ComedyCrime

A Touch of Larceny

- About Money and Women and How To Get 'Em...With a Very Special Touch!

After falling in love with an American woman, Virginia Killain, who is engaged to another man, British Naval Commander Max Easton, hatches a plan that will get him enough money to support Virginia in the lifestyle she is accustomed to. Easton's plan is to disappear for a time making it seem that he has defected to the Soviets taking important Naval secrets from his job at the Admiralty and to return and sue the newspapers for slander. Not everything goes as planned for Commander Easton.

Release Date : 1960-02-04

Language :English

Adult : false

Status : Released

Production Company : Paramount PicturesIvan Foxwell Productions

Production Country : United KingdomUnited States of America

Alternative Titles :

Cast

Character Name : Cmdr. Max Easton

Original Name : James Mason

Gender : Male

Character Name : Sir Charles Holland

Original Name : George Sanders

Gender : Male

Character Name : Virginia Killain

Original Name : Vera Miles

Gender : Female

Character Name : Cmdr. John Larkin

Original Name : Robert Flemyng

Gender : Male

Character Name : Minister

Original Name : Oliver Johnston

Gender : Male

Character Name : Tom

Original Name : William Kendall

Gender : Male

Character Name : 1st Special Branch man Gregson

Original Name : Duncan Lamont

Gender : Male

Character Name : Capt. Graham

Original Name : Harry Andrews

Gender : Male

Character Name : Sub Lt. Brown

Original Name : Peter Barkworth

Gender : Male

Character Name : Clara Holland

Original Name : Rachel Gurney

Gender : Female

Character Name : John Holland

Original Name : Martin Stephens

Gender : Male

Character Name : Marcia Holland

Original Name : Waveney Lee

Gender : Female

Character Name : Robert Holland

Original Name : Charles Carson

Gender : Male

Character Name : Susan

Original Name : Junia Crawford

Gender : Male

Character Name : Club Member (as Henry Longhurst)

Original Name : Henry B. Longhurst

Gender : Male

Character Name : Club Member

Original Name : Roger Maxwell

Gender : Male

Character Name : Club Member

Original Name : Gerald Case

Gender : Male

Character Name : Club Member

Original Name : Donald Bisset

Gender : Male

Character Name : Club Member

Original Name : Desmond Roberts

Gender : Male

Character Name : Club Steward

Original Name : Reginald Smith

Gender : Male

Character Name : WREN Officer

Original Name : Rosemary Dorken

Gender : Male

Character Name : Jason Parrish (as Macdonald Parke)

Original Name : MacDonald Parke

Gender : Male

Character Name : Adele Parrish

Original Name : Mavis Villiers

Gender : Female

Character Name : Cmdr. Bates

Original Name : Ernest Clark

Gender : Male

Character Name : Local Doctor (uncredited)

Original Name : Alexander Archdale

Gender : Male

Character Name : Lt. Cmdr. Evans at P.R.O. (uncredited)

Original Name : Basil Dignam

Gender : Male

Character Name : Nightclub Patron (uncredited)

Original Name : Mabel Etherington

Gender : Female

Character Name : 2nd Special Branch Man Jones (uncredited)

Original Name : Gordon Harris

Gender : Male

Character Name : Miss Price (uncredited)

Original Name : Barbara Hicks

Gender : Female

Character Name : 1st Editor (uncredited)

Original Name : John Horsley

Gender : Male

Character Name : Club Member (uncredited)

Original Name : Frederick Kelsey

Gender : Male

Character Name : Head of the Admiralty (uncredited)

Original Name : John Le Mesurier

Gender : Male

Character Name : 2nd Editor (uncredited)

Original Name : Ronald Leigh-Hunt

Gender : Male

Character Name : Russian Officer Cornered by Max Easton (uncredited)

Original Name : Richard Marner

Gender : Male

Character Name : Capt. Balfour (uncredited)

Original Name : William Mervyn

Gender : Male

Character Name : 2nd Russian Officer (uncredited)

Original Name : Andre Mikhelson

Gender : Male

Character Name : American General at Embassy Party (uncredited)

Original Name : John More

Gender : Male

Character Name : 2nd Policeman (uncredited)

Original Name : Dickie Owen

Gender : Male

Character Name : Hall Porter (uncredited)

Original Name : Frederick Piper

Gender : Male

Character Name : Nightclub Patron (uncredited)

Original Name : Pat Ryan

Gender : Male

Character Name : 1st Russian Officer (uncredited)

Original Name : Stanley Zevic

Gender : Male

Reviews

CinemaSerf

@Geronimo1967

2023-04-20

James Mason is the caddish Royal Naval officer "Easton" killing time in his unchallenging job from day to day until he meets "Virginia" (Vera Miles) and suddenly he has to up his game - and his income. The former is easy enough, but the latter is a problem until he devises a cunning wheeze to appear to defect to the Soviets only to return, all innocent, and to sue the defaming newspapers. One additional fly in his ointment - the girl is already engaged to "Sir Charles Holland" (George Sanders). "Easton" goes to great and public lengths to implement his plan, but on his return he realises that there is far more going on than he anticipated - and we are unsure whom is the cat and whom is the mouse... Mason is great in this, he has the role of the amiable rogue down to a T, but Miles is less engaging and Sanders features a bit too sparingly to allow his character to get up much of an head of steam. It is amusing at times, though, and Guy Hamilton and a strong script keep the pace building nicely to an ending that is not without quirk or two.