User reviews

And yet it is in one of the Warner Gangster DVD packs. This is one of those bizarre results from the whipsaw of events - age of DVD, great recession and resulting death of DVD, economic recovery and age of Blu and streaming -that put this relatively obscure film on DVD but leaves the three Show Boat films unrestored and in the Warner Archive. But I digress.

It may be obscure, but it is definitely worth your time. This is a comedy about a gangster, not a gangster film, as I said in my title. Robinson plays Bugs Ahearne, a Chicago gangster at the time of Roosevelt's 1932 election and, by extension, the death of prohibition. Ahearne is wise in that he sees the age of the mob and easy money from bootleg liquor is over, and divides his profits among his gang. Ahearne himself winds up with 1.25 million dollars. Multiply that by about 20 to get today's amount.

Ahearne has been planning for this day, and he has been reading the classics and improving himself. He plans to retire to California and become part of polite society. The problem is, outside of reading, Bugs has never talked to or known any society people in his life. Just like you can't learn to drive a car by just reading books, Bugs doesn't realize he sticks out like a sore thumb.

He also makes the mistaken calculation that people of "breeding" - whatever that is supposed to mean - and culture can be depended upon to be on the level, whether their motives are good or maybe not. Yet he is fooling the society people by pretending to be somebody else, wanting to leave his gangster roots behind. The result is an absolutely hilarious comedy of manners with tons of precode one liners, many of which I cannot repeat even in 2019.

And if you never thought Edward G. Robinson and Mary Astor could have great chemistry, maybe even be considered a comedy team, guess again. With great supporting performances. With a great understated performance by Russell Hopton as Robinson's best friend, who can't imagine life without the mob and tags along with "Bugs" for the ride. I guarantee you will never see polo as the same game again. Highly recommended.

The Little Giant is so adorable, and so entertaining, I accidentally watched it twice without recognizing it until halfway through! I love Edward G. Robinson, so it was no hardship to sit through one of his classically touching films about a gangster who wants to go straight and find class in high society. If you loved him in Brother Orchid, check out The Little Giant.

When Eddie G and his faithful sidekick Russell Hopton go to Santa Barbara after their bootlegging days are over, they're snubbed by high society. Only after his wealth becomes apparent does Eddie G get noticed, and unfortunately by the wrong woman: Helen Vinson. She's a gold-digger and seduces Eddie G while the rest of her family tries to swindle him out of money. This sounds depressing, but like I said, if you liked Brother Orchid, watch this movie. It's cuter and more heart-warming than it sounds. There are tons of jokes as he tries to come across as high class, like calling Plato 'Pluto' and asking what state California is in. Plus, it's always sweet to see Eddie G in a romance, and this time around he gets to fall in love with both Helen and Mary Astor!

Although the early sound era presented some problems - such as stationary camera shots with the actors nailed to their marks, and minimal use of background music resulting in long stretches of torpor - by 1931 most of these bugs had been corrected; thus the pre-censorship period of '31-'34 is chockfull of some of the most vigorous, creative and satisfying movies of Hollywood's Golden Age, however little-known many of them may be. LITTLE GIANT is one such hidden gem. A lightning-paced gangster comedy from the Warner-First National studio (where speed and economy were stylistic hallmarks), it's fast, funny and flippant in a manner that the decayed virgins of the Hays Office would render, if not impossible, at least awfully difficult after '34. Edward G Robinson plays Bugs Ahearn, a Chicago bootlegger put out of business by Prohibition's repeal, who decides to relocate to California and buy his way into society. Once there, he's immediately preyed upon by the type of 'respectable' vipers & parasites his background has left him ill-equipped to recognize, let alone fend off. This 'fish-out-of-water' comedy benefits greatly from a cheerfully amoral tone and a slew of zesty performances, not least of them Mary Astor's as a busted heiress who is the only non-hood here who's on the level. The mix of slapstick and rat-a-tat verbal comedy, coming at you at fast as it does, works very well, and nobody was better at this kind of hectic farce than the woefully-underrated Roy del Ruth, who was one of a number of sure & steady craftsmen who hit their peaks only under the Warners' aegis. In Del Ruth's case, the coming of the Code (and his subsequent move to MGM) proved to be disastrous: though he continued to direct till the late 50s, his post-Warners work was so drained of zest and inspiration that he is hardly remembered at all today. Even the auteurist crowd dismisses him as a competent hack. But do yourself a favor and seek out everything he did prior to 1935, and you'll be rewarded with a body of work that will surprise you with its cynical bite and confident staging. They play as well today as they did the day they opened. (Highly recommended, besides GIANT, are BLESSED EVENT, LADY KILLER, EMPLOYEES ENTRANCE & TAXI.)

