Monday, August 21, 2017

Movie review - "I Stole a Million" (1939) **1/2 (warning: spoilers)

Little known George Raft film made in the period between him being at Paramount and Warners (this was at Universal). He's very well cast as a cab driver who winds up in a life of crime; he tries to get out when he falls for Claire Trevor, but keeps going back to it to make money.

Raft's character is given plenty of sympathy - he's always being picked on - but he is also clearly still a bit of a dill. Raft and Trevor have lovely chemistry - I like the work done by director Frank Tuttle. I don't want to overpraise Raft- he's still stiff - but he's effective and the film is made with care.

The script is melodramatic stuff - she gets pregnant, has a kid, winds up in prison, etc. The movie did feel as though it was headed towards a tragic ending with Raft being killed but that doesn't happen. It would have been more dramatically satisfying.

This isn't bad - I found it quite enjoyable and Raft gives one of his best performances, helped by working with the ever reliable Trevor.

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