Friday, May 09, 2008
MAKING A RACKET
Today's NYTimes Best 1176 Films was a film version of a Damon Runyon story and play
A Slight Case of Murder (1938)
This is a period piece.
The world of the small time hood was Runyon's specialty. He got the thirtie's fascination with crime figures on the second bounce turning them into comic figures exemplified most popularly in the characters from Guys and Dolls.
This film is of the same genré. All the slightly bent thugs are here headed by another period piece, Edward G. Robinson.
This is not the kind actor that we would see in films today. The homely, intense brooder. Maybe someone like Broderick Crawford in the fifties. The closest today would be someone like John Goodman or John C. Reilly. But Robinson was not a comic actor. He was quite serious and scary in many roles. This film capitalizes on this stereotype and has Robinson mocking his own persona.
The vehicle here is farce. There are a lot of closets and doors and floors and characters to keep things humming for an hour and a half.
Many little jokes.
Constant motion.
In many ways it seems lame because it is of another time. Crime figures today are more of the corporate, political kind. There isn't anything very funny or quaint about them.
I will give it a 3 out of Netflix5. I liked it and it is OK if I don't see it again.
Take a gander at that double breasted suit.
Labels: best films
