The Don is Dead

This violent and undoubtedly macho 1970s gangster movie undoubtedly bears the hallmark of its director Richard Fleischer but – unlike some of his other action-laden films – didn’t exactly earn him box office gold. Nonetheless, thanks to strong and convincing performances by its three leads Anthony Quinn, Robert Forster and Frederic Forrest, THE DON IS DEAD is an underrated gangster flick worthy of its re-release.

After the death of his father, ambitious and unscrupulous Frank Regalbuto (Robert Forster) is now the godson to powerful crime boss Don Angelo DiMorra (Anthony Quinn) and pledges his loyalty to his Don. When Frank plans a dirty drugs deal together with Tony Fargo (Frederic Forrest) and his older brother Vince Fargo (Al Lettieri) things go pear-shaped after it emerges that someone had tipped off the cops. As if things weren’t tense enough Don Aggimio (Barry Russo) and members of his family clan feel that in the world of organized crime they should reign supreme… so what better than starting a particularly nasty mob war? In order to get things going, the duplicitous Luigi Orlando (Charles Cioffi) – a nasty piece of work with plans of his own - sets up a meeting between Frank’s fiancée and aspiring singer Ruby Dunne (Angel Tompkins) and influential Don Angelo so he may pull a few strings to get her Las Vegas career started. Just as planned Don Angelo falls for her hook, line and sinker – unaware that Ruby, who seems equally smitten with the Don but likewise has no idea as to his real identity, is Frank’s girl. When Frank returns from a trip to Italy and finds out that Ruby has been put up in a luxury pad by her new lover he loses his temper (as he does on a regular basis) and beats the poor dame to a near pulp in what is one of the film’s most disturbing scenes. It’s only when a shocked Don Angelo visits Ruby in hospital that he realises who the girl is and swears merciless revenge, disowning Frank in the process.

Frank meanwhile continues his ambition to take over the Las Vegas underworld but Tony in particular is equally ambitious to climb up the criminal ladder and become some sort of junior Don. Along the way the film offers bloody violence and shoot-outs galore while the law tries to win the upper hand. It’s a merciless rat-on-rat game which sees twists and turns at every corner while women are reduced either to arm candy or long-suffering domestic angels – with the exception perhaps of the scheming Nella (Ina Balin) who’s in cahoots with Luigi and in the end gets her much-deserved comeuppance. Also starring Abe Vigoda and Frank DeKova, THE DON IS DEAD is not exactly original as far as the plot is concerned but for fans of the genre it is a treat – not least thanks to a convincing performance by the late Robert Forster as an arrogant and loose cannon who thinks he can get away with anything. Wrong thinking!

Anthony Quinn’s rather subdued performance as the ageing and not exactly healthy Don Angelo is balanced against violent car chases and all sorts of other action-laden mayhem, accompanied by Jerry Goldsmith’s spot-on score. There’s also a (presumably) unintentionally funny scene towards the end when Barry Russo’s ‘Don Aggimio’ tries to devour half a cow in a restaurant and struggles to deliver his lines while chewing on his HUGE chunk of steak.

THE DON IS DEAD is released on Blu-ray and Bonus Features include audio commentary, trailer plus collector’s booklet.