FIRST-CLASS COMEDY

Evening Post, Volume CXXVI, Issue 134, 3 December 1938, Page 7

FIRST-CLASS COMEDY

"A SLIGHT CASE OF MURDER"

"A Slight Case of Murder" now showing at the Majestic Theatre is a brilliant satirical comedy of a very unusual type. The satire is genial and entertaining as is the story of the successful beer baron who loses almost all his money when he decides to turn honest. Splendid acting and a striking denouement are sure to make this film one of the most successful to be shown in Wellington.

The story is that of a mobster, Remy Marco, who, when the repeal of Prohibition ruins his business, decides to leave the underworld for the higher levels. He offers his gang jobs in his new brewery, and proceeds with the idea of becoming the biggest brewer in the country. Unfortunately for him, he is not in the habit of drinking beer himself. His reputation is such that all his henchmen are afraid of offending him, so that he does not learn the interesting fact that his beer is very much below par though good enough for the prohibition days; it becomes the reverse of popular after repeal, and Marco soon owes the banks what he considers the paltry sum of 500.000 dollars.

With the knowledge that the following day the bank officials are coming to foreclose the mortgage on his brewery, unless given the required sum, the Marco family go to their country house at Saratoga for the racing. Here a number of circumstances arise to make the position ludicrous. A gang of business rivals of the Marco combine raids the truck carrying the bookmakers' money to the Saratoga racecourse, and make off with 500,000 dollars. Deciding that they had better settle with Marco before dividing the lopt, the gang wait for him at his country house. While there, there is an argument, and four members of the gang are shot. Marco's arrival surprises the fifth member, who hides the loot in one of the spare bedrooms. Matters are further complicated by the fact that Marco's daughter has become engaged to a State trooper. Marco and his minions get rid of the bodies, only to discover that they are worth 40,000 dollars, dead or alive.

As Marco, Edward G. Robinson has a role entirely to his liking. He is again the perfect gangster of "Little Caesar," but the element of humour is in favour of the gangster who decides to "go straight." He is ably supported by Ruth Donnelly, Allen Jenkins, Bobby Jordan, Edward Brophy, and Harold Huber. In fact, most ofi the dyed-in-the-wool gangsters of filmdom seem to have a place in the cast but the story which is by Damon Runyon, seems to be designed to bring out the lovable eccentricities in their characters. For instance, there is the gangster who refuses to speak to. his friends because they will not let him come with them on a body-disposing trip. The excellent supporting programme includes newsreels, a cartoon "The Case of the Stuttering Pig," a lively musical comedy featurette, and a film featuring Mr. and Mrs. Jesse Crawford on the organ.