Back home

Raffles

17 votes

Producing House

Man about town and First Class cricketer A.J. Raffles keeps himself solvent with daring robberies. Meeting Gwen from his schooldays and falling in love all over again, he spends the weekend with her parents, Lord and Lady Melrose. A necklace presents an irresistible temptation, but also in attendance is Scotland Yard's finest, finally on the trail.

movie

Status: Released

Released Date: 1939-11-11

Runtime: 72 mins

Director: Sam Wood

Spoken language: English

Genres: Adventure, Comedy, Crime

Original title: Raffles

Production Companies: Howard Productions

Production Countries: United States of America

Reviews

G

Geronimo1967
The recent, sad, death of Dame Olivia de Havilland (at 104) prompted me to watch this again and I really enjoyed it. David Niven is "Raffles" - a renowned English cricketer with a penchant for pinching things under the moniker of the "Amateur Cracksman". When his friend "Bunny" (Douglas Walton) gets himself into a bit of a pickle and he and his gorgeous girlfriend "Gwen" (de Havilland) are invited to the home of Lord and Lady Melrose (Lionel Pape and a typically ebullient Dame May Whitty) "Raffles" sees an opportunity to relieve the old girl of her emeralds and settle his friend's debt in one fell swoop. His plan seems simple and straightforward until the arrival at the stately home of Scotland Yard Inspector "MacKenzie" (Dudley Digges) who has plenty if suspicions of his own. To be honest, more could have been done with the characters here: the plot is pretty procedural and the writing a little on the bland side; but the cast - Niven and Dame May especially - make this fun detective frolic well worth a watch.
2022-06-22

Recommendations

Blackmail
3.3

Blackmail

1929-07-11

London, 1929. Frank Webber, a very busy Scotland Yard detective, seems to be more interested in his

Monty Python and the Holy Grail
3.9

Monty Python and the Holy Grail

1975-04-03

King Arthur, accompanied by his squire, recruits his Knights of the Round Table, including Sir Bedev

The Vexxer
3.3

The Vexxer

2007-03-10

Scotland Yard investigators have to prevent the murder of Victoria Dickman when her name is found on

The Face of Fu Manchu
3

The Face of Fu Manchu

1965-08-06

Grisly strangulations in London alert Nayland Smith of Scotland Yard to the possibility that fiendis

Secret of the Red Orchid
2.8

Secret of the Red Orchid

1962-03-01

Rival gangsters from Chicago move to London and attempt to extort money from rich Britons.

Sherlock Holmes
3.6

Sherlock Holmes

2009-12-23

Eccentric consulting detective Sherlock Holmes and Doctor John Watson battle to bring down a new nem

Gaslight
3.8

Gaslight

1944-05-04

A newlywed fears she's going mad when strange things start happening at the family mansion.

Inspector Clouseau
2.5

Inspector Clouseau

1968-07-19

Detective Inspector Jacques Clouseau is borrowed from the Surete on special assignment for Scotland

The Investigation
3

The Investigation

1974-06-23

A Scotland Yard officer investigates the mysterious disappearance of a series of corpses. Based on t

The Trixxer
3.2

The Trixxer

2004-05-20

A mysterious serial killer is shocking the underworld. Scotland Yard is investigating the case. Clue

Fellowship of the Frog
3.3

Fellowship of the Frog

1959-09-04

Both Scotland Yard and an amateur American sleuth are tracking a master criminal known as The Frog.

The Strange Case of the End of Civilization as We Know It
3.1

The Strange Case of the End of Civilization as We Know It

1977-09-18

John Cleese is hilarious as the descendant of Sherlock Holmes in this modern detective drama of inte

Around the World in 80 Days
3.3

Around the World in 80 Days

1956-10-17

Based on the famous book by Jules Verne the movie follows Phileas Fogg on his journey around the wor

Walk a Crooked Mile
3

Walk a Crooked Mile

1948-09-02

A security leak is found at a Southern California atomic plant. The authorities stand in fear that t

Brannigan
3

Brannigan

1975-03-21

A hard-nosed Chicago cop is sent to London to bring back an American mobster being held for extradit

Green for Danger
3.3

Green for Danger

1946-12-07

In the midst of Nazi air raids, a postman dies on the operating table at a rural hospital. But was t

Buster
2.8

Buster

1988-09-16

Buster is a small time crook who pulls a big time job. When he finds that the police will not let th

Lured
3.1

Lured

1947-08-28

Sandra Carpenter is a London-based dancer who is distraught to learn that her friend has disappeared

The Brain
3.6

The Brain

1969-03-07

Arthur and Anatole are two little robbers. They want to rob money, money that will travel in a speci

The Hand
2.5

The Hand

1960-10-01

During World War II, a group of British soldiers are captured by the Japanese, tortured and their ha