Assassinatos em Profusão

I dislike remakes, and Hollywood has made a ton of them over the years. In the few cases where I actually liked the remakes, most of the time it was because the original film was flawed and the remake managed to work out the kinks--resulting in a better film. However, in the case of "A Slight Case of Murder", this is a very, very tall order, as this is one of the better comedies of the 1930s and one of Edward G. Robinson's best films. Because of this, I just understand why they didn't just re-release the original and remake some other film instead.

In "Stop, You're Killing Me", the film was originally seen as a remake featuring the singing and comedy of Danny Kaye. This might have worked. However, when Kaye was unavailable, they substituted Broderick Crawford--a man about as unlike Kaye as you could imagine! Hearing Crawford sing was sure interesting! Fortunately, it was quite brief and the rest of the music for the Kaye version was dropped or sung by others!

The film begins the day Prohibition ends. The good times for Marco (Crawford) and his gang of bootleggers is over--as cheaper and MUCH better booze is now available everywhere. So, Marco decides to disband the gang and retire. After a time, he gets bored and decides to re-open his brewery--legitimately this time. The problem is, his beer totally sucks and the only reason folks bought it was because his gang forced them to buy it and better stuff wasn't available. Marco is in trouble--and about to walk into more when he takes a little vacation.

There's been a huge holdup and an unrelated gang is hanging out in the mansion where Marco and his pals are headed for their vacation. To make things worse, one of the gang members ends up killing his partners and hides their bodies all over the place. Add to this a precocious and very annoying kid and you have a recipe for fun...or at least that's the way it was in the original!

The problem with "Stop, You're Killing Me" is that aside from a tiny bit of music and color, the film is just too close to the original and offers nothing new. The only major plus was Margaret Dumont--she was great! Plus, while everyone tries their best, I just couldn't help but think how much more I liked the originals--with not only Robinson but Allen Jenkins, George E. Stone, Eddie Brophy and more! Still, the original script was quite good and even though the film never should have been made, it was still pleasant and entertaining.

Warner Brothers waited just 14 years to remake its hit 1938 film, "A Slight Case of Murder." And, it's doubtful that it paid off to remake it at all. This retitled film - also based on a Damon Runyan 1935 play, had box office receipts of $2.5 million. It didn't even match the $2.9 million in box office of the 1938 film. That was with considerably higher ticket prices and more population to draw from. And, I think it's ridiculous to call a film a musical just because a couple of people sing along with a song on a record player.

To be fair, this is a good film. If the first film had not been made, this one would no doubt have done much better. But whenever a movie is remade, especially in less than 20 years between films, the comparison by critics and early viewers is a certainty. And, by no stretch can this film come close to the original. Broderick Crawford gives a very good performance here. But he would have to have given the greatest performance of all films for the past 10 years - or something like that, to have equaled Edward G. Robinson as Remy Marco. Oh, yeah, in this film the family name is spelled Marko.

Only one of the roles in this remake is up to its original role in the first film. That's Claire Trevor as Nora, Remy's wife. She's as good or better than Ruth Donnelly. Trevor gives a different touch to the role and she shines in it. As to the rest, the Brothers Warner couldn't come close to the original roles. Alan Jenkins as Mike was not to be outdone by Charles Cantor. Sheldon Leonard is good in these roles, and his Lefty is just about as good as Edward Brophy in the first film. Harry Morgan is a draw with Joe Downing as Innocence. But all the rest of this cast have considerably lesser roles or performances.

Anyone who hasn't seen the first film may enjoy this one. But, for those who have seen the original, its best to pass on this one.

Broderick Crawford and Claire Trevor shine in this semi-musical remake of A Slight Case Of Murder, now called Stop, You're Killing Me! Guys and Dolls it ain't, but it's Damon Runyon heart is in the right place. This tale of a beer baron whose wife and daughter are trying to crash high society, and who seem well on their way but for a little problem of a bunch of corpses in their Lake George mansion, is a nice mix of Arsenic and Old Lace-style gallows whimsy and Capone era gangster melodrama. If one has an appetite for either, and especially both, you will be richly rewarded by this one.

Prohibition ends and beer baron Remy Marko (Broderick Crawford) is out of work. He decides to make beer legitimately. He is going broke since his beer isn't any good. He and his wife Nora (Claire Trevor) have daughter Mary (Virginia Gibson) who is marrying policeman Chancellor "Chance" Whitelaw (Bill Hayes). Nora throws a lavish reception and chaos ensues.

This musical is based on the play A Slight Case of Murder which was made into a movie in 1938. I like that movie although I don't remember too much of it. I immediately recognized this plot really quickly. I don't recall it being a musical and this comedy does not make me laugh. Chance and his mother annoyed me. He is stupid without being funny and she screams too much. I don't like most of these characters. It also feels rather 50's musical and out of time. Even the dead bodies don't strike me as funny.

This is a remake of "A Slight Case of Murder," and suffice it to say that Broderick Crawford is no Edward G. Robinson! The remake, with Crawford as the reformed bootlegger who won't even drink the horrid beer he makes, is funny enough, but be sure to see it first, then the 1938 original. The decline may have something to do with the 50's sensibility's being too far removed from both Prohibition and 1930's screwball comedy.