The Little Giant (1933) : Brief Review -

The reason why I don't enjoy modern-day gangster comedies. Much better than Roy Del Ruth's own "Lady Killer," which tried the same theme in the same year. Today's gangster comedies hardly offer anything new and unique. All they do is just copy some good scenes from old Hollywood or British flicks and paste them on modern canvas with a new cast. That's the reason why I don't enjoy them as much as others do. I enjoy these original source materials instead. Roy Del Ruth was doing alright in the 30s, despite not making many great films. His Lady Killer has a similar theme drawn with James Cagney, while The Little Giant tells the same story again with new characters and a little bit more comedy and romance. It follows the attempts of an ex-gangster to make his way into high society, but he gets conned by a family of crooks. It was a pleasure seeing Edward G. Robinson in such a role where he could be brutal as well as funny at the same time. And he nailed it in both parts. Mary Astor's generous, smart little dame was bound to be loved by Bug, but why should he have all the fun? The audience found her just as lovable as him. You may hate Poly Cass' character, but you cannot hate Helen Vinson's portrayal. She looks like a perfect honey badger. The other cast members complement each other very well. The Little Giant is a very influential flick. Smartly written by Robert Lord and Wilson Mizner, this crime comedy has scenes that can never get outdated. You find many references in any modern-day gangster comedy, and you can immediately recall The Little Giant for its enormous contribution to top-class cliches. 9 decades old, yet our generation is remaking it. You can imagine how good it must have been for contemporary audiences. Roy Del Ruth may have lacked great classics in his career, but he certainly gave us many nice, entertaining, and timeless films. Hoping to catch more of his work soon.

RATING - 7.5/10*

By - #samthebestest.

Like every great First National picture, this one starts off quickly, with Edward G. Robinson in full, glorious gangster mode, speaking the classic language of the Prohibition movie gangsters, words like "mugs" and "rods" ornamenting his lines. But there is a twist here: Robinson (as "Bugs" Ahearn, the "Beer Baron"), is going to quit the illegal beer business (since Prohibition has ended), and go straight. In fact, Bugs has a dream: to become successful in high society.

The script is very fast paced and delightful, and in a couple of places, quite shocking, reminding us of how progressive pre-Code Hollywood could be; I almost fell out of my chair when Robinson's flunky and companion Al, when asked by Robinson whether he ever saw a painting like the one in his living room, responds with, "not since I stopped using cocaine"!! Another shocker comes later when Robinson refers to some slimy society people as "fags". Oh dear!

Robinson was an amazing actor. He constantly shifts back and forth between the know-it-all wiseguy bully, and a would be high society snob, who is very unsure of himself. This uncertain, unconfident Robinson, a tough guy who swallows his pride and grovels before his betters, is pleasing to see, and he does it very well. Perhaps one of the great Robinson scenes of all time is when Mary Astor seduces an unsuspecting EGR on a couch. Robinson plays it beautifully, as he has no idea that he is being seduced; and in a delightful moment, when Mary Astor has shyly moved away, sudden realization hits EGR as to what might have just happened. He turns to the camera, and I swear he makes exactly the kind of faces, registering surprise and possible comprehension to the audience, exactly as Oliver Hardy famously did a thousand times in his career. A priceless and lovely moment.

There are many satisfying moments in this film, and I highly recommend this. The early EG Robinson movies are gifts to be treasured, and this is one of the best.

The Little Giant (1933)

By 1933 the gangster genre was in full blown maturity, and Warner Bros. Along with Edward G. Robinson were key to that. This is a lesser known movie but still a good one, two years after his phenomenal "Little Caesar." This time, they thought the genre had room for comedy, and it doesn't always take off. Robinson is good, and Mary Astor is also good in a very different way, though not always on the same page as Robinson.

