The Lady and the Mob (1939)

not horrible nor great

Absolutely Brilliant!

it is the rare 'crazy' movie that actually has something to say.

It's funny, it's tense, it features two great performances from two actors and the director expertly creates a web of odd tension where you actually don't know what is happening for the majority of the run time.

Don't underestimate this spunky old last (Fay Bainter) when it comes to fighting crime. Disgusted by a quarter protection fee added to her laundry Bill, granny gets her gun. The rich eccentric hires former New York backwaters to take on the ones in her city, and before long, she's got the criminals shaking in their boots as she threatens to take on city hall. She pulls a gun on them, threatens to the expose the corrupt mayor, kidnaps one of the top criminals and dares to escape from the local jail. This feisty granny without the tweety bird is as brave as Jimmy Stewart was as the junior senator framed in "Mr. Smith Goes to Washington", released the same year. In fact, this is so clues to the types of films that Columbia studios had been putting out ever since Mr. Deeds had gone to town that this could definitely be called Capra- corn with a feminine twist. Just coming off her Oscar winning performance in "Jezebel", Bainter is a delight, funny and feisty and seemingly without fear. She gets a moving monologue that with what was going on over in Europe was certainly timely. Rackateer bullies are as dangerous as Hitler, Mussolini and other dictators, she insinuates without mentioning any names, and it us better to die fighting for your liberty than be living in fear under the thumb of brutality.Not quite a major star yet, Ida Lupino is featured as Bainter's future daughter in law. Lee Bowman is barely adequate as her son, but Warren Hymer adds laughs as the chauffeur with a criminal past whose chums are a cross between Curly from the Three Stooges and various classic cartoon characters. It is obvious how this will pan out, but it is fun getting there.

A movie like this with its broad humor is mainly a matter of taste. A refined, uptown lady (Bainter) organizes her own mock mob in order to rid the city of a real mob of extortionists. Bainter's gang is made up of 'deeze' and 'doze' Runyonesque characters like Warren Hymer and Joe Sawyer. The laughs are supposed to come from their silly shenanigans, plus the unlikelihood of an uptown old lady leading a bunch of uncouth characters. Throw in Bowman and Lupino (before her drama queen days) as the required love interest and the format is complete. The movie does have its moments, particularly the castor oil treatment, while the aging Bainter does well in a very demanding role. The movie's pretty much a one-note comedic set-up, so you should know within the first 10-minutes whether to stay with it or not.

For some reason, this film made me laugh out loud...maybe I was just tired or maybe it is as good as that. The story line, the actors and the general goofiness of it are just so endearing.The acting ensemble is perfect from Fay Bainter to Warren Hymer (he is the Thorndyke of the "Give 'em the tacks" line) to Ida Lupino, et al. The plot revolves around a society matron (and owner of the local bank) who decides to rid the town of the "Mob" by putting together a "Mob" of her own. The results are hilarious as she and her gang go about their job with the help of an armored sedan (which drops tacks on the road to disable the pursuing police), machine guns, a jail-break and a bank heist. It's all great fun.There is a strange interlude when Bainter harangues the local dry cleaners who are being extorted by the bad mob. It smacks of patriotic propaganda and probably was intended as such since Hitler was running rampant in Europe at that point and the United States was still neutral.It all ends well.....the big boss is revealed, the bad mob is run out of town and Ida Lupino gets married to Lee Bowman, son of the lady of the mob. Sit back and enjoy this little-known gem of a film.

I watched this film on TCM and mostly wanted to view it because it featured a 21 year-old Ida Lupino, an actress who I adore. The movie tries to be funny, and the old lady who this film is mostly about is as cute as a button, but I think that the film tries too hard to be funny instead of simply being naturally funny. But Ida Lupino is not to blame for any problems with the film -- the writers are! She has always been a powerhouse actress and once she took on being a director, as always, she gave it her all! So watch this film if you are looking for something light-hearted and harmless fun. It's nice watching this elderly woman take on the mob in her own way and bringing them to their knees!