The Don Is Dead (1973) Universal/Action-Drama RT: 115 minutes Rated R (strong violence, language, drugs) Director: Richard Fleischer Screenplay: Marvin H. Albert (adaptation by Christopher Trumbo and Michael Philip Butler) Music: Jerry Goldsmith Cinematography: Richard H. Kline Release date: November 14, 1973 (US) Cast: Anthony Quinn, Fredric Forrest, Robert Forster, Al Lettieri, Angel Tomkins, Charles Cioffi, Jo Anne Meredith, J. Duke Russo, Louis Zorich, Anthony Charnota, Ina Balin, Joe Santos, Frank DeKova, Abe Vigoda, Victor Argo, Val Bisoglio, Robert Carricart, Frank Christi, Sid Haig, Maurice Sherbanee, George Skaff, Vic Tayback. Box Office: N/A
Rating: ***
A former girlfriend once asked me why I like movies so much. There are several answers I could have given but I went with this: “No matter how many movies you see, you can’t possibly see them all. You can always find ones that you haven’t seen.” I think of this conversation every time I decide to watch an older movie for the first time. It’s funny how certain things just stay with you, isn’t it?
My most recent first-time watch is the crime drama The Don Is Dead. Directed by Richard Fleischer (Soylent Green), it’s one of the first Godfather imitators that invaded cinemas in the wake of the success of Coppola’s gangster classic. It’s also one of the better ones. It boasts a strong cast that includes Anthony Quinn, Fredric Forrest, Robert Forster, Al Lettieri, Angel Tomkins and many other cool names. It has some well-staged action scenes including a wild shoot-out at a fruit stand. It’s gritty, street-level storytelling with a slight hint of Shakespearean drama.
As indicated by the title, the catalyst for all that occurs is the death of a respected Mafia don. At a meeting with “The Commission”, it’s decided his holdings will be split 50/50 between Don Angelo (Quinn, Across 110th Street) and Don Bernardo (Russo) until his son Frank (Forster, Medium Cool) is ready to take over. In addition, Angelo accepts him as his own son and promises he will take over for him when he dies. What nobody knows is that Bernardo’s consigliere Orlando (Cioffi, Shaft) is secretly plotting with his imprisoned boss’ wife (Meredith, J.D.’s Revenge) to take it all for himself.
Orlando’s plan is to ignite a gang war between the families. He achieves this by getting word to Frank that his girlfriend, aspiring singer Ruby (Tomkins, Prime Cut), is having an affair with Angelo. An understandably infuriated Frank beats Ruby to a pulp prompting Angelo to put out a hit on him. It goes south, of course, causing Frank to take retaliatory action. He’s helped in his crusade against Angelo by Tony (Forrest, The Conversation) and Vince (Lettieri, The Getaway), a pair of brothers who previously announced their intention to break from the families and do their own thing. Vince is all in, but Tony has reservations. He wanted to get out of the business for good. Now they’re all up to the necks in a bloody war that will end with one man on top.
Other familiar faces in The Don Is Dead include Abe Vigoda (The Godfather), Ina Balin (The Comancheros), Joe Santos (The Rockford Files), Victor Argo (Taxi Driver), Val Bisoglio (Saturday Night Fever), Sid Haig (Coffy) and Vic Tayback (Alice). As you know, I can’t pass up a movie with a cast as cool as this. What’s even cooler is that there’s not a single bad performance in the bunch. The actors seem natural and relaxed in how they play their characters. Quinn is quietly menacing, scaling back his performance to depict a once-powerful mob boss in his declining years. Forster shows the right amount of cockiness as a young hothead looking to make his mark in a hurry. Forrest and Lettieri play the brothers as though they were an entity with Tony being the brains and Vince the muscle. For me, Tomkins is always a welcome presence. She’s a B-movie actress with talent and beauty. What’s not to love?
Fleischer, working from a script by Marvin H. Albert co-adapting his own novel, tells a compelling crime story filled with intrigue and lots of gangland violence. I’m a fan of the late filmmaker. He had an interesting career that spanned five decades and included such titles as 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea, Fantastic Voyage, Doctor Dolittle, Tora! Tora! Tora!, Mr. Majestyk, Mandingo, The Jazz Singer, Amityville 3D, Red Sonja and Million Dollar Mystery. The Don Is Dead is one of his better efforts.
With a riveting score by Jerry Goldsmith and sufficiently gritty cinematography by Richard H. Kilne, The Don Is Dead is a solid crime drama with high aspirations. Obviously, it’s NOT The Godfather, but it’s a damn good try.
