Raffles (1939)

People are voting emotionally.

Fresh and Exciting

If the ambition is to provide two hours of instantly forgettable, popcorn-munching escapism, it succeeds.

Your blood may run cold, but you now find yourself pinioned to the story.

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!

The film was originally titled Colonel Rowan of Scotland Yard and Inspector MacKenzie played by Dudley Digges has the most interesting role as the wily detective as if he was modelled somewhat on Sherlock Holmes.David Niven is the dashing cricket player who also has a sideline as a gentleman thief. We actually see footage of Raffles playing cricket on a television screen.Raffles needs to pull a job for his friend Bunny who has money troubles. He has also fallen in love with Bunny's sister, Gwen (Olivia de Havilland) who figures out that Raffles might be a part time burglar. Raffles is spending a weekend with as a guest of Lord and Lady Melrose. A valuable necklace is the tempting prize but Scotland Yard also thinks the same and turn up to the mansion.I have read the Raffles book and saw the wonderful ITV adaptation in the 1970s. This is a poor version of Raffles. It is almost a pedestrian country house whodunit. As the film goes on, everyone seems to have suspected Raffles as the gentleman thief, there is no suspense. This is just an example of a film stifled by the Hays Code.

In order to enjoy either version of Raffles, the Ronald Colman or this one, you have to be a fan of either Colman or David Niven in this case. If you don't like either, Raffles will not be your cup of English tea. Fortunately I like both of them.David Niven probably carried more films on his personal charm than any other player I know. Even more than Ronald Colman did, because Colman had the advantage of getting better scripts.This remake that Sam Goldwyn did of his own film had little change in it from the Colman version. David Niven is the debonair cricket player who has a nice sideline as a cat burglar. He's so good, he leaves taunting notes for Scotland Yard, particularly at Inspector Dudley Digges who's in charge of trying to catch him.The last job he does is for his friend Douglas Walton who has embezzled some mess company funds to gamble with and there's an audit come due. Raffles is a pal good and true and offers to help though Walton does not know about his sideline.Olivia DeHavilland is Walton's sister who has little to do but sit around and look beautiful. She had hoped that on the strength of her performance in Gone With the Wind, Warner Brothers would giver her more substantial material. That was not to be even on a loan out to Sam Goldwyn.Despite it being lightweight stuff, Raffles is a key film for David Niven. He was at last given first billing in a film. But as soon as the film was done, he was back to Great Britain to serve in the Armed Forces. Niven made two films in uniform, Spitfire and The Way Ahead, and also saw some combat. He wouldn't see Hollywood again for many years.Raffles is nice entertainment, but it helps to be a fan of David Niven.

"Raffles" has one thing going for it: Olivia De Havilland is beautiful and appealing. This was in the early phase of her career.. She made many movies in which she was saucy and as pretty as anyone else in Hollywood. Then she turned to serious roles. She did well at those also but in certain ways, these early trifles are fun.Dame May Witty, a versatile character actress, is totally wasted. She plays a standard dithering dowager. Any of at least ten actresses at the time could have done as well.What "Raffles" needed was the right director. Sam Wood was at the helm of many fine movies. But this is not his genre. Alfred Hitchock could have had fun with it. Imagine this movie with Cary Grant in the title role, directed by Hitchcock. (It might have been like "To Catch a Thief." The full axiom from which that tile is taken is quoted in "Raffles.") But Lubitsch would have been the best for it. He could have turned it into a soufflé' about class, criminals vs heroes. It's not a soufflé, though: It's a blintz.