Jewel Robbery (1932)

A gentleman thief charms a Viennese baron's wife and also conducts a daring daylight robbery of a jewellers.

Director:

William Dieterle

Writers:

Erwin S. Gelsey (screenplay), Ladislas Fodor (based on a story by),

Stars:

William Powell, Kay Francis, Helen Vinson

Cast

Complete credited cast:
William Powell	...	The Robber
Kay Francis	...	Baroness Teri
Helen Vinson	...	Marianne
Hardie Albright	...	Paul
Alan Mowbray	...	Detective Fritz
André Luguet	...	Count Andre (as Andre Luguet)
Henry Kolker	...	Baron Franz
Spencer Charters	...	Lenz
Lee Kohlmar	...	Hollander
Clarence Wilson	...	Prefect of Police

Storyline

When a baroness is present during a robbery at a jewellers in Vienna, she finds the gang's debonair leader more attractive than either her husband or her lover.

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Plot Keywords:

idle rich | waltz | jewel robbery | jewelry | incompetence | 

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Taglines:

He stole her jewels -- but that wasn't all!

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Genres:

Comedy | Crime | Romance

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Certificate:

Approved

Details

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

13 August 1932 (USA)

Also Known As:

Den stora juvelstölden

Company Credits

Production Co:

Warner Bros, Vitaphone Corporation, The

Technical Specs

Runtime:

68 min 68 min (Turner library print)

Sound Mix:

Mono

Color:

Black and White

Aspect Ratio:

1.37 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

Based on the Hungarian play Ekszerrablás a Váci-uccában by Ladislas Fodor (copyrighted 26 Aug 1931) and on the following Broadway production: Jewel Robbery (1932); Comedy, adapted by Bertram Bloch; directed and produced by Paul Streger. Booth Theatre: 13 Jan 1932- Feb 1932 (closing date unknown/54 performances). Cast: Lionel Braham (as "Lenz"), Stuart Casey, Clarence Derwent (as "Franz"), Mary Ellis, Harold Johnsrud, Hazel Nagley, Eugene Powers, Frederick Roland, Louis M. Simon, Basil Sydney, Robert Vivian, Cora Witherspoon (as "Marianne").

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Goofs

After the baroness pulls a gun on the robber, he distracts her by kissing her, whereupon she drops the gun on his foot. She runs to the other side of the room with the robber limping after her. The gun is on the floor as he starts toward her; when he reaches her he's holding it.

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Quotes

Robber: The last place anybody would think of looking for me is in your bedroom.
Baroness Teri von Horhenfels: Oh, so you expect to stay here until morning?
Robber: I'm forced to. Tomorrow the chase starts all over again. I must have a peaceful night.
Baroness Teri von Horhenfels: A peaceful night in *my bedroom?*

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Connections

Remade as The Peterville Diamond (1943)

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Soundtracks

"On the Beautiful Blue Danube (An der schönen blauen Donau, Op. 314)"
(1867) (uncredited)
Music by Johann Strauß
Played on the phonograph during the robbery

User Reviews

Oh - if only something would happen to rescue me from boredom!

Snappy and very different movie set in Vienna with Kay Francis bored with her husband, her lover, and her life. She confides to a friend that she wishes for some excitement. Enter William Powell, exhibiting characteristics that made him great in the Thin Man series. He is exciting, witty, and charming - if also a thief and the leader of a very large and organized gang. The robbery of the jewel store is something else with Powell convincing the security guard to take out two bags to the car outside and playing Viennese music on a record player to keep the victims calm. To engineer his get away, Powell offers the victims either a smoke from a drugged cigarette (never named) or a short stay in the vault. Kay is offered a third alternative to be taken to the suburbs and deposited unharmed but she elects to stay in the store and not turn in the alarm. After all, Powell has just made her the toast of the social scene for the foreseeable future as the victim of such a daring robbery - why would she give the alarm? A few twists, turns, surprises towards the end, as Kay eventually decides whether to chose excitement or security. The relationship between Kay Francis and William Powell is the movie. Will she take what she has wished for? Lots of overt mention of sleeping around - a rather sad commentary on the state of matrimony in the upper classes at the time. Very good (but not great), very different for a mainstream movie, recommended because it is so different.