Le petit géant

When I think comedy, Eddie Robinson doesn't jump to mind. Here, however, he's fairly amusing in a muted comedy of manners. Most importantly, he doesn't mock his iconic tough guy image. Instead he plays an out-of-work bootlegger at prohibition's end eager to transition into upper class society with his ill-gotten gains. Trouble is he can't leave his tough guy ways behind, especially his streetwise lingo and muscle men. That makes for some amusing situations when he mixes with the refined upper crust. The comedy's pretty restrained on the whole, neither of the popular madcap nor screwball of the time. The production's also pre-Code which means some mild innuendo and bra-less gowns (Vinson).

Note too how the upper class Cass's are implicated in crime, but of a different type than Ahearn's gangster sort. Instead, the ruthless family markets worthless bonds to unsuspecting customers, bilking them of needed moneys. Thus, we get a glimpse of white-collar larceny at a time,1933, when the topic was an especially live one. Compared to Ahearn's competition among bootleggers, the Cass's white-collar variety appears less violent but more vicious, a not accidental feature, I suspect.

All in all, the WB flick's a shrewdly done, amusing departure for one of their stable of 30's tough guys. My only gripe is the nutzoid finale on the polo field. It's an effort, I expect, to provide a bang-up climax, one that's unfortunately way out of sinc with the rest of the intelligent restraint. Still, Robinson gets something of an amusing showcase, proving again what a fine actor he was and remains.