Preceded by: Pat O'Brien in "Crimes Square" (1931, 9 mins, B&W, 35mm). Jack Haley in "Success" directed by Alf Goulding. Story by Fred Allen. (1931, 15 mins, B&W, 35mm) Because it was made before the gangster formula had rigidified, Little Caesar's terse and economic style had a raw power that isn't lost on audiences today. Edward G. Robinson's Caesar Enrico ("Rico") Bandello set the standard by which all later gangsters rose and fell. "Voice, music, and sound effects are skillfully blended, particularly the seemingly constant noise of machine guns and screaming car brakes, enhancing the almost documentary realism of the screen criminals' presence" (Mary Lea Bandy).