Never Steal Anything Small (1959)

Jake MacIllaney will do just about anything to win the presidential election of longshoreman union Local 26. When he encounters young upright attorney Dan Cabot and Cabot's attractive wife,... See full summary »

Director:

Charles Lederer

Writers:

Maxwell Anderson (play), Charles Lederer,

Stars:

James Cagney, Shirley Jones, Roger Smith

1 win & 1 nomination.

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
James Cagney	...	Jake MacIllaney
Shirley Jones	...	Linda Cabot
Roger Smith	...	Dan Cabot
Cara Williams	...	Winnipeg Simmons
Nehemiah Persoff	...	Pinelli
Royal Dano	...	Words Cannon
Anthony Caruso	...	Lt. Tevis
Horace McMahon	...	O. K. Merritt
Virginia Vincent	...	Ginger
Jack Albertson	...	Sleep-Out Charlie Barnes
Robert J. Wilke	...	Lennie
Herbie Faye	...	Hymie
Billy M. Greene	...	Ed Barton
Barry Russo	...	Ward (as John Duke)
Jack Orrison	...	Osborne

Storyline

Jake MacIllaney will do just about anything to win the presidential election of longshoreman union Local 26. When he encounters young upright attorney Dan Cabot and Cabot's attractive wife, Linda, MacIllaney breaks up their marriage, pursues Linda, and pins a grand larceny rap on Dan. And all set to music!

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Plot Keywords:

union | gangster | based on play

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Genres:

Musical

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Details

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

24 July 1959 (Finland)

Also Known As:

Gangster amore e... una Ferrari

Company Credits

Production Co:

Universal International Pictures (UI)

Technical Specs

Runtime:

94 min

Sound Mix:

Mono

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

2.35 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

On a trip to Hawaii, James Cagney meet Roger Smith stationed there in the Naval Reserve, impressed with his clean-cut good looks and appeal, he encouraged Smith to pursue an acting career. Following the advice and after success in several films, Smith reconnected with Cagney who hired him to play his son, "Lon Jr." in Man of a Thousand Faces. Cagney later cast him as his co-star in the musical comedy-drama Never Steal Anything Small.

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Soundtracks

"I'm Sorry, I Want a Ferrari"
Music by Allie Wrubel
Lyrics by Maxwell Anderson
Performed by Cara Williams and James Cagney

User Reviews

An antidote to the super-serious On The Waterfront

One of Cagney's last pictures before his extended retirement (he returned in Ragtime). Like On The Waterfront, Never Steel Anything Small deals with a corrupt longshoreman's union on the U.S. east coast. That's where the similarity ends, as one is a straight drama and the other a musical comedy. Cagney, with his roots as a vaudeville hoofer, dances and sings in some neat production numbers choreographed by Hermes Pan, Fred Astaire's (mostly) off-screen collaborator. The movie also sends up television commercials; an unusual thing in the 1950s when Hollywood was loathe to acknowledge the upstart TV medium. Shirley Jones does a nice job as the good wife who inadvertently tempts the wiley union boss/climber-with-a-heart-of-gold Cagney.