kenjha
A wounded gangster escapes execution by a rival gang and finds sanctuary in a monastery, as he convalesces. This routine gangster film veers between serious crime drama and comedy, never really finding a true identity. Robinson, who became a star playing Little Caesar, here plays Little Johnny, a no-nonsense tough guy who finds a higher calling. This is Bogart's last role as a sidey villain, as he played a good guy in his next film, "They Drive by Night," before becoming a star with "High Sierra." Sothern is fine as Robinson's moll. Bellamy, who made a career out of playing "the other man," does so here, amusing as an earnest cowboy who tries to woo Sothern.
Michael_Elliott
Brother Orchid (1940) *** (out of 4) Gangster Little John Sarto (Edward G. Robinson) decides to take a break from his gang so he travels across the country for a trip. When he returns he expects to jump right back in but the new guy (Humphrey Bogart) throws him out on his face. Sarto ends up at a monastery where he begins a new outlook on life. This Warner film contains both laughs and gangster drama and the terrific cast makes it a must see for film buffs. Not only do we have Robinson and Bogart playing gangsters but we have Ann Sothern as Robinson's love interest, Ralph Bellamy playing a rival, redneck, Allen Jenkins as comic relief and Donald Crisp as the head of the monastery. D.W. Griffith fans will also find Wilfred Lucas in a small role as one of the brothers. The performances by all makes this a must see with Robinson leading the way in his typical tough guy role. He has no problem playing the big shot and neither does Bogart when he gets the shine. Seeing the two men acting together is always great fun even if we know what's going to happen in the end. I was also very impressed with Crisp and his calm performance. Bellamy clearly steals the film each time he's in a scene as that dumb, lovable redneck character he plays is so dead-on believable that you can't help but smile. The comic moments really aren't as funny as one would hope but that doesn't hurt the film too bad as the film is very fast-paced and full of nice drama. Again, the main reason to see this is for Robinson and Bogart so fans will certainly eat this up.
jebucur
I do wish when individuals watch a movie that they get the person who says the lines correct. It is not Donald Crisp that makes the comments about the watermelon to Edward G. Robinson. Donald Crisp as Brother Superior is walking the young boy out of the room after giving him $2.00 for shoes. The other two monks make the comments to Robinson about not liking watermelon and then Robinson says "I get it." Now that that is out of the way, this is an excellent movie with a cast of characters that will later go on to become major stars i.e.-Humphrey Bogar and Ralph Bellamy. There are also plenty of strong character actors in this wonderful movie such as Allen Jenkins and Cecil Kellaway.
ccthemovieman-1
Here's an odd Edward G. Robinson picture. It has the unusual combination of crime, humor, drama and romance - a real mixed bag - and Robinson pretending he's a monk!It's billed as a crime story but it's more of a comedy. There are lots of snappy lines and expressions of the day, most provided by Robinson, a hoodlum type who winds up in a "floral" monastery (the monks grew and sold flowers).This has a good cast with Ann Southern, Humphrey Bogart, Ralph Bellamy, Donald Crisp and Allen Jenkins all contributing. Bellamy was so young I didn't recognize him, only through his distinctive voice.The first time I watched this I thought it was pretty good. Perhaps it was just more of a curiosity piece, because I really got bored with it on the second look. When it came out on DVD, I gave it a third chance and really liked it. Go figure.
AD
