Love That Brute

"Tall, Dark and Handsome" was a very enjoyable gangster comedy from back in 1941. And, like so many movies from back in the day, they remade it a few years later as "Love That Brute" (1950). Both versions are fun and worth seeing, though I prefer the original...mostly because it was so original.

'Big Ed' (Paul Douglas) is a most unusual mob boss. While he's very successful and feared, he just can't bring himself to kill folks who threaten him. Instead, since he can't stand violence, he locks up his enemies in a jail cell hidden in his basement. And, to further him image of being a killer, he has his assistant (Keenan Wynn) plant evidence on crimes linking the killings to Big Ed! Everyone seems to think he's a beast...though he's actually pretty nice.

One day, Big Ed meets Ruth (Jean Peters) and he wants to impress her. So he pretends to his kids and later even asks her to be their governess! When she says yes, he scrambles and can only find one kid--a real brat. But eventually she realizes the truth and leaves, as she doesn't want to marry a gangster....or does she? He thinks perhaps she will....if he's a reformed EX-gangster.

Douglas and Peters are fine in the film but like the first one, the child star gets the majority of the laughs. Stanley Clements was better in the first version, but tiny Peter Price is also quite good as a mouthy kid who wants to grow up to be a mob boss. Cleverly written and enjoyable.