There will come a time when I will not be looking for whatever film is the shortest.  Further, doing so can be somewhat of a crapshoot when looking for brief movies.  This is not to say that longer material is better, but one has to wonder about brevity and whether it is the result of a lack of imagination.  This is more of a problem for modern cinema.  Classic fare has the advantage of being limited by the technology of the craft.  Filmmakers could only do so much without lest the the production became prohibitive in terms of material and money.  This is why I am often cheered to find a short title that was made during the golden era of Hollywood, which is roughly the 1930s and 1940s.  Television ruined cinema, and we are still feeling those effects today.  In the meantime, I am happy to discuss the 1939 iteration of Raffles, even if it is not the most Catholic story ever.

The fact that it is 1939 is evident if you know your history, because there is nothing in Raffles about World War II.  Instead, you have a London at peace with tour groups being ushered through the National Gallery of Art.  A set of school children are observing a piece from the Italian Renaissance and are soon ushered away as it is closing time.  A shadow falls on a painting as they depart.  When the staff walks back into the room, the picture is gone.  News of the theft becomes a sensation in the press, particularly since the burglar has left a note explaining his actions.  The fact that the thief remains at large is an embarrassment to Scotland Yard.  Inspector Mackenzie (Dudley Digges) is discussing the matter in his office with a colleague when in walks Maud Holden (Margaret Seddon).  She had once been a popular stage actress, and she has come to return the painting.  There is another note with the package, claiming that the perpetrator had been a fan of hers and had viewed her final performance.  With no more leads, she departs and Inspector Mackenzie turns on a cricket match.  At the center of the proceedings is A. J. Raffles (David Niven), a renowned spinner (a type of pitcher in the sport).  However, we know him as the infamous safe cracker who is confounding the police.  At one point, we see him sneak into a jewelry store with a kitten.  The cat confuses the authorities, making them think it is tripping the alarm, but he goes in after they leave.  Once again, though, he returns the jewels he takes.  That evening, he is a guest at a club where he is reunited with Gwen Manders (Olivia de Havilland), the woman he loves.  They are accosted by Lord (Lionel Pape) and Lady Melrose (Dame May Whitty), who are fans of A. J. and friends of Gwen.  As the party is seated together, A. J. places a pack of cigarettes on the table that Lord Melrose uses to write his address on to give to Gwen’s brother and A. J.’s teammate, Bunny Manders (Douglas Walton).  Once the evening is complete, A. J. escorts Gwen back to her place, and during their ride they renew their desire to be married.  As such, upon returning home he informs Barraclough (E. E. Clive), his butler, that A. J. will be giving up his life of crime.  To that end, A. J. sends a short missive to Inspector Mackenzie in the same pack of cigarettes by way of resignation.  In analyzing the carton further, the authorities find the imprint of Lord Melrose’s residence.  It is there that A. J. is invited for an evening of music with Gwen when he is visited by Bunny.  Bunny admits to running up some serious gambling debts, £1000 worth to be exact, and if it is not paid he will be ruined.  A. J. offers to take care of it for him, but this means going back to his thieving ways.  During the recital, a distracted A. J. eyes the small fortune adorning Lady Melrose’s neck.  Once the playing concludes, the Melroses are visited by Inspector Mackenzie.  Scotland Yard’s presence makes A. J. even more worried, though he remains calm even when Inspector Mackenzie invites himself to stay for a few days in order to prevent any possible thefts.  Little does the inspector know that the home is already being targeted by Wilson (Hilda Ploughright), Lady Melrose’s maid, and an accomplice Harry Crawshay (Peter Godfrey).  With the evening winding down, A. J. recommends that Lady Melrose not leave her jewels in the safe, which is the first place the burglar might look.  However, with Wilson’s help, Harry knows that the valuables are in Lady Melrose’s room.  As for Inspector Mackenzie, he has come to suspect A. J. since Bunny had mentioned they were fans of Maud, among other clues.  That night, Inspector Mackenzie is prowling the halls when Harry makes his break in.  Though Inspector Mackenzie still suspects A. J., they take Harry into custody.  Shortly thereafter, A. J. returns to London.  Thinking of trapping A. J., Inspector Mackenzie tells his assistants to let Harry go free in London and to follow the would-be criminal.  Gwen overhears the plan and rushes to London to warn A. J.  She gets there just before the police surround the building in which A. J. lives, and with Harry attempting to get to A. J.  A. J. convinces Harry to try to escape, telling the erstwhile accomplice he will take care of the situation.  To make it look better, Harry pretends to knock out A. J. before escaping.  This might have fooled the police until Barraclough returns with a ticket to Amsterdam he had purchased for A. J.  At this point, A. J. is forced to admit that he is the culprit, but he still manages to get away.  Because Lord Melrose gets the jewelry back, he does not want to press charges, and Inspector Mackenzie seems to eventually accept this outcome.  It allows A. J. to give Gwen one last kiss before escaping.

In other words, A. J. Raffles gets away with his crimes.  One might make the argument that he is okay because he returns everything he steals.  That does not mean he is innocent.  Just because one can do something does not mean one should do it.  That seems to be his only motivation.  I say “seems” because the film never offers a clear explanation for his actions.  He is asked about it at one point, and his answer basically amounts to it giving him something to do.  There is an old saying that has its roots in Christianity that goes, “Idle hands are the devil’s playground.”  That is essentially what A. J. is admitting to, though I guess it is something that he wants to reform.  The opportunity to repent and do better is something God holds out for all of us, no matter what we have done.  He desires a contrite heart.  Us Catholics, before we leave the Confessional, are always told to go and sin no more.  It appears that is A. J.’s intent with getting married to Gwen.  However, God challenges us to remain faithful to Him no matter our marital status, which brings me to the quote I mentioned a moment ago.  It is thought to have been popularized by St. Jerome, an early Catholic theologian who compiled the Bible as we know it today.  That is not work for idle hands!  On the same token, it is not simply about being busy for busy-ness’ sake.  If one cannot remain virtuous while nothing of significance is going on in one’s life, then there are bigger problems.  Yet, again, if one is truly sorry for their actions, that is a sign of transformation.  A. J. displays none of these desires.  His only reason for no longer being a thief is mere propriety given the society in which he moves.  He is perfectly happy to go back to being a brigand at the end of the film.  God wants a more serious commitment.

At the same time, I am serious that Raffles is a watchable movie.  Further, I wonder if the other cinematic versions of this story are any good.  While scrolling through streaming services, I will have to keep out eye out for that one.  In the meantime, this one is on Amazon Prime.