Cinema has evolved into one of the most popular forms of entertainment in America today. Starting with a “movie” that lasted no more than a few seconds, the industry has become a goldmine of great, technologically advanced films. When Hollywood was still in its adolescence, a certain genre caught the attention of a United States eager for trendy entertainment: the “gangster” movie. No film defined the genre better than Mervyn LeRoy's Little Caesar. The film was released in 1930 and, largely due to technological advances in the industry, silent film had begun to slide down the slippery slope to extinction as "talkies" were becoming all the rage. Although gangster films existed before the sound era, there was something about the audible rat-tat-tat of machine guns and the stylized argot of tough guy talk that made for an electrifying mix. Furthermore, the gangster's contempt for established society seemed appropriate for a population that was beginning to lose faith in institutions such as banks after being severely shaken by the Depression (Giannetti 143). The circumstances were ideal for the rise of the gangster film. Little Caesar has masterfully sculpted the parameters that define the genre. Guns and cars are the tools. Women are nothing more than an outlet for passion or anger. Finally, and most importantly, the plot details the rise and fall of Catholic immigrants who recklessly ignore or destroy any obstacle that stands between them and fortune. The film introduces the famous clichés known to gangster life, such as the poor Italian mother who wants her gangster son to go straight out; the basically decent gangster is the one who is turned off by the murders and violence and who meets... middle of paper... Netti, Louis and Scott Eyman. "The age of speech." Flashback: a brief history of cinema. Ed. Leah Jewell. 4th ed. New Jersey: Prentice Hall, 2001. 140-145. Print.Jacobs, Lewis. "Refinements in technique." The rise of American cinema. New York: Teachers College Press, 1974. 433-452. Print.Jones, Preston Neal. “Robinson, Edward G. (1893-1973).” St. James Encyclopedia of Popular Culture. Ed. Sara Pendergast and Tom Pendergast. vol. 4. St. James Press, 2000. 229-230. Gale biography in context. Network. April 16, 2011.Kuhns, William. "The editorialists of the cinema". Films in America. London: The Tantivy Press, 1975. 142-73. Print.“Little Caesar”. Magill's survey of cinema (June 1995): n. page eLibrary Curriculum Edition. Network. April 14, 2011.Sklar, Robert. “The Golden Age or Turbulence and the Golden Age of Order.” America made at the cinema. New York: Random House, 1975. 175-194. Press.