When I mention Edward G Robinson, the last thing that will probably cross your mind is the word "comedy." This is what makes Larceny Inc. Such a strange movie: it features Robinson in a role he barely played. This movie is one of only a few gangster movies I can think of that has a funny undertone. There doesn't seem to be a lot of information about this movie online and I couldn't find how audiences at the time felt about it, so I feel like I have to give my opinion on whether or not it's good. The answer is an emphatic yes. This movie is about Chalmers "Pressure" Maxwell (Robinson) getting out of prison along with his friend Jug Martin, who's not very intelligent. A fellow criminal named Leo wants to rob a bank with the assistance of Maxwell and his friend, but they turn him down. Maxwell wants to move to Florida with his family but is too poor. To rectify this, he devises a plan to rob the bank (the same one Leo wanted to break into) by digging a hole into the bank from the basement of a luggage store. However, things backfire in a hilarious way when Robinson's new luggage store actually turns out to be a huge success, and the non-stop flood of customers looking for things to buy forces his henchman digging the tunnel in the basement to do things very quietly. Later on, Leo gets out of prison and decides to force Robinson to break into the bank using explosives around Christmas time. Robinson objects strongly, saying the success of his luggage business is generating all the money he needs. At the film's climax, the store is set on fire after the former owner shows up, but Maxwell saves him. Maxwell then says he wants to start his own series of stores. I was surprised by this movie because it is actually pretty funny, and it's a very rare thing to see Robinson in a comic relief role. Some of the funniest parts in this movie stem from the moments where his gang is trying to tunnel into the bank, and a customer walks into the store. Robinson has to devise a system of banging on a radiator to alert them so that they shut their jackhammers off and don't arouse attention. Robinson didn't do many comedy things, but this fits him surprisingly well, and Anthony Quinn as Leo plays the part to great effect, as he is intent on ruining Robinson towards the end. This movie deserved more recognition.
Review of Larceny, Inc