Mostly this is part of the larger picture-there are better Warner Bros gangster films, but this one holds its own.

My main reason for seeing 'The Little Giant' was to see fine actor Edward G. Robinson, who was in many great films and always a bright spot, in an early role. A role that was also a relatively different one, with him in comedy it was very different from his tough guy image, so it was interesting to see how he would fare in this regard. Another interest point was the film being one of the first gangster comedies.

'The Little Giant' turned out to be something of a little gem, nothing little about it. Found myself really entertained and relaxed watching it, with the odd shock/surprise thrown into the mix, and it is a shame that 'The Little Giant' is not known more than it is. It won't be one of my favourite films any time soon and won't consider it one of the greats, but it is not very well known at all these days, when there are films that are not particularly good yet make a lot of money and in some cases are popular, and obscurity is where it should be nowhere near close to being near or in. There is so much right with 'The Little Giant' and the not so good things are both barely any and not big at all.

Would have liked 'The Little Giant' to have been longer, an hour and a quarter seemed rather too on the brief side.

Helen Vinson is ever so slightly on the bland side but only in comparison with everybody else.

Robinson however is terrific, he is immensely gifted when it comes to the comic timing and he also gives the right amount of intensity when necessary. He has great chemistry with the cast, namely the very charming and zesty Mary Astor and with Russell Hopton, also very good. The characters are both interesting in personality and worth investing with. Roy DelRuth directs briskly, never allowing the energy or tension of the storytelling to slip (the film being full of both).

Just as good was the tightly structured and sharply witty script, that also had some remarkably ahead of its time content that one is shocked is in the film, the amoral tone likewise. The production values are slick and don't look as though they were made without enthusiasm or care. The film is always engaging and with never a dull spot.

Overall, a little gem. 8/10 Bethany Cox

The movie "Night After Night" (1932) featured a man from the streets (George Raft), who'd made good money with his speakeasy, trying to break into high society. He paid for lessons and used the little cultural knowledge he had to impress a girl (Constance Cummings) from the society world. That movie showed that the society world isn't much better than the underworld.

In "The Little Giant" J. Francis 'Bugs' Ahearn (Edward G. Robinson), a bootlegger, decided to call it quits after it looked like the end of Prohibition. He wanted to go legit and he wanted to break into the aristocratic class. For that he took his millions and headed west with his main man Al Daniels (Russell Hopton) to Santa Barbara.

While in Santa Barbara Bugs dumped his money into any and everything that would ingratiate him to the society crowd. He was attracted to Polly Cass (Helen Vinson) and there was no limit to what he would do to impress her. She and her family perked up at his presence when they found out he was a millionaire. Suddenly, she was in love with him. It was clear they saw him as a mark, but the savvy, street smart Ahearn couldn't have been a bigger sucker.

There was one decent person in Santa Barbara: Ruth Wayburn (Mary Astor). You could tell she was withholding information from J. F. Ahearn but not out of deception, but rather more out of decorum. It was also clear that he should be involved with Ruth and not the two-timing Polly.

I like the clash of classes movies. I know that it's just another way for Hollywood to show the upper class on film, but at least we get to see them for the shady crooks they are.

Edward G. Robinson as Bugs was a very familiar role. He played a similar character in "Little Caesar" and "Smart Money." He's almost comical in the role because of his small stature and distinctly nasally, high octave voice. Looney Tunes certainly thought he was funny as a gangster.

"The Little Giant" was a fine movie that showed how anyone can be suckered once they become too anxious. Bugs was so anxious to be accepted into high society that he fell for any and everything. Still, I liked his resolution to his problem which showed you can take a man out of the 'hood, but you can't take the 'hood out of the man.

Free on Odnoklassniki.

Playing an idiot in a "fish out of water tough guy in society role", does not suit the star. His strength was in his rapier sharp mind and sardonic manner which isn't in evidence here.

The sequence on the polo pony is cringeworthy. Still, it's E.G. so I give it a 5. The ending saves it. No spoilers. Check it out.

Prohibition ends and gangster boss Bugsy Ahearn, like so many during the depression, finds himself unemployed. What to do? Fortunately, he has laid aside much of his ill-gotten gains and has no money worries. So he decides to improve himself, to acquire some culture and move in elite circles. And therein lies a very funny story.

