Jewel Robbery
Directed by William Dieterle
Written by Erwin S. Gelsey from a story by Ladislas Fodor
1932/USA
Warner Bros.
First viewing/Amazon Instant
Robber: The last place anybody would think of looking for me is in your bedroom.
Who knew William Dieterle had the Lubitsch touch?
The story is set in Vienna, Austria. The Baroness Teri (Kay Francis) is bored in her marriage to an elderly nobleman. She adores the jewels and furs he supplies, however. He has just promised to buy her a 28-carat diamond ring. Just after the couple make their purchase, an un-named Robber (William Powell) and his gang enter the shop for a daring daytime robbery. They clean the entire store out at gunpoint. It is lust at first sight between Teri and the Robber and he actually lets her keep her diamond.
The robber gives everybody the choice between smoking one of his “cigarettes” (pretty clearly marijuana) and getting locked in the safe. Teri refuses to do either. When the cops show up, the gang gets away. The Robber ends up stowing the loot in Teri’s bedroom. Both Teri and the jewels are then taken to the Robber’s pad for fun and games.
This movie is so much fun! The double entendres fly between the utterly charming leads. It’s only 68 minutes and I could have watched Powell and Francis do their thing for at least another half hour. The jewels and fashions are something to behold as well. Recommended.
