Raffles (1939)

Raffles - 1939

In case you ever wondered about remakes in Hollywood, no they are not just a reality today.  Hollywood has been doing remakes for quite some time as evidenced by today's offering.  1939's "Raffles", starring David Niven and Olivia de Havilland, had been made nine years earlier under the same title.  The story has a few differences, but the plot is essentially the same.  A gentlemen who masquerades at night as a burglar plans to give up his double life, only to find out that he needs to pull off one more heist.

The film's supporting cast includes May Whitty, Dudley Digges, Douglas Walton, E.E. Clive, Lionel Pape, and Margaret Seddon.

All of London converges on the National Gallery to view an exhibition of the painting "The Medici Venus".  "The Amateur Cracksman" also comes to see it.  After everyone is gone, he sticks around and steals it, leaving not a trace behind.

He ends up sending it to a retired actress, Miss Maud Holden, whom he saw many years earlier in her farewell performance.  Miss Holden has suffered financially and needs the reward money.  The police are puzzled when she brings them the picture.

"The Amateur Cracksman" is already planning his next move.  He uses a kitten to deflect attention in a local jewelry store.  After he achieves the theft of one diamond bracelet, he lets the police know where to deliver his kitten accomplice.

Straight after the robbery, "The Amateur Cracksman" heads to one of London's nightclubs.  We find his name is A.J. Raffles and he is a famous cricket player.  He is introduced to Lord and Lady Melrose, who take an instant liking to him.  He's even photographed with Lady Melrose for the newspaper.

After he goes to dance with his friend Bunny's sister Gwen, Lady Melrose tells Bunny how much she likes Raffles.  In fact, Bunny, Gwen, and Raffles are all invited to the Melrose estate that weekend.

Raffles and Gwen spend most of the evening on the dance floor.  They fall in love during the course of the night.

Raffles sees Gwen home at the conclusion of the evening.  She feels that there is something that Raffles is holding back.  "Tell me your big secret.  ‘Cause I’ve felt for a long time that you’ve had one somewhere in your life," she says.  He doesn't tell her, but that doesn't stop them from enjoying every moment together.

After he goes home, Raffles decides to give up his life of crime and pursue a relationship with Gwen.  He sends back the stolen bracelet to the police in an empty cigarette carton.

Sweeping the cigarette carton for any trace of fingerprints or clues as to who "The Amateur Cracksman" is, the police discover a phone number that has been written on the carton.  They later find that it belongs to Lord and Lady Melrose (Lord Melrose wrote the number on a piece of paper that was on top of the carton the previous evening), which leads the police to suspect that a robbery will soon take place at the Melrose estate.

The Melrose house party is in full swing with a lively game of cricket with Raffles as the star.

Lady Melrose's maid is lurking in the bushes with her boyfriend, and we discover that they themselves are planning to steal Lady Melrose's emerald necklace.

The maid hurries back to Lady Melrose and picks up Her Ladyship's two dogs, Gin and Tonic.  Lady Melrose tells Gwen, "Such a nice girl, Wilson.  She’s the only maid I’ve ever had who doesn’t breathe on me."

Back at the house after the cricket match, Bunny tells Raffles that he owes a thousand pounds in gambling debts.  Worse still is that the money he bet was taken from his business and an audit is coming up the next Monday.

After Bunny threatens suicide, Raffles tells him to calm down.  He will think of something that will help Bunny out of his tight spot.

That evening during a piano recital, Raffles thinks about how he can get the money for Bunny.

He looks over at Lady Melrose and sees her emerald necklace.  An idea begins to develop in his mind.  Afterwards, he goes to Bunny and tells him that everything will be all right.

A funny moment happens during the recital.  Lord Melrose falls asleep and begins to snore loudly to the absolute irritation and mortification of his wife.  When she berates him later, he tells her he doesn't like music.  "Well, I don’t like cricket.  But I don’t take a nap in the middle of the playing fields," she says with authority.

The police inspector arrives at the Melrose house and tells Lord Melrose that he suspects a robbery.  Lord Melrose allows him to stay on the premises to guard the necklace.

When the inspector talks to Raffles and Bunny alone, he brings up the actress Maud Holden.  Bunny lets it slip that Raffles and he saw Miss Holden in her farewell performance.  The wheels of the inspector's mind begin to turn as he looks on Raffles and Bunny with suspicion.

While talking alone to Raffles, Lady Melrose decides that the safest place for her necklace is not in the house safe (the first place a burglar would look), but in her bedroom.  She bids everyone goodnight.

Before she goes to sleep, Lady Melrose requests a sleeping powder be put into her glass of milk.  The maid (having already put one in the milk) is reluctant to do this, but she does when Lady Melrose keeps insisting that she needs one.

The police inspector begins to suspect Raffles more when he sees the newspaper photograph of him and Lady Melrose at the nightclub.  Raffles seems to be looking at her necklace.

Later that night, Gwen sees that Raffles is struggling internally with something.  She tries to get him to confide in her, but he won't.

The maid's boyfriend succeeds in breaking into Lady Melrose's bedroom and stealing the necklace.

Raffles struggles with him and takes the necklace.  The thief doesn't get a look at his face, but he is able to see Raffles's wristwatch.

After his presence in the house has been made known, the thief sees Raffles and the wristwatch in good light, and he is able to make the connection that Raffles is the one who took the necklace from him.  The inspector has the thief taken to jail.

The next morning, Raffles makes plans to go to London rather hurriedly, which piques the interest of the inspector.

Lady Melrose awakens from her heavy sleep and discovers that her necklace is gone.

Gwen later asks her why she didn't put it in the safe, and Lady Melrose tells her it was because Raffles recommended her not to.  Gwen begins to suspect Raffles is "The Amateur Cracksman".

She overhears the inspector making plans to free the thief so he will lead them to Raffles and the necklace.

Arriving in London before the inspector, Gwen tells Raffles of his plan.  "Gwen, you shouldn't have come here," he says.  "Nothing could've kept me away," she tells him earnestly.

The inspector makes it to Raffles's house, and he nearly discovers the necklace.

The thief finds Raffles, but Raffles helps him escape when he tells him that the house is surrounded by police.

With the arrival of Lord Melrose and Bunny, Raffles reveals to the inspector that he is "The Amateur Cracksman".  He tells Bunny to get the necklace and give it to Lord Melrose so he can collect the thousand pound reward.  Lord Melrose doesn't want to press charges, but the inspector insists.

Through some quick thinking, Raffles sends the inspector and his men on a wild goose chase which culminates in them trying to arrest a street sign that's been dressed up.

Raffles bids farewell to Gwen, but she vows to follow him once he's settled.  "I love you.  I know I’ve said it before, but I thought you might like to hear it again," he says before he kisses her and vanishes through an open window into the darkness.

Cast rundown:

   David Niven.............................A.J. Raffles

   Olivia de Havilland....................Gwen Manders

   May Whitty..............................Lady Melrose

   Dudley Digges..........................Inspector MacKenzie

   Douglas Walton........................Bunny Manders

   E.E. Clive.................................Barraclough

   Lionel Pape..............................Lord Melrose

   Margaret Seddon......................Maud Holden

And that's all for Raffles.  This was David Niven's last American movie until 1946's "Magnificent Doll".  He was due to join the British Army, but he was given a 21-day grace period so he could finish his scenes.  This film is also notable because it is one of the first films to show a television set that is airing a program.

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