Edward G. Robinson shows a flair for comedy and shows off some of his immense talent as a social climber who decides to shoot the moon. He moves from Chicago to the West Coast, buys a mansion and falls for a lady from a family of swindlers, and generally falls into a series of mishaps, each one funnier than the last. He gets excellent support from Mary Astor, who becomes his guide to the finer points of becoming 'quality'.

You will gain great respect for Robinson if you've only seen him in tough-guy roles, as he carries the picture as a society naif in this written-for-the-screen comedy. There are no dead spots, either, as the story moves along briskly in an enjoyable 75 minutes. It was shown at Cinefest, Columbus, O., 6/13.

How can one not love a great Edward G. Robinson flick? Here he plays a Chicago gangster named 'Bugs' looking to go straight, with a seemingly unhealthy obsession with mingling with "high society" people.

Of course he gets out to California with his buddy, and while keeping his old gangster life a secret, gets involved with a woman who, along with her family, wants to swindle him out of his money. Like a fish out of water, Bugs is out of his element and can't see the scam against him, so blinded by the pretty woman.

The real hilarious thing about "The Little Giant" is that after Bugs realizes he's been scammed, the gangsters then turn into the good guys to make things right. This being a comedy, we laugh as the gangsters even use torture (!) to set things straight, all while cracking jokes. Bugs even refers to the ones who swindled him as (insert gay slur here). Talk about pre-code!

As always, Edward G. Is non-stop, and the film is a tour-de-force for him to showcase his quick wit and razor-sharp delivery. Definitely worth a viewing.

Like a lot of comedies made in the pre-code era, depth and believability of characters and subtlety of story were sacrificed for jokes. In this example, there's just one joke which gets a little bit too childish after a while to make a proper picture.

That approach worked with talented comedians such as Laurel and Hardy, Marx Brothers or even today's SpongeBob SquarePants but not with character actors who don't bother to display any character. Comedy dramas only work when you can believe in and empathise with the people you're watching - when you can believe you're watching real people not actors. This film however simply feels like Edward G Robinson having a bit of a laugh. It's not a bad film but its gentle humour relies solely on the fact that Robinson was that tough guy actor being silly.

Despite its significant flaws, reliable Roy del Ruth keeps this bouncing along at a good pace so it's easy to watch. EGR is actually quite amusing and although you'll not laugh, you'll smile. Essentially however this is nothing more than a famous actor enjoying some in-jokes.

Little Giant, The (1933)

*** (out of 4)

When F.D.R. gets elected President, Chicago bootlegger Bugs Ahearn (Edward G. Robinson) decides to get out of the business. He heads off to California where he plans on crashing into society and he thinks he's doing a good job but he doesn't realize that his love (Helen Vinson) is actually from a corrupt family that is just using him. THE LITTLE GIANT isn't a perfect movie and it's not really that funny either but it's impossible not to fall for its charm and especially the charm of Robinson. Most people will always remember Robinson for his tough guy roles but if you dig deeper into his filmmography you will see that he was actually able to play just about any type of character. This film is without question a spoof of his tough image but it works so well because you can believe Robinson in the part of the gangster but also believe him in the sillier stuff where he's trying to be a gentleman. There are some very good moments scattered throughout the film but I think the real highlight is in the final ten-minutes once Robinson realizes what has happened and he decides to bring a little Chicago out West. Vinson is also very good in her supporting role as she has no problem playing this brat and we get nice work from Russell Hopton and Kenneth Thomson. Mary Astor is also extremely charming as the woman who falls for Robinson, although he doesn't know it at first. Both actors are so good together that the film actually drags a bit when they're not together. Fans of Robinson or the Warner gangster pictures are certainly going to want to check this out just to see the studio and star spoofing themselves.

THE LITTLE GIANT didn't change cinema nor is it particularly innovative, but it is a fun little comedy that deserves more accolades from classic movie geeks. Edward G. Robinson plays a retired gangster who decides to break into high society. He mingles with snobs who sneer at his rough manners and ignorance of social niceties, yet secretly covet his millions behind his back.

