Steinesongo
Too many fans seem to be blown away
CrawlerChunky
In truth, there is barely enough story here to make a film.
Curapedi
I cannot think of one single thing that I would change about this film. The acting is incomparable, the directing deft, and the writing poignantly brilliant.
Hadrina
The movie's neither hopeful in contrived ways, nor hopeless in different contrived ways. Somehow it manages to be wonderful
gridoon2018
Liberal drug use, infidelity out in the open, and the life of a career jewel robber romanticized and celebrated: yes, we're firmly in pre-code territory here folks. The film is frank, sophisticated and deliciously amoral. Suave William Powell and chic-but-naughty Kay Francis are perfectly cast (in one of their many screen pairings). My favorite line: "Tonight is not the night to give you a name, but to forget mine". *** out of 4.
davidjanuzbrown
When I read the reviews of "Jewel Robbery", I must be the only one who really did not like it, perhaps I missed something, I do not know, but cannot stand it. As a Powell fan (Although a bigger Loy fan), I would not expect to find anything by Powell on my all-time baddie list. However, there is not a redeeming element to it. Spoiler ahead: Seeing robberies committed by getting people high on pot, was stupid, as was the way Powell's character('The Robber') gets away and agrees to meet Baroness Teri (Kay Francis) later. I admit I am not a fan of Kay Francis, and I basically avoid her films, because the themes of most of them do not appeal to me. But one film she did "Raffles" with Ronald Colman was similar in plot to this film, but was 1,000,000 times better (As was "Arsene Lupin", with the Barrymore Brothers). As most people know Colman and Powell are very similar actors, very sophisticated and classy, and both did some of their best work as Detectives and in lighter roles, and both had a great role as an amnesiac ("Random Harvest" (Colman)) and ("Love Me Again" (Powell)). The difference is I never saw a Colman film that sucked, and this one and "The Last of Mrs. Cheyney" certainly did (And in both times Powell was on the other side of the law). What is frightening about "Jewel Robbery" is not even Loy could have made me like it. Zero stars.
Ursula 2.7T
Since I just wrote a horrible review of "Comet over Broadway" wherein I recommended seeing "Jewel Robbery" as a much better Kay Francis vehicle, I thought I'd better write a review of JR to say why I liked it so much! This movie is fast, wicked, naughty, hilarious fun! Kay plays a spoiled rich woman who is bored with her older husband. One day while shopping in a jewelry store, in comes suave, handsome William Powell, a most elegant jewelry store robber. He holds Kay and the other customers hostage, plays some soothing classical music on a phonograph to help keep them calm and relaxed (he's brought the phonograph and record with him!), and proceeds to clean out the joint, including stealing Kay's own jewels that are on her person.When the cops come, Powell forces the policeman to smoke a joint (yes, a marijuana cigarette) in order to subdue the cop into submission.Powell gets away, but Kay is smitten/fascinated. She finds out where he's staying and goes to him to retrieve her jewels. The only thing is, she's not real interested in leaving him. She likes this charming, handsome bad boy. They exchange lots of delicious, naughty double entendres and, if I recall correctly, the movie ends with Kay winking into the camera as she's about to boink Powell.Armed robbery, drug use, and adultery -- completely sanctioned and unpunished, and even made playful and glamorous! Gotta love the pre-codes! And having Kay Francis and William Powell, two of the 30s most attractive and charismatic actors, play the leads, well that just puts the icing on the cake! This film is one of my all-time top 10 pre-codes. Catch it on TCM sometime.
blanche-2
William Powell is a smooth jewel thief who captivates Kay Francis in "Jewel Robbery," a 1932 film made before the dreaded code kicked in. Set in Vienna, Francis plays a baroness who, like her friends, has married a dull man for money and takes lovers. While her husband is buying her a 28-carat diamond and she's arguing with her boyfriend, William Powell and his team enter to rob the store. It's love at first sight.This is a slight but very amusing film, interesting for the racy story line, the outfits, and Kay Francis herself. A very unusual-looking woman, Francis' heyday was in the '30s, and everything about her screamed '30s, of course - her hair, her fashions, and the kind of films she made. She's somewhat frozen in time there. Powell is his usual dashing, delightful self, and the two work very well together. The scene at Powell's place is particularly interesting, as she demands not to be asked to do anything, but to be forced, at which point, he picks her up and throws her onto his huge bed. "But there are so many pleasant in between steps," she objects.A delightful movie, not terribly long, but fascinating given the era in film in which it was made.