Raffles, the Amateur Cracksman

It's always such a treat to see movies that are more than 100 years old. Raffles, the Amateur Cracksman was made in 1917, and it was the first of six film adaptations about the gentleman cat burglar. John Barrymore stars as Raffles in this one, and his famous profile is put on full display in several comical close-ups. He steals jewelry, sells the stones without detection, and gives the money to those less fortunate; by day, this Robin Hood plays cricket and attends lavish house parties. This is a light, fluffy story, so don't expect an intense crime drama.

Among the partygoers in the featured party that tempts Raffles into stealing a large, valuable necklace, is a young Frank Morgan. You won't even recognize the Wizard of Oz in this movie! He has a thick head of brown hair, and he's chasing after a girl. It's very fun to see him in one of his first movies, and to see him in a silent movie where he's without his classic bumbling dialogue. Besides seeing the two men in a silent flick, this movie isn't that great by today's standards. I've seen three versions of Raffles, and this one isn't as good as the 1925 of 1939 adaptations. It's not bad for 1917, but for 2020, you'll probably want one that's been better preserved and doesn't seem so incredibly dated.

There are possibly many other silent films that are packed chock-a-block with even more sub-titles than the 1917 Raffles, but I'm glad to say I've not yet encountered them. This one contains nearly three hundred—an average of nearly five titles a minute. True, some of them consist of only a sentence or two, but most of them fill the whole screen. And such titles they are too! They're not the least bit funny, witty or comic. Just dull, wordy, prosaic—and often unnecessary. What's more, the editor makes little attempt to integrate the titles smoothly. Due to George Irving's shockingly bad direction, they jar, jar, jar! Irving also has not a clue in the world how to shoot close-ups so that they relate to the long and medium shots.

As usual, Barrymore overdoes the histrionics. A few of the other players, notably Mrs Brundage (and to a lesser extent, Miss Mayo) follow his lead, but the movie is saved by two outstandingly effective performances. Frank Morgan makes an excellent Bunny, and Frederick Perry (who was actually Hornung's choice to play the lead—a choice supported by Scribner, his American publisher) manages to overcome the creaky script to give a sympathetic yet quietly charismatic impression of an astute detective who is nobody's fool. Perry has the requisite presence and assurance. He quietly out-acts Barrymore at every turn.

Most of the other players are competent enough. It was good to see Kathryn Adams as Gwendolyn, but Evelyn Brent, who plays her friend, Ethel, virtually disappears from the movie as soon as she's introduced.

Aside from the opening ship-board Prologue, production values are minor. The script's settings are otherwise pretty much confined to the stage play.

John Barrymore appeared in movies since 1912, but his first viewable film is December 1917 "Raffles the Amateur Cracksman." Despite the claim his earliest surviving feature is 1915's "The Incorrigible Dukane," it has yet been made available tp the general public.

John was the product of a two-generational family of actors, dating back to the mid-1800's. His parents were the famous stage actors Maurice and Georgie Drew Barrymore, great grandparents to actress Drew Barrymore. John's older siblings, Lionel and Ethel, also became well-known stage and movie stars.

After an unsettled childhood where he was shipped from school to school, only to get expelled, John's first love was painting. However, a few years of an unsuccessful career in art, Barrymore turned to the theatre "There isn't any romance about how I went on stage," he reminisced, "I needed the money." For the next ten years, from 1903 until 1912, John concentrated solely on live acting. He drew praise for his stage work, being compared to his uncle John Drew, who was a legendary actor in his own right. Barrymore dabbled in film in 1912, appearing in four shorts before becoming more serious about cinema the following year. His first lead in a feature film was in the romantic comedy "An American Citizen." From that point on in his acting career, Barrymore appeared in a string of films. But his heart, even though it didn't nearly pay as much, was acting on the stage, where he returned to time and time again.

In "Raffles The Amateur Cracksman," adapted from a series of short stories by E. W. Hornung, John, 35 when making the movie, plays a member of high society posing as a cricket player stealing from unscrupulous swindlers. Not keeping any of the valuables, he readily donates them to charity. From pearls to necklaces, the film centers on Raffles' cleaver ways Barrymore achieves his goals without being caught by the con artists and their sympathetic detectives.

Appearing as his sidekick is actor Frank Morgan in one of his earliest roles. A Cornell University graduate, Morgan is known for his later roles as a confused but kind-hearted person, such as his most famous appearance as the Wizard in 1939's "Wizard of Oz." But in the silent movie era he played a series of romantic leads, such as in "Raffles."

The Great Profile - John Barrymore - appears in this semi-noirish silent crime meller. While the picture may be dated (as silent movies go), Barrymore is simply spellbinding.

This was before drink destroyed his looks and concentration, and he looks simply magnificent - certainly the most handsome silent movie star at a time when a chocolate face was the preeminent criteria for movie stardom.

Barrymore is a the only reason viewers may have for seeing this film, but it is reason enough.

Had not seen "Raffles, the Amateur Cracksman" (1917) in well over a decade or more, so I watched it again. Starring John Barrymore in only his sixth feature film, this also has Christine Mayo, Frank Morgan, Frederick Perry, Kathryn Adams, H. Cooper Cliffe, Mathilde Brundage, Dudley Hill, and even Evelyn Brent in an almost non-existent part, with others in smaller parts. The story of the bored, rich cricket champ who cracks safes or whatever for fine jewelry just as a lark, then gives most of the proceeds to the poor - a modern Robin Hood - this story and play by E. W. Hornung has been made into several films and television shows. Perhaps the best film was the 1930 version with Ronald Colman. Nigel Havers made a 2001 British television film of the story, and a 12 episode series had been made in 1975-77 with Anthony Valentine. House Peters (1925) and David Niven (1939) also have essayed the character on film, along with others less notable. The story seems not to have lost its appeal since its inception in 1899 as a collection of short stories by Hornung.

Barrymore is gracious in his characterization, slightly too stylized, and, in the end, actually somewhat boring. There are enough intertitles in this presentation to choke a horse! I couldn't believe how much talk goes on in this supposed - thriller. Just far too many. It's not a bad movie, and Barrymore's very watchable, but this film belongs back in 1917, or, if you need to watch it now, it's because you're a genuine movie buff, love E. W. Hornung, or are a Barrymore completist. Watch the Colman version to really be enthralled by this. Plus, there's Kay Francis and a needling David Torrence in the 1930 version to keep you smiling. Here, the best thing in the picture is probably Frederick Perry as the pursuing Captain Bedford. You'll almost hope he catches Barrymore just to keep Barrymore from having to make any more eyebrow raisings which become annoying. However, you WILL enjoy the last line of the film. IT IS SO-O-O BRITISH, so deucedly British! You'll have to watch now, won't you.

My print is the 2007 ReelClassicsVideo DVD.