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Larceny, Inc.

1942, Movie, NR, 95 mins

Larceny, Inc.: Review

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In a role which has roots in the gangster spoof BROTHER ORCHID (1940), Robinson plays a criminal who decides to go straight. On the day before his release from Sing Sing prison, he discusses plans to open a dog track with Crawford. Quinn, a fellow inmate, hears their plans and tries to pressure them into pulling a bank job for him. He suggests buying a luggage store next to a bank and then digging a tunnel into the bank. Robinson and Crawford refuse to get involved in the scheme. Things change, however, upon their release the following day, when they discover their partner, Brophy, lost their investment. Robinson, in dire financial straits, buys the luggage shop Quinn spoke of, and takes charge of the digging operation. While Crawford and Brophy struggle with the shovels in the basement, Robinson is upstairs trying to deal with customers. To his surprise, the store is frequented by a steady flow of customers, most of whom just pay a visit in order to chat and wish Robinson luck. Their increasing visits soon push Robinson's patience to the breaking point since the noisy digging must be halted when visitors arrive. Robinson soon hires his niece, Wyman, to manage the store while he oversees Crawford and Brophy, neither of whom can do anything right. Much to Robinson's chagrin, Wyman proves to be an overly enthusiastic worker, needlessly overstocking the store with expensive luggage sold to her by the pushy Carson. Back in prison, Quinn learns that Robinson has gone ahead with the plan without his knowledge. Quinn escapes from prison and bursts into the shop armed with a gun. He takes over the tunneling operation and decides to dynamite his way in. The charge is far too powerful, however, and the entire luggage shop is blown up. The police rush to the scene and arrest Quinn, whom they think acted alone. Robinson decides to open up another shop and renew his attempt to go straight. Robinson's final film under his Warner Bros. contract, LARCENY, INC. was the star's third association with director Lloyd Bacon on a spoof of the genre that made Robinson a star. Like its superior predecessors A SLIGHT CASE OF MURDER (1938) and BROTHER ORCHID (1940), LARCENY, INC. provided Robinson with a chance to tear down that gangster facade that forever cloaked his career. Disturbed by this typecasting, Robinson went on to play an attorney twice in his next three films (TALES OF MANHATTAN, 1942, and FLESH AND FANTASY, 1943, both directed by Julien Duvivier, who earned his reputation with the 1936 gangster classic PEPE LE MOKO) and a naval hero, in DESTROYER (1943). leave a comment
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