Larceny, Inc.

Larceny, Inc.

1942 theatrical poster
Directed by Lloyd Bacon
Produced by Hal B. Wallis
Written by Laura Perelman (play)
S.J. Perelman (play)
Everett Freeman (screenplay)
Edwin Gilbert
Starring Edward G. Robinson
Jane Wyman
Broderick Crawford
Jack Carson
Anthony Quinn
Music by Adolph Deutsch
Cinematography Tony Gaudio
Edited by Ralph Dawson
Distributed by Warner Bros.
Release dates
  • April 24, 1942 (1942-04-24)
Running time
 95 minutes
Country United States
Language English

Larceny, Inc. is an American film. Originally released on May 2, 1942 by Warner Brothers, the film is a cross between the comedy and gangster genres. Directed by Lloyd Bacon, the picture stars Edward G. Robinson, Jane Wyman, Broderick Crawford, and Jack Carson, and features Anthony Quinn, and Edward Brophy.

The film is based on the play The Night Before Christmas by S. J. Perelman.

Plot

Suave convict J. Chalmers "Pressure" Maxwell decides to go straight. Just before he is released from prison along with his none-too-bright accomplice Jug Martin, he rejects a proposal by fellow inmate Leo Dexter to rob a bank.

Maxwell hopes to purchase a dog racing track in Florida and become a legitimate businessman with his adopted daughter, Denny Costello. However, he lacks the funds necessary. When his loan request is rejected by the bank (the same one Leo planned to break into), he decides to rob the place. Noticing a luggage shop next door, he buys the store from Homer Bigelow. He has Jug and their friend Weepy Davis start digging a tunnel in the basement.

Meanwhile, slick salesman Jeff Randolph convinces Weepy to order several dozen pieces of luggage to stock the store. Soon afterward, Jeff falls in love with Denny. When Denny finds out about Pressure's scheme, she gets Jeff to come up with various advertising gimmicks that bring in a flood of customers, forcing a stop to the noisy digging and showing the crooks that legitimate sales can be profitable.

The store flourishes, and the bank next door offers to purchase it from them, to expand their space. Pressure is ready to accept the offer, but when Leo learns that Pressure has stolen his idea, he breaks out of jail to take over. Due to the success of the luggage business, Pressure has long since abandoned the robbery plan, but Leo forces them to go through with it.

Leo plans on breaking into the vault on Christmas Eve with dynamite. Complicating matters, Homer Bigelow reappears, nostalgic for his store. He gets knocked out, but manages to press down the burglar alarm. Leo panics and reaches for his gun, but Pressure intervenes, before being knocked unconscious as well. Leo tries to escape, only to be caught by the police. The store erupts in flames, but Pressure revives and manages to drag Homer Bigelow outside, becoming a hero.

Denny accepts Jeff's marriage proposal. Pressure makes plans to build a new store, the first in a chain.

Cast

Analysis

The plot of Woody Allen's Small Time Crooks is very similar to that of Larceny, Inc..[1] Allen has never commented on whether this was deliberate or if his film was in any way inspired by Larceny, Inc..

Robinson took the role of Pressure Maxwell in this film to offset his "tough guy" image as established in his many appearances as gangsters or police officers in previous Warner Bros. films.[1]

The film features many members of the Warner Brothers "stock company" and included an early film appearance by Jackie Gleason, as a drug store soda jerk.

References

  1. 1 2 Robert Osborne of Turner Classic Movies on June 15, 2006

External links

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