''Never Steal Anything Small'' is a 1959 American

CinemaScope CinemaScope is an anamorphic format, anamorphic lens series used, from 1953 to 1967, and less often later, for shooting widescreen films that, crucially, could be screened in theatres using existing equipment, albeit with a lens adapter. Its cr ...

comedy-drama Comedy drama (also known by the portmanteau dramedy) is a hybrid genre of works that combine elements of comedy and Drama (film and television), drama. In film, as well as scripted television series, serious dramatic subjects (such as death, il ...

musical film Musical film is a film genre in which songs by the Character (arts), characters are interwoven into the narrative, sometimes accompanied by dancing. The songs usually advance the plot or develop the film's characters, but in some cases, they serv ...

directed by Charles Lederer and starring

James Cagney James Francis Cagney Jr. (; July 17, 1899March 30, 1986) was an American actor and dancer. On stage and in film, he was known for his consistently energetic performances, distinctive vocal style, and deadpan comic timing. He won acclaim and maj ...

and

Shirley Jones Shirley Mae Jones (born March 31, 1934) is an American actress and singer. In her six decades in show business, she has starred as wholesome characters in a number of musical films, such as ''Oklahoma! (film), Oklahoma!'' (1955), ''Carousel (fi ...

. It is based on the play ''The Devil's Hornpipe'' by

Maxwell Anderson James Maxwell Anderson (December 15, 1888 – February 28, 1959) was an American playwright, author, poet, journalist, and lyricist. Anderson faced many challenges in his career, frequently losing jobs for expressing his opinions or supporting ...

and

Rouben Mamoulian Rouben Zachary Mamoulian (October 8, 1897 – December 4, 1987) was an Armenian-American film and theater director. Mamoulian's oeuvre includes sixteen films (four of which are Musical film, musicals) and seventeen Broadway theatre, Broadw ...

Plot

Jake Macllaney will do just about anything to win the presidential election of longshoreman union Local 26. When he encounters young upright attorney Dan Cabot and Cabot's attractive wife Linda, Macllaney breaks up their marriage, pursues Linda, and pins a grand larceny rap on Dan.

Cast

as Jake Macllaney *

as Linda Cabot * Roger Smith as Dan Cabot *

Cara Williams Cara Williams (born Bernice Kamiat; June 29, 1925 – December 9, 2021) was an American film and television actress. She was best known for her role as Billy's mother in '' The Defiant Ones'' (1958), for which she was nominated for the Academy A ...

as Winnipeg Simmons *

Nehemiah Persoff Nehemiah Persoff (; August 2, 1919 – April 5, 2022) was an American actor and painter. He appeared in more than 200 television series, films, and theatre productions, and also performed as a voice artist in a career spanning 55 years. His fir ...

as Pinelli *

Royal Dano Royal Edward Dano Sr. (November 16, 1922 – May 15, 1994) was an American actor. In a career spanning 46 years, he was perhaps best known for playing cowboys, villains, and Abraham Lincoln. Dano also provided the voice of the Audio-Animatronic ...

as Words Cannon * Anthony Caruso as Lt. Tevis * Horace McMahon as O.K. Merritt *

Virginia Vincent Virginia Vincent (May 3, 1918 – October 3, 2013) was an American film, television and theatre actress. She was known for playing the role of "Jennie Blake" in the 1958 film '' The Return of Dracula''. Vincent died in October 2013, at the ...

as Ginger *

Jack Albertson Harold "Jack" Albertson (June 16, 1907 – November 25, 1981) was an American actor, comedian, dancer and singer who also performed in vaudeville. Albertson was a Tony, Oscar, and Emmy winning actor, which ranks him among a rare stature of 24 ...

as Sleep-Out Charlie Barnes * Robert J. Wilke as Lennie * Herbie Faye as Hymie * Billy M. Greene as Ed Barton * Barry Russo as Ward (as John Duke) * Jack Orrison as Osborne *

Roland Winters Roland Winters (born Roland Winternitz; November 22, 1904 – October 22, 1989)DeLong, Thomas A. (1996). ''Radio Stars: An Illustrated Biographical Dictionary of 953 Performers, 1920 through 1960''. McFarland & Company, Inc. . P. 287. was an Ame ...

as Doctor * Ingrid Goude as Model * Sanford Seegar as Fats Ranney * Edward McNally as Thomas (as Ed "Skipper" McNally) * Gregg Barton as Deputy Warden *

Bruce Glover Bruce Herbert Glover (May 2, 1932 – March 12, 2025) was an American character actor, who is best known for portraying the assassin Mr. Wint in the James Bond film '' Diamonds Are Forever'' (1971). Other notable film appearances include roles ...

as Stevedore (uncredited)

Production

Filmed in color, this musical was directed by Charles Lederer. It is about racketeers infiltrating the labor movement. Cagney plays a dishonest but charming union boss. This was Cagney's final musical film. Jones, who plays a happily married woman whom the labor leader wants to steal away, performs a lively musical number, spoofing television commercials. The film features a duet by Cagney and Williams on "I'm Sorry, I Want a Ferrari."

References

External links

* * * 1959 musical comedy films 1959 films American films based on plays American musical comedy films Universal Pictures films Films with screenplays by Charles Lederer Films directed by Charles Lederer 1950s English-language films 1950s American films English-language musical comedy films {{musical-comedy-film-stub

Plot

Cast

Production

See also

References

External links