Never Steal Anything Small ** (1959, James Cagney, Shirley Jones, Roger Smith, Cara Williams) – Classic Movie Review 11,638

Director Charles Lederer’s 1959 American CinemaScope comedy-drama musical film Never Steal Anything Small stars James Cagney as Jake Macllaney, a corrupt dockers’ union leader who will stop at nothing to be re-elected, and lusts after Linda Cabot (Shirley Jones), the wife of young upright attorney Dan Cabot (Roger Smith).

Pursuing Linda, Macllaney breaks up her marriage, and sets up Dan on a grand larceny charge.

Never Steal Anything Small is a peculiar crime drama with comedy and music, which does not resolve the contradiction of its disparate elements and come together successfully. But it keeps the interest nonetheless, largely thanks to Cagney, who is good in a tricky role as a dishonest but charming union boss who wants to steal a happily married woman, though it is by no means his finest hour.

It is directed by screenwriter Lederer, who writes both the screen story and screenplay, based on Maxwell Anderson’s and  Rouben Mamoulian’s play The Devil’s Hornpipe.

It is Cagney’s final musical film.

Jones performs ‘I Haven’t Got a Thing to Wear’, a lively musical number spoofing TV commercials, Cagney performs ‘Never Steal Anything Small’, while Cagney duets with Cara Williams on ‘I’m Sorry, I Want a Ferrari’.

The cast are James Cagney as Jake Macllaney, Shirley Jones as Linda Cabot, Roger Smith as Dan Cabot, Cara Williams as Winnipeg Simmons, Nehemiah Persoff as Pinelli, Royal Dano as Words Cannon, Anthony Caruso as Lt. Tevis, Horace McMahon as O.K. Merritt, Virginia Vincent as Ginger, Jack Albertson as Sleep-Out Charlie Barnes, Robert J. Wilke as Lennie, Herbie Faye as Hymie, Billy M. Greene as Ed Barton, Barry Russo [John Duke] as Ward, Jack Orrison as Osborne, Roland Winters as Doctor, Ingrid Goude as Model, Sanford Seegar as Fats Ranney, Edward McNally as Thomas, Gregg Barton as Deputy Warden, and John Halloran.

Cagney was on a trip to Hawaii when he met Smith stationed in the Naval Reserve there, and encouraged him to pursue an acting career. Cagney hired him to play his son Lon Chaney Jr in Man of a Thousand Faces (1957) before casting him here.

Distinguished screenwriter Lederer directed only three films: Fingers at the Window (1942), On the Loose (1951) and Never Steal Anything Small (1959).

Derek Winnert 2021 Classic Movie Review 11,638

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