Larceny **** (1948, John Payne, Joan Caulfield, Dan Duryea, Shelley Winters) – Classic Movie Review 10,966

Tory (Shelley Winters): ‘Stop twisting my arm! People will think we’re married!’

Director George Sherman’s exceptionally enjoyable vintage 1948 film noir crime thriller Larceny stars John Payne as a devil-may-care confidence trickster called Rick Maxon, the recently reformed hero who is going to save a pretty damsel in distress, grieving war widow Deborah Owens Clark (Joan Caulfield), when she is threatened by greasy crook Silky Randall (Dan Duryea), the hard man of Rick (Payne)’s confidence trick gang of grifters.

But first Rick ingratiates himself with Deborah by pretending he was her husband’s buddy during the war. The sting is to sell her a memorial to her husband and pocket the money. But then Rick starts falling for her, and Silky’s unstable girl, Tory (Shelley Winters) turns up to chase after Rick, followed by Silky.

Larceny is a really good, solid, entertaining film noir, with an engaging story, involving characters and plenty of intrigue. suspense and dynamism, and a strong crime melodrama script.

The performances of Duryea and Shelley Winters as his poisonous gal Tory who falls for Rick (Payne) are the bright highspots, upstaging the main stars. Duryea is a splendidly slimy and menacing bad guy, and Winters acts splendidly deranged. But Payne and Caulfield, though lesser talents, are good too, and Dan O’Herlihy stands out in support as Duke.

The screenplay by Herbert F Margolis, Louis Morheim and William Bowers is based on Lois Eby and John Fleming’s novel The Velvet Fleece.

Also in the cast are Dorothy Hart, Richard Rober, Nicholas Joy, Percy Helton, Walter Greaza, Patricia Alphin, Harry Antrim, Russ Conway, Paul Brinegar, Don Wilson and Gene Evans.

Tory (Shelley Winters): ‘I’m sorry, Rick. What can I do to help you?’
Rick (John Payne): ‘Stay away from me.’
Tory (Shelley Winters): ‘I mean besides the impossible.’

Larceny is directed by George Sherman, runs 89 minutes, is made by Universal International Pictures, is released by Universal Pictures (1948) (US) and General Film Distributors (1948) (UK), is written by Herbert F Margolis, Louis Morheim and William Bowers, based on Lois Eby and John Fleming’s novel The Velvet Fleece, is shot in black and white by Irving Glassberg, is produced by Leonard Goldstein and Aaron Rosenberg (associate producer), is scored by Leith Stevens, and is designed by Bernard Herzbrun and Richard H Riedel.

Tagline: ‘Sure you can fool with a gal like this… you can play for dynamite too!’

Dan Duryea as Danny Fuller in Too Late for Tears (1949).

Duryea’s film fame as a slimy villain was far from his real character as a family man long married (from 1932) to Helen Bryan with two children. Peter Duryea became an actor and appeared with his father in the western films Taggart (1964) and The Bounty Killer (1965) and Richard became a talent agent.

© Derek Winnert 2021 Classic Movie Review 10,966

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