While The Grinch is the most famous example, from Hans Gruber to Willie Soke each year we return to stories of characters trying to steal Christmas. Amongst shopping busyness or ‘Closed for Christmas’ signs the season seems to be an ideal time to pull off a heist, or upfront robbery. So, this year’s Alternative Christmas Film Advent Calendar looks at a series of less-mentioned attempts at festive thefts.
Christmas sees a boost in sales for many shops, and that’s just the problem that ‘Pressure’ Maxwell (Edward G. Robinson) experiences when the luggage shop that he’s bought after being released from prison sees a mass upswing in sales. With the shop always busy it means that he and his partners-in-crime (Roderick Crawford, Edward Brosphy) have little time to dig the tunnel from the shop basement into the bank next door.
All this stems after Maxwell is released from prison and decides to go straight. Wanting to get a loan from the bank to buy a dog track. However, when the bank rejects his application he buys the luggage shop from the reluctant yet kind-hearted, elderly owner (Harry Davenport) with the intention of robbing it – a plan created by his intended business partner Leo (Anthony Quinn).
But, as snow starts to spread across the streets outside and decorations go up the shop is more of a bustling success than it has been in years. Somehow the group manage to triple, if not more, its value and are constantly distracted from the plans for their heist, which ‘Pressure’ is rarely fully on-board with; especially as he wants to turn into an honest businessman for his adopted daughter Denny (Jane Wyman). However, the life of crime still beckons to some of his colleagues, especially with the bank so close. With Christmas Eve seeming like the date things will be carried out on the heist could act as an early present for the group. But, will it be gratefully received?
While starting off in generally straightforward style the more Larceny Inc goes on the more it starts to feel like a general Christmas film. Perhaps its because of the snow or the various mentions of the holiday, but there’s something simply rather festive about the film once Christmas is first mentioned and the big day (whether viewed as the heist or Christmas itself) gets nearer. Whatever it is it successfully captures the Christmas spirit in the actions and attitudes of the central characters, largely Robinson’s Maxwell, as the heist and events around it play out. Leaning in to the Christmas setting that surrounds the luggage shop and starts to leak its way inside each time the busy door swings open.
To see where you can watch Larceny Inc, whether you wish to buy, rent or simply stream it (or you might be able to find a physical copy somewhere if you don’t have one already) then JustWatch is worth checking out
Just A Little Bit Random 