I STOLE A MILLION
(Universal) Too often Hollywood’s idea of a social document turns out to be a lot of "blah," but sometimes the attempt comes off; this is the case with "I Stole a Million," which is one of the best pictures of its type I have seen in many moons. The story is an uncomplicated, easilymoving one about the life and death of a man who tried to "go straight." This sort of thing has been done before, heaven knows, dozens of times. But, generally, not so convincingly. George Raft gives a really good study of a taxi-driver who makes one mistake and then finds it running after him like a snowball, gathering weight every moment. Claire Trevor, as his wife, gives a satisfying, restrained performance, and her acting with Raft in one or two scenes strikes just the right note of pathos. Raft is good because he is not ostentatiously tough; neither is he "goody-goody"; he’s just an ordinary man in a terrible dilemma, and you’ve got to feel sorry for him. Victor Jory, Henry Armetta, and Dick Foran have unspectacular parts which they play well. Best scenes: George, Claire and their child in a moon-lit orchard: and the sunny hillside and the little house where the story ends. If you want some real realism instead of the usual dose of false heroics, see this picture.
G.
M.
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https://paperspast.natlib.govt.nz/periodicals/NZLIST19390915.2.39.1.3
Bibliographic details
New Zealand Listener, Volume 1, Issue 12, 15 September 1939, Page 34
Word Count
231I STOLE A MILLION New Zealand Listener, Volume 1, Issue 12, 15 September 1939, Page 34
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Copyright in the work University Entrance by Janet Frame (credited as J.F., 22 March 1946, page 18), is owned by the Janet Frame Literary Trust. The National Library has been granted permission to digitise this article and make it available online as part of this digitised version of the New Zealand Listener. You can search, browse, and print this article for research and personal study only. Permission must be obtained from the Janet Frame Literary Trust for any other use.
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