Main Cast: James Cagney, Roger Smith, Shirley Jones, Cara Williams, Nehemiah Persoff
Release Year: 1959
Country: US
Run Time: 94 minutes
Plot
Only one of three films directed by screenwriter Charles Lederer, known for movies as disparate as The Thing (1951) and Gentlemen Prefer Blondes (1953), this crime comedy-drama-musical obviously defies categorization. Mixing James Cagney as a gangster out to control a big union, with musical numbers and cute songs is about like mixing onions and vanilla pudding. Jake MacIllaney (Cagney) wants to be elected president of Longshoreman's union 26 and, being a top mob boss, is used to getting his way. He is not past almost any stunt or method of coercion to get votes. Dan Cabot (Roger Smith) is Jake's lawyer, and after Jake meets Cabot's wife Linda (Shirley Jones), he sets his sights on conquering her affections. Disregard the husband, he can be taken care of. Setting this to music introduces some entertaining songs (I'm Sorry -- I Want a Ferrari) but the seriousness of the mobster's immorality and power is hard to reconcile with a perky tune about not stealing the small stuff. ~ Eleanor Mannikka, All Movie Guide
Review
Never Steal Anything Small is a hodgepodge of a musical, a mixture of too many genres that goes in too many directions to be effective. Matters are not helped by a screenplay that fails as often as it succeeds in being witty, and by a basic immorality to the story that is flirted with but never explored. Steal is also hurt by a paucity of musical numbers. Making the characters involved in this particular story sing is a challenge in itself; it is not helped when there are so few numbers that one forgets this is a musical. The songs in Steal are also not strong enough to make the needed impression. The title number is diverting but not memorable, which is also the problem with the amusing "I'm Sorry -- I Want a Ferrari" (which is amusingly performed by James Cagney and Cara Williams.) Stars Cagney and Shirley Jones are of enormous help (although neither's musical talents are exploited to the proper extent), Hermes Pan contributes some nifty staging, and there are some isolated moments that are wonderful, but Steal is ultimately a misfire. ~ Craig Butler, All Movie Guide
Royal Dano - Words Cannon; Anthony Caruso - Lt. Trevis; Horace McMahon - O.K. Merritt; Virginia Vincent - Ginger; Jack Albertson - Sleep-Out Charlie; Robert J. Wilke - Lennie; Herbie Faye - Hymie; Billy Greene - Ed; John Duke - Ward; Jack Orrison - Osborne; Roland Winters - Doctor; Ingrid Goude - Model; Skipper McNally - Thomas; Gregg Barton - Deputy Warden; John Halloran - First detective; Phyllis Kennedy - Waitress; Eddie Parker - Policeman; Harvey Perry - Detective; Rebecca Sand - Coffee vendor; Jay Jostyn - Judge
