Leave It to Smith (1933) User Reviews

It would have been better as Psmith

[boblipton · 5/10 · 20 February 2017]

Tom Walls is a professional thief. He and his American crony, Hartley Power, insinuate themselves into the home of a rich woman, planning to rob her safe -- cash and bonds, nothing that can be traced. However, when a valuable diamond necklace goes missing, suspicion falls on Walls.

If there was ever much life in this property, it has certainly died in the more than 80 years since it was produced. Walls was a highly capable actor and suave farceur, but while he could enliven good material, this uneasy mixture of A.J. Raffles and John Galsworthy is filled with standard upper class British types, none of whom are written as particularly witty nor interesting.

Well worth seeing!

[JohnHowardReid · 6/10 · 31 March 2018]

A Gaumont British Production. British title: Just Smith. Not copyrighted in the U.S.A. No New York opening. Released in the U.S.A. by Gaumont Film Distributors under the title "Leave It To Smith" in 1934. U.K. release through Woolf and Freedman: 11 November 1933. Australian release through Fox: 9 May 1934. 76 minutes. Cut to 69 minutes in the U.S.A.

SYNOPSIS: A gentleman thief teams up with an American colleague to rob a rich widow with social pretensions.

NOTES: One of Australia's top box-office successes for 1934.

COMMENT: Lonsdale's three-act play has been shortened to 76 minutes here (69 minutes in the USA). True, this does make the fun come faster, but leaves so many charming but subsidiary female characters flitting around on the screen, it's sometimes difficult to work out exactly who is related to who. Not that it matters all that much. The main plot is unscathed. But we would like to know the identity of that really attractive lass who encourages Reggie to race around the boat-deck.

As a director, Walls accomplishes wonders in keeping the drawing-room plot moving along smartly. Some inventively fluid camerawork helps. So does the picture's high-budget gloss in lighting, costumes, art direction and heaps of extras.

As an actor, however, Walls tends to over-favor himself, often engaging in amateurish mugging and overt scene-stealing. Although Hartley Power makes a good stooge for Walls, the only player who can really stand up to the star is our old friend, Peter Gawthorne. In his customary role as a police inspector, Gawthorne makes an extremely late entrance, but once on stage takes command. Mind you, the cat and mousing in the script places Gawthorne in a superior position, but Walls the director is astute enough to let him get away with leading the play into its agreeable fade-out.

Oddly, the somewhat dumpy Carol Goodner - who has the biggest part - is the least appealing of the remaining players. Reginald Gardiner (though minus his moustache) draws a typically sardonic characterization; as does (in a very small role) Basil Radford.

Tom Walls is a Raffles type thief.

[malcolmgsw · 4/10 · 2 April 2011]

Tom Walls is a gentleman thief.We first encounter him in a casino in France.Here he teams up for no good reason other than American distribution with an American counterpart played by Hartley Powers.Walls is after a rich ladies stocks and bonds.He goes on to a private yacht and then on to a country house where everyone seems to be attired in evening dress.The rich lady wants to give away her jewels but her daughter resentful of this takes a bracelet.the police are called.Walls manages to get hold of the bracelet and plant it on the daughters obnoxious fiancée.The police rue the fact that they are unable to nab Walls for the theft.I note that this is supposed to be a comedy.Unfortunately the humour has evaporated with age.I cant say that i have ever been that fond of Walls as a farceur and nothing in this dull film changes my mind on that point.