Larceny, Inc.

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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 film stars Edward G. Robinson, Jane Wyman, Broderick Crawford, Jack Carson, Anthony Quinn, and Edward Brophy.

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

[edit] Plot summary

Spoiler warning: Plot and/or ending details follow.

Mobster J. Chalmers "Pressure" Maxwell (Robinson) decides to go straight. Just prior to his release from prison, he rejects a proposal by fellow inmate Leo Dexter (Quinn) 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 (Wyman). However, he lacks the fund necessary to start a business. Meeting his former partners Jug Martin (Crawford) and Weepy Davis (Brophy), the three strike upon the idea of using a luggage shop to tunnel into an adjacent bank, coincidentally the very bank that Leo had previously pointed Pressure toward.

Able to negotiate their way into ownership of the luggage store, the three begin digging via the store's basement. However, slick salesman Jeff Randolph (Carson) convinces Weepy to purchase several dozen pieces of luggage. Soon afterward, Jeff falls in love with Denny. Denny, in an effort to force her father to abandon the bank job, works out a plan to cause the store's business to skyrocket, thus allowing her father to get the money he needs legally.

The store flourishes, and the bank next door offers to purchase it from them, to expand their space. Pressure nearly accepts the offer at Denny's insistence, but soon enough Leo learns of the robbery, and breaks out of jail to get a share of the loot. Due to the success of the luggage business, Pressure has long since abandoned the robbery plan, but Leo insists that it go through.

On Christmas Eve, Leo plans on breaking into the vault. Halting his plans, however, is the appearance of the original owner of the store, Homer Bigelow (Harry Davenport). Having offered to buy back the store, Pressure sees this as the perfect opportunity to prevent the vault explosion. Retaliating, Leo's henchman knocks Homer out, who just barely manages to press down the burglar alarm. Leo panics and reaches for his gun, but Pressure intervenes, before being knocked unconscious by Leo as well. Leo tries to escape, only to be caught by the police, waiting outside of the store.

The store erupts in flames after Leo's henchman unsuccessfully attempt to blow through the bank wall, and Pressure manages to save Harry Bigelow from the fire. Denny accepts Jeff's earlier marriage proposal, and Harry makes plans to build a new, more elaborate luggage store to replace the one that is burning down.

[edit] Analysis

The plot of Woody Allen's Small Time Crooks is very similar to that of Larceny, Inc.. 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.

[edit] References

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