A Slight Case of Murder (1938)

(On Cable TV, May 2020) By the end of the 1930s, a few things had to be true for A Slight Case of Murder to exist — The lessons of the post-Prohibition era were getting clearer for everyone; Gangster movies were getting a bit overexposed and in need of some fresh angle; Edward G. Robinson was getting tired of his (admittedly great) numerous performances as a gangster; and the play “A Slight Case of Murder” had a modest Broadway run from September to November 1935. Combining all of these together meant a Warner Brothers gangster film adapted from the comic play, starring Robinson in a somewhat atypical but very satisfying turn playing a funny mobster. The premise has him turn to legal brewing after Prohibition, only to realize years later that he’s not good at being a legitimate brewer (not drinking his own beer makes him blind to how terrible it is). Further complications arise when his daughter brings back home a boyfriend employed as a policeman, and when he finds four dead rival gangsters in his living room. To be fair, A Slight Case of Murder is not that funny—it’s a comedy, but it aims for a few laughs and plenty of smiles rather than overdoing it. As a result, it’s not great but it’s certainly watchable. Robinson is remarkably at ease sending up his own image as a gangster, and the film is best seen as audiences of the time did—once you’ve become a bit too familiar with his other mob boss roles.