Wednesday, March 18, 2020

The Devil Diamond (1937)

A pleasing comedy-crime caper. A cursed diamond is sent to be cut up before it can be sold on. A gang of crooks led by Morgan (Robert Fiske) however want to steal the diamond(s) and they concoct a rather bizarre plan involving them pretending to be helping aspiring young boxer Lee (Frankie Darro) train while waiting to steal the diamond.

The diamond is sent to retired diamond cutter Peter (Burr Caruth) at the boarding house he owns and is managed by his daughter Dorothy (June Gale). Meanwhile Jerry (Kane Richmond) has also turned up at the boarding plan pretending to be a researcher but really he is there to protect the diamond and foil the criminals...

The film is quite strange. The tone is quite light and the story is mostly about Lee's confusion with his suddenly disinterested trainers and his attempts to get away from love struck Yvonne (Rosita Butler). Dorothy is also interested in Jerry of course. There are also a lot of semi-comedic slap stick fights.