Smash and Grab

"Smash and Grab" (1937) stars Jack Buchanan and Elsie Randolph in a relatively obscure British echo of the "Thin Man". Married detectives as Wiliam Powell and Myrna Loy brilliantly portrayed, they bring comedy and mystery together in a similar manner, but with some improvements, in our opinion. The Loy character (Nora) was much more passive than this Randolph (Alice) wife-detective, who takes an active part in solving the crimes. Powell (Nick) was often demeaning to his partner, unlike the role equality scripted here for the British team. Buchanan and Randolph worked together in other films of the time as well.

The plot involves a series of high-end jewel robberies in Britain and France. Despite quips and slips, the pair connects them together and solves the case. The insurance companies live happily ever after. No special effects or gratuitous violence (other than broken glass) in this one, just good acting.

Jack Buchanan and Elsie Randolph are insurance investigators with a valet. They're on the trail of a gang that's been doing smash-and-grab robberies of jewelry store, this leads them into murder, two sets of employers with the undercover Elsie getting handsy, model trains and bickering over bananas. There is no dancing. They sing one altered line from "Yes, We Have No Bananas." The jokes are weak, the leads are pretty good and the direction by Tim Whelan is, too. It's moderately amusing, but not outstanding.

The intent seems to have been to do Buchanan and his regular stage partner as a "Nick & Nora Charles" couple. After the smash success of THE THIN MAN, everyone wanted to clone the formula, and just about no one succeeded. This one comes close, because of the easy chemistry between Buchanan and Randolph, but the bouts of manic shtick don't help.