El ladrón fantasma

THE GREAT JEWEL ROBBER was released by Warner Bros as the bottom half of a double feature, an added attraction to the bicentennial documentary "50 Years Before Your Eyes." I saw it with my Dad at the Warner Theatre in Washington, DC and still remember it and the lasting impression it made.

The summary on this site is honest but simply inadequate to the film's merits; the intensely convincing performance by David Brian as well as the unusual inclusion of a strong point-of view. What sticks in the mind is the jewel thief's absolute and irreversible commitment to his trade and lifestyle. The film wants you to understand that he sees no alternative at all to being a jewel thief any more than a leopard sees any alternative to being a hunter. Actually, changing the leopard's ways would be easier. The film wants you to revel somewhat in each clever success, and in association and deceit of high society people; but much more than that it wants you to appreciate the pain, misery and depression involved. Another time caught, another long prison sentence, another delay in returning to crime --- his joy in life.

Seeing this at age 12, did I then follow David Brian's lead and enter a life of crime? Not at all; the film was more of a dissuader than any other crime film. I also had strong religious training, the more important of the two.

I saw a Randolph Scott movie tonight with David Brian as the bad guy and The Great Jewel Robber was quickly remembered after 57 years. I can't recommend the movie, I suppose. Dismissed by Warners in 1950 as a B movie, I have no clue how you could see this movie, never seen it rerun, not one time.

He gets around, I'll give him that.

David Brian is The Great Jewel Robber, a 1950 film that begins with an intro from the real guy. Gerard Dennis was known as The Hollywood Raffles because he stole from big Hollywood stars.

Dennis (Brian) is in love, we think, with a young woman. At this point, he is in a Canadian prison farm. They plan to marry, but he complains she's not receiving his letters. The warden has a few choice words for him.

Gerard escapes and makes his way back to his one true love who gives him money and some jewelry. He leaves and says he'll return when he has what he needs for both of them to leave town.

Then he connects with his other true love, Peggy (Perdita Chandler) - more money for forged papers. This time Peggy, as big a worm as he is, and a bartender they plan on cheating, go to rob a house.

Dennis almost doesn't make it out of the place, and when he does, Peggy and the bartender are gone. Later, during a confrontation with him, he's badly beaten.

Later, confronting them, he is badly beaten and is taken to a hospital where he meets nurse Martha Rollins (Marjorie Reynolds). After three weeks under her care, it's love. She mistakenly tells him a story about a wealthy family. He immediately goes to rob the house and is shot.

Martha now knows the truth. She removes the bullet. He promises to go straight.

Right. And the pattern continues. He breaks hearts and breaks into safes.

I guess I should be more enthusiastic about this film. It's okay. Brian often played tough guys opposite women such as Joan Crawford. He had the physical presence and a tough voice.

The character is totally committed to a life of crime, and that's really all he cares about. The seduction is a means to an end. He's a clever escape artist, constantly bamboozling the police. In this film, it seemed easy to do!

It's 90 minutes, and it does hold interest.

Canadian thief Gerard Graham Dennis (David Brian) gets turned in by his girlfriend's angry father. He escapes from prison work detail and sneaks across the border. He makes a series of robberies stealing only jewelry and furs. Using many aliases, he charms the ladies and works with criminals. While he breaks into empty homes, he does get violent when the plans go wrong. He keeps moving until he reaches Beverly Hills. The police almost catches him, but he continues to be slippery.

I like the cross-country crime spree aspect and his charms with the ladies. I would like to play up his character's supposed leading man looks. I don't want to hate on David Brian, but this is geared up for a real matinee star playing with some gorgeous ladies. In the end, this is a lower budget affair that is hitting above its weight.

Peter Godfrey directs a Borden Chase script of one of the Warner Brothers' "ripped from the headlines" B movies. Although several sequences recall other, better remembered movies -- the prison escape is a fast-track version of a similar bit from I AM A FUGITIVE FROM A CHAIN GANG -- the best description I can offer is that this is a criminal procedural -- the hows and wherefores of how a crook goes about his profession, instead of the more familiar police procedurals, of how they are caught.

Peter Godfrey, who never got out of the Bs despite some great work, is very sure-handed in his direction, with bit of dark humor shot through the work. Bill Lava's obtrusive score is heavy-handed, but the rambling, worried lead character played by David Brian is very real, and the treacherous world he lives in is well captured by Chase, who started out as a gangster's chauffeur -- until Al Capone had his boss killed and Chase decided to go into a safer line of work.

Watching The Great Jewel Robber I have to wonder why an A list actor like James Cagney or Humphrey Bogart didn't grab on to this story. David Brian did a great job as our protagonist but had either CAgney or Bogart did this one The Great Jewel Robber would be a classic.

Brian is a professional thief in every sense of the word. Stealing jewels and furs his is a professional attitude. He's one of the best in his trade and would prefer no violence, but is ready if needed. He also would prefer to work alone as you see in this film it's those he trusts are either cowardly, incompetent or treacherous.

Borden Chase best known for westerns Red River and Winchester 73 a couple of favorites of mine wrote the screenplay. Right up to the end Brian proves to be very clever, more lives than a cat. The last chase sequence is well done and well edited for suspense.

A really great product from Warner Brothers B picture unit.