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...
