight Ricco has with Frankie Steele is the film's lowpoint and when it descends from a potentially top-quality crime film to a mediocre TV-standard crime drama lazily resorting to violence as a resolution to scenes.

(SPOILER)

But it's the plot and its resolution that really let down this film. Roger Ebert's review (available in the External reviews section) is spot on - who the killer actually is is so arbitrary (not to mention unbelievable) that it makes a large portion of the film redundant.

The killer is actually the brother of the woman murdered by Frankie Steele that Ricco got off the murder rap on technical grounds at the start of the film. There's a scene with the killer in the film but his appearance is so brief that when his mask is taken off some might not even recall who he actually is.

It's a watchable film but it could've been so much better.

Dino for the Defense

[kapelusznik18 · 6/10 · 3 September 2016]

***SPOILERS*** Dean "Dino" Martin in his last staring role is San Francisco attorney for the hopeless and downtrodden Joe Ricco who ends up getting involved in a double murder of two SFPD police officers by a former client of his black militant Frankie Steele, Thalmus Rusulala, that he earlier got off on a murder charge. Steele claiming innocence is on on the run and later tracked down at his headquarters in the Haven's Point district.That leads to a shoot out with Steele's friend Calvin Mapes, Oliver Givens, gunned down by policeman Tanner, Michael Gregory, as he was peacefully taking a dump in the john. Ricco who's not only hated by the police in letting the cop killer Frankie Steele go free in a previous case Steele's alleged victim Marie Justin's brother Justin, Robert Sampson, also has it in for Ricco in feeling that Steele murdered his sister Marie that he got off Scot-free on a technicality!

Ricco who himself has become a target of the elusive cop killer in him trying to get Steele-The #1 suspect in the cops murder- to surrender himself to the police who's confronted by him at a local church who in the heat of the moment admits that he in fact did murder Marie Justin! That's after her catching him red-handed breaking into her apartment! That has Ricco flip out and slug it out with the much younger and stronger Steele that has him barley survive with his life. Now feeling that he let a murderer off the hook Ricco tries to apologize to Mr. Rustin who lets him have it in what a creep he is in him, a big shot lawyer, not realizing that his client was guilty!

***SPOILERS*** It's at a party at the San Francisco Art Museum that the man who's been stalking Ricco all throughout the movie makes his grand appearance taking a number of pot shots at Ricco and hitting one of the visitors as well as tree security guards at the museum killing them. With Mister Ricco now taking it upon himself to catch the killer he ends up in a wild gun battle thus, after being hit himself, taking him down only to discover his true identity that shocks the living hell out of him! Not your usual Dean Martin movie but far better the the light comedies and self engaging drama he made throughout his long and successful career that showed that Martin can really act as well as sing and dance. P.S After the tragic death of son Dean Paul in a 1987 plane crash Dean Martin stayed away from the spotlight and became a virtual hermit living on a daily plate of pasta and a bottle of whiskey until he passed away on Christmas day 1995.

Except for Dino, Pretty Dismal

[angelsunchained · 6/10 · 19 January 2021]

Low key Dean Martin has to overcome toilet bowl humor, overacting character actors, and a dismal script. A lot of stereotyping makes this film stupid and unrealistic. However, if you like Dino and you are stuck inside due to the Covid 19 Pandemic, then this mess is entertaining enough to take up two hours.

flat thriller

[SnoopyStyle · 5/10 · 27 September 2018]

San Francisco defense attorney Joe Ricco (Dean Martin) gets his black militant client Frankie Steele (Thalmus Rasulala) free from murder charge and then Steele murders two cops. Ricco's friend's young son is the witness identifying Steele. Jamison (Cindy Williams) is his faithful assistant. His friend George Cronyn (Eugene Roche) is the police detective in charge of the case. During a raid of Steele's group, the Black Serpents, an unarmed Calvin Mapes is killed by a cop and his brother Purvis Mapes (Philip Michael Thomas) is framed with a planted drop-gun.

Who is Joe Ricco? That's the main question left hanging. Dean Martin is basically out of his elements. He's not doing much with the character and it's not asking much from him. He's in a perpetual hangover but he's never shown drunk. It reminds me of The Verdict with aging actors doing flawed aging lawyers. The comparison is not in Martin's favor. He's old and tired which fits the character but it's not terribly compelling. This has the slower 70's pacing without the action to jack up the intensity and the acting to create more depth. It's on the border and I put it slightly below grade.

Cool seventies gumshoe tale

[searchanddestroy-1 · 9 July 2023]

Anyway, starring Dean Martin in a Chandler like story, it could not be anything else than cool, without being necessarily a light hearted film or even a comedy. I have always craved for the late sixties and early seventies period, for stories, atmospheres, characters....here, as in any private eyes plots, I would not be able to summarize this confused and too complicated tale for me. But photography, music, way of filming, everything is genuinely from the seventies, entirely, totally. The director Paul Bogart was already guilty of CHANDLER, back in 1971. I was very amused to see a director named Bogart directing a move called MARLOWE. You also have understodd why....