Brother Orchid

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Brother Orchid
Directed by	Lloyd Bacon
Produced by	Hal B. Wallis Mark Hellinger
Written by	Richard Connell Earl Baldwin
Starring	Edward G Robinson Humphrey Bogart Ann Sothern
Music by	Heinz Roemheld
Cinematography	Tony Gaudio
Editing by	William Holmes
Release date(s)	June 8, 1940
Running time	80 min.
Country	United States
Language	English
Allmovie profile
IMDb profile

Brother Orchid is a 1940 crime/comedy film directed by Lloyd Bacon. It starred Edward G. Robinson and Humphrey Bogart as rival gangsters.

[edit] Plot

Crime boss John Sarto (Edward G. Robinson) retires suddenly, giving his gang to Jack Buck (Humphrey Bogart), while he leaves for a tour of Europe to acquire "class". However, Sarto is repeatedly duped and finally loses all his money.

He decides to return home and take back his gang, as if nothing has changed after five years, but Buck has him thrown out of his office. The only ones who remain loyal to Sarto are his girlfriend Flo Addams (Ann Sothern) and Willie 'the Knife' Corson (Allen Jenkins). Sarto raises a new gang and starts encroaching on Buck's territory.

When Flo tries to get Buck to reconcile with Sarto, Buck sees his chance. He agrees, getting Flo to lure Sarto to a tavern without telling him why. Flo is not totally fooled; she brings along a strong, good-natured admirer, mid-western rancher Clarence P. Fletcher (Ralph Bellamy), just in case, but he is knocked out by Buck's men. Sarto is taken for a ride, believing Flo has double crossed him.

Sarto escapes, but is shot several times. He manages to make his way to the Floracian Monastery, run by Brother Superior (Donald Crisp). Finding it a good place to hide out, Sarto signs up as a novice, naming himself "Brother Orchid". At first, he treats it as a joke, calling the monks the "biggest chumps in the world", but the kindness and simple life of the brothers begins to change his opinion.

Then Sarto sees a newspaper announcement that Flo is going to marry Clarence. He rides into the city with Brother Superior when he goes to sell the flowers that provide the monastery's meager income. After Flo gets over the shock of seeing Sarto alive, she gives him proof that she did not betray him and agrees to break up with Clarence.

Sarto breaks the news to Brother Superior that he is leaving, but then learns that the flowers have not been sold. The "protective association" run by Buck bans flower growers that do not pay for its services. Buck is hiding out from the police, but Sarto has a good idea where he is. Reinforced by Clarence and some of his friends from Montana, Sarto pays a visit to the association and a brawl breaks out. When the police arrive, Sarto presents them with Buck and his men. Then, he gives up Flo to Clarence and returns to the monastery, where he has finally found class.