Robinson was a very versatile performer and he goes great with the comic elements of his role. Mary Astor is a bit wasted as the disgraced society woman who loves him, barely given much screen time to explore her character. The supporting cast is in fine form on the whole.

The film is brief and well-paced, never overstaying its welcome. The situations are amusing, heightened by the fine performances. And as always with movies from the early 1930s, there are some deliciously outrageous things you wouldn't be seeing on-screen again until the 1960s, such as one of Robinson's cronies mentioning he hasn't seen something so crazy since he "was on cocaine."

Even though Mary Astor gets top billing with Edward G. Robinson, Helen Vinson has more screen time than Astor. But Vinson and Astor both deserve as much screen time that either can get. They are a delight. And Robinson shares the screen with them both generously and professionally.

Once again, any film with Robinson is going to be a delight to watch. He plays the role of a gangster who sees the writing on the wall when prohibition is coming to an end. He gets out while he can and decides to start a new life in Santa Barbara and improved himself by surrounding himself with culture and high society.

His attempts keep failing until he finally gets the attention of Vinson, who is of good background and wealth, and she appears to fall for him. But there are small clues and hints that Vinson might really just be falling for his money.

Astor comes along and helps Robinson fit in and she sees the danger ahead as Robinson falls for Vinson and decides he wants to marry her. There is a very sweet scene where Robinson is nervous to propose and asks Astor if he can practice with her. This clearly shows the audience that Astor is the right girl for Robinson but he still doesn't get it. I found myself yelling at the screen "You fool! Open your eyes!" LOL

So check out this fun film. It is sweet, funny, touching, and will have you cheering for "the underdog". The ending is perfect also.

Classy Astor. Classy Robinson. And even classy Vinson make up one Classy Classic!

When I think comedy, Eddie Robinson doesn't jump to mind. Here, however, he's fairly amusing in a muted comedy of manners. Most importantly, he doesn't mock his iconic tough guy image. Instead he plays an out-of-work bootlegger at prohibition's end eager to transition into upper class society with his ill-gotten gains. Trouble is he can't leave his tough guy ways behind, especially his streetwise lingo and muscle men. That makes for some amusing situations when he mixes with the refined upper crust. The comedy's pretty restrained on the whole, neither of the popular madcap nor screwball of the time. The production's also pre-Code which means some mild innuendo and bra-less gowns (Vinson).

Note too how the upper class Cass's are implicated in crime, but of a different type than Ahearn's gangster sort. Instead, the ruthless family markets worthless bonds to unsuspecting customers, bilking them of needed moneys. Thus, we get a glimpse of white-collar larceny at a time,1933, when the topic was an especially live one. Compared to Ahearn's competition among bootleggers, the Cass's white-collar variety appears less violent but more vicious, a not accidental feature, I suspect.

All in all, the WB flick's a shrewdly done, amusing departure for one of their stable of 30's tough guys. My only gripe is the nutzoid finale on the polo field. It's an effort, I expect, to provide a bang-up climax, one that's unfortunately way out of sinc with the rest of the intelligent restraint. Still, Robinson gets something of an amusing showcase, proving again what a fine actor he was and remains.

There's very few actors that have enunciation like Edward G. Robinson. He's Bugs Ahern who shuns the life of a Chicago gangster to become a member of high society in Calfiornia. He uses his powerful oratory to make mincemeat of the English language, all while enduring many faux pas and self inflicted embarassments. Mary Astor, a matinee idol of the 30's, plays a down and out society women and is the perfect foil to Robinson's Bugs Ahern. I'm not going to discuss the plot, except to say there is involvement with monkey suits, polo and what else? Scoundrels. This film is from the golden age of Hollywood, when actors like Bogart, Becall, Cagney and others helped to lift the country out of the Great Depression.

Tagline: A fish out of water.

For the record, with my review, it's not meant to consider the comedic elements, some aspects are dated, but this movie wasn't made with 2020 in it's mind. That said, some parts really did make me laugh.

It's a nice tale of a man trying to go straight, only to get screwed, and then to flex his skills of how he became a big shot in organized crime once. Simple enough, yet rather entertaining, especially when the mobsters show up.

Not serious like Little Caesar, but still entertaining, a fun watch.

8/10