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A Slight Case of Murder

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Wikipedia article




'A Slight Case of Murder' is a 1938 American comedy film directed by Lloyd Bacon. The film is based on the 1935 play by Damon Runyon and Howard Lindsay. The offbeat comedy stars Edward G. Robinson spoofing his own gangster image as Remy Marco.

Plot



With the end of Prohibition, bootlegger Remy Marco ("Marko" in a sequence of the film, and in the closed captioning) becomes a legitimate brewer; but he slowly goes broke because the beer he makes tastes terrible, and everyone is afraid to tell him so. After four years, with bank officers preparing to foreclose on the brewery, he retreats to his Saratoga summer home, only to find four dead mobsters who meant to ambush him, but were killed by their confederate whom they meant to betray. More and more problems begin to pop up in the life of the former bootlegger, as he has taken in a bratty orphan, and his daughter comes home with a fianc that turns out to be a state trooper.

Cast



Critical response



The movie continues to receive positive reviews. A 'Classic Film Guide' review calls it "a satisfying comedy, which is enhanced by some great character work by veteran supporting players": Allen Jenkins, Edward Brophy, and Harold Huber as members of Remy's former gang gone legitimate; Margaret Hamilton as Mrs. Cagie, director of the orphanage where Marco grew up; and Paul Harvey as Marco's daughter's prospective father-in-law.

Adaptations



The story was remade as 'Stop, You're Killing Me' (1952) with Broderick Crawford and Claire Trevor.

On April 8, 1945, 'Old Gold Comedy Theatre' presented an adaptation of the film on NBC radio. The 30-minute program starred Edward G. Robinson and Allen Jenkins. On January 24, 1954, it was presented on NBC Star Playhouse starring Edward G. Robinson.

Although not an adaptation, Sylvester Stallone's movie 'Oscar' (1991) bears a resemblance to the plot (minus the corpses), and all three movies can trace their ancestry to Molire's 'The Bourgeoise Gentleman'.

See also



* List of American films of 1938

References




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