Raffles

David Niven is a gentleman thief who gets caught in a bind when a Scotland Yard inspector catches up with him. Olivia deHavilland costars as his romantic interest. Interesting premise, deeply flawed execution.

David Niven is perfectly cast in the role, but the pacing of the moving is painfully slow, and it just drags on and feels so much longer than its 75-ish minute length. I think the big problem is that Niven's character next to no reason for actually being a thief, so we're dragged along on escapades that don't really seem to have much point.

And then there is Olivia deHavilland, who was criminally underused in this film, to the point that she could have been completely written out and you wouldn't miss her. This movie had so much promise, and it just fell flat. I still prefer the 1930 film with Ronald Colman in the title role. It was a very fluid early talkie.

David Niven stars as Raffles, debonair society gent, top cricketer and 'The Amateur Cracksman' forever foiling Scotland Yard's attempts to catch him. Raffles friend Bunny introduces Raffles to his sister Gwen (Olivia de Havailland) who he had always adored and they begin a relationship. Invited to Lord and Lady Melrose's house for the weekend, Raffles plans to steal some of Lady Melrose's jewellery to help out suicidal Bunny with his gambling debt, but all doesn't go as planned as Scotland Yard are at the weekend soirée as well.

Fun and sometimes quite tense piece of well staged stiff upper lip society fluff with Niven perfect as the suave thief with a silver tongue and a heart of gold. As is often the case with these films, it's the supporting cast that are the most fun and Raffles' butler Barraclough, played by E. E. Clive steals every scene he's in as do Lionel Pape and the great Dame May Whitty as Lord and Lady Melrose. Definitely one of those 'they don't make 'em like that anymore' films.

Nice to see James Finlayson, Laurel and Harry's frequent stooge appear briefly as a handsome cab driver.

If ever there was a film that should have been a lot better, it is the 1940 version of "Raffles" - excellently cast is David Niven as the Gentleman cracksman, and with Olivia de Havilland (at her loveliest) as his girl-friend Gwen, with two excellent supporting players in Dame May Whitty and Dudley Digges. Lasting only just over an hour, it misses a wonderful opportunity to make something really exciting and suspenseful, but on those scores it fails. The predictability of it is a real let-down, and really the talent of the two main stars are wasted - Miss de Havilland has absolutely nothing to do except sit around and look gorgeous - she must have been forced by Warners to do this on loan out, because it followed so soon after her big success in "Gone With The Wind".

With the amount of epic classics that were released in 1939, it's no wonder why lighter films from that year have been forgotten about. Raffles, while not worthy of any Academy Award nominations, is a very cute and entertaining movie.

David Niven stars as the title character, a wealthy and famous cricket player who moonlights as a burglar. There are several stealth scenes, and even though we know we shouldn't be rooting for the criminal, the fact that he's a compulsive thief rather than a desperate one makes us root for him instead of the police. Those scenes are quite suspenseful, so don't be surprised if you find yourself holding your breath until The Niv is home safe and sound.

There are lots of twists and turns in this movie, so I'll skimp on the plot overview so nothing will be ruined for you. It's much better if you experience it during the moment. This is a quick-paced, clever, romantic, classy, overlooked old movie that, had it been released in 1938 or 1940, might have become a classic. Check it out if you like heist movies, or if you like leading men with double lives and lots of secrets. You might get a new celebrity boyfriend from this movie!

RAFFLES ('40) contains a charming performance by David Niven as the jewel thief who constantly eludes detection by Scotland Yard. Niven has an equally charming co-star in Olivia de Havilland as his sweetheart--a thankless role which gives the actress a strictly cardboard leading lady role. It's Niven and the large supporting cast that consume most of the footage as the plot thickens and a Scotland Yard detective is hot on his heels.

Slow paced, only mildly entertaining, this one offers nothing in the way of wit or excitement to stir up anything more than moderate interest. Fans of David Niven and Olivia de Havilland get a chance to see the photogenic pair at their physical peak--but that's not enough to sustain interest in this bland remake of the earlier Ronald Colman version.

A standout in the largely British supporting cast is Dame May Witty as Lady Melrose whose necklace has fascination for the amateur thief.

Trivia note: Interesting to see a film from 1939 that shows a sports program being televised clearly on a rather medium-sized TV screen...long before TV became a household staple in the late '40s and early '50s.