This strange mixture of sophisticated crime, classical music and light comedy is strangely similar to David Selznick's sentimental "Young in Heart" released the same year. That sweet film dealt with a family of grifters who manipulated their way into the mansion of sweet Minnie Dupree, a sweet old lady who unknowingly helped reform them.
This film deals with a group of jewel thieves who use their existence as musical artists to commit their crimes, eventually hiding out in the woods with long retired classic pianist Lewis Stone who is anxious to make a comeback. Gene Raymond and Olympe Bradne head up that gang, and our stunned when the local Hungarian townsfolk show up to encourage Stone while risking their own exposure.
Also involved in the jewel robbery racket are Glenda Farrell and Porter Hall with the usually bad guy Douglas Dumbrille playing the investigator on their trail period at first, this film seems strange and mixed up with it seems, but once Stone comes into the picture, it's only a little bit more time before things become clear. Bradne, whose "Will I'm the Whisp" nickname makes her a famous wanted crook, is very enjoyable in this, undeserving of obscurity.
Esther Dale, as his sour but surprisingly sweet housekeeper, steals every scene that she is in. There is also a ton of gorgeous classical music, and even a Frank Loesser song, "Boys in the Band", to liven up the early beer garden scenes. At times, the film also has a mystical quality about it, with bradney at one point referring to Stone's residence as an enchanted cottage. This is very European in its manner, making its being an American film (unrelated to the 1931 Paramount movie of the same name) quite surprising.
This film deals with a group of jewel thieves who use their existence as musical artists to commit their crimes, eventually hiding out in the woods with long retired classic pianist Lewis Stone who is anxious to make a comeback. Gene Raymond and Olympe Bradne head up that gang, and our stunned when the local Hungarian townsfolk show up to encourage Stone while risking their own exposure.
Also involved in the jewel robbery racket are Glenda Farrell and Porter Hall with the usually bad guy Douglas Dumbrille playing the investigator on their trail period at first, this film seems strange and mixed up with it seems, but once Stone comes into the picture, it's only a little bit more time before things become clear. Bradne, whose "Will I'm the Whisp" nickname makes her a famous wanted crook, is very enjoyable in this, undeserving of obscurity.
Esther Dale, as his sour but surprisingly sweet housekeeper, steals every scene that she is in. There is also a ton of gorgeous classical music, and even a Frank Loesser song, "Boys in the Band", to liven up the early beer garden scenes. At times, the film also has a mystical quality about it, with bradney at one point referring to Stone's residence as an enchanted cottage. This is very European in its manner, making its being an American film (unrelated to the 1931 Paramount movie of the same name) quite surprising.
