The Little Giant (1933)

75% of users liked it
(136 ratings)

The end of prohibition spells the end of business as usual for Chicago gangster Bugs Ahearn (Edward G. Robinson in this delightful spoof of mob melodramas from Warner Bros. Paying off their latest moll, Edith (Shirley Grey, Bugs and chief lieutenant Al Daniels (Russell Hopton) grab their ill-gotten… More The end of prohibition spells the end of business as usual for Chicago gangster Bugs Ahearn (Edward G. Robinson in this delightful spoof of mob melodramas from Warner Bros. Paying off their latest moll, Edith (Shirley Grey, Bugs and chief lieutenant Al Daniels (Russell Hopton) grab their ill-gotten gains and go west, hoping to crash polo playing Santa Barbara society. Bugs acquires a rental mansion and a high class girlfriend, Polly Cass (Helen Vinson), but the estate actually belongs to kind but down-on-her-luck socialite Ruth Wayburn (Mary Astor) -- whom the former mobster retains as his social secretary -- while Polly and her relatives prove to be bigger crooks than he ever was. The Little Giant was reportedly filmed in 18 days on a budget of $197,000. ~ Hans J. Wollstein, Rovi

Rating, Runtime: Unrated, 1 hr. 15 min.
Directed By: Roy Del Ruth
Genres: Drama, Classics, Cult Movies

In Theaters: May 20, 1933 Wide
On DVD: Oct 21, 2008

No Critic Reviews Found…

Featured Audience Ratings

AJ V

At first I thought this would be just another drama about a bootlegger who tries to go straight after prohibition is repealed, like some other movies I've seen with Robinson, but this movie was different and very funny. He learns that it's not only criminals who are… More
At first I thought this would be just another drama about a bootlegger who tries to go straight after prohibition is repealed, like some other movies I've seen with Robinson, but this movie was different and very funny. He learns that it's not only criminals who are crooked. This movie was better than I expected, and I liked it.

Cast

            Edward G. Robinson as James Francis "Bugs" Aheam

            Mary Astor as Ruth Wayburn

            Helen Vinson as Polly Cass

            Ken Thomson as John Stanley

            Shirley Grey as Edith Merriam

            Russell Hopton as Al Daniels

            Berton Churchill as Donald Hadley Cass

            Donald Dillaway as Gordon Cass

            Louise Mackintosh as Mrs. Cass

            Helen Mann as Frankie

            Bonnie Bannon as Society girl

            Joan Barclay as Society girl

            Sidney Bracey as Butler

            Leonard Carey as Ingelby

            Nora Cecil as Maid

            Charles Coleman as Charteris

            Lester Dorr as Investment Clerk

            William "Wild Bill" Elliott as Guest

            Anne Hovey as Society girl

            Selmar Jackson as Radio Announcer

            Alice Jans as Society girl

            Lorena Layson as Society girl

            John Marston as Prosecutor

            Adrian Morris as Joe Milano's Hoods

            Bob Perry as Joe Milano's hoods

            Lorin Raker as Investment Clerk

            Dewey Robinson as Butch Zanwutoski

            Barbara Rogers as Society girl

            Rolfe Sedan as Waiter

            Harry Tenbrook as Pulido

            Guy Usher as Detective

            Renee Whitney as Society girl

            Pat Wing as Society Girl

            Toby Wing as Society girl

            John Kelly as Ed (Tim)

            Loretta Andrews as Society girl

            Lynn Browning as Society girl

            Maxine Cantway as Society girl

            Margaret La Marr as Society girl

            Jayne Shadduck as Society girl
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