A Slight Case of Murder is a 1938 comedy film directed by Lloyd Bacon

Lloyd Bacon

Lloyd Francis Bacon was a screen, stage, and vaudeville actor and film director.-Life:Bacon was born in San Jose California, the son of actor Frank Bacon, later the co-author and star of the long running Broadway show 'Lightnin' , and Jennie Bacon. He was not related to actor Irving Bacon whom he...

. The film is based on a play by Damon Runyon

Damon Runyon

Alfred Damon Runyon was an American newspaperman and writer.He was best known for his short stories celebrating the world of Broadway in New York City that grew out of the Prohibition era. To New Yorkers of his generation, a "Damon Runyon character" evoked a distinctive social type from the...

 and Howard Lindsay

Howard Lindsay

Howard Lindsay was an American theatrical producer, playwright, librettist, director and actor. He is best known for his writing work as part of the collaboration of Lindsay and Crouse, and for his performance, with his wife Dorothy Stickney, in the long-running play Life with...

. The offbeat comedy stars Edward G. Robinson

Edward G. Robinson

Edward G. Robinson was a Romanian-born American actor. A popular star during Hollywood's Golden Age, he is best remembered for his roles as gangsters, such as Rico in his star-making film Little Caesar and as Rocco in Key Largo...

 spoofing his own gangster image as Remy Marco.

Plot

With the end of Prohibition, bootlegger Remy Marko becomes a legitimate brewer, but slowly goes broke because the beer he makes tastes terrible and everyone is afraid to tell him so. After four years, with bank officers preparing to foreclose on the brewery, he retreats to his Saratoga summer home, only to find four dead mobsters who meant to ambush him, but were killed by their confederate whom they meant to betray. More and more problems begin to pop up in the life of the former bootlegger, as he's taken in a bratty orphan, and his daughter comes home with a fiancé that turns out to be a state cop.

Critical reaction

The film continues to receive positive reviews. A Classic Film Guide review calls it "a satisfying comedy, which is enhanced by some great character work by veteran supporting players": Allen Jenkins

Allen Jenkins

Allen Jenkins was an American character actor of stage, screen and television.-Early life:He was born David Allen Curtis Jenkins in Staten Island, New York on April 9, 1900.-Career:...

, Edward Brophy

Edward Brophy

Edward S. Brophy was an American character actor, voice artist, and comedian. Small of build, balding, and raucous-voiced, he was known for portraying gangsters, both serious and comic.-Career:...

, and Harold Huber

Harold Huber

Harold Huber was an American actor who appeared on film, radio and television.-Early life:Huber was born Harold Joseph Huberman in the Bronx to Joseph Huberman and "Mammie" Glassberg, Jewish immigrants from Imperial Russia, who had arrived in the United States as infants. His father was the...

 as members of Remy's former gang gone legitimate; Margaret Hamilton

Margaret Hamilton

Margaret Hamilton was an American film actress known for her portrayal of the Wicked Witch of the West in the 1939 film The Wizard of Oz...

 as Mrs. Cagie, director of the orphanage where Marko grew up; and Paul Harvey

Paul Harvey (actor)

Paul Harvey was an American actor who appeared in at least 177 films.-Selected filmography:*They Shall Have Music *Behind the News *Moonlight Masquerade *Spellbound...

 as Marko's daughter's prospective father-in-law.

Featured cast

Actor	Role
Edward G. Robinson Edward G. Robinson Edward G. Robinson was a Romanian-born American actor. A popular star during Hollywood's Golden Age, he is best remembered for his roles as gangsters, such as Rico in his star-making film Little Caesar and as Rocco in Key Largo...	Remy Marco
Jane Bryan Jane Bryan Jane Bryan was an American actress who was being prepared by the Warner Bros. studio to become one of their leading ladies until she married a drugstore magnate in 1940 and retired....	Mary Marco
Allen Jenkins Allen Jenkins Allen Jenkins was an American character actor of stage, screen and television.-Early life:He was born David Allen Curtis Jenkins in Staten Island, New York on April 9, 1900.-Career:...	Mike
Ruth Donnelly Ruth Donnelly Ruth Donnelly was an American stage and film actress. Her father was the mayor of Trenton, New Jersey....	Nora Marco
Willard Parker Willard Parker Willard Parker was an American film actor.He was born in New York City on 5 February 1912. He was earlier a tennis pro. Although he had some stage experience, he mainly appeared as a second lead in films from 1938. He was tall and had wavy hair...	Dick Whitewood
John Litel John Litel John Litel was an American film actor. During World War I, Litel enlisted in the French Army and was twice decorated for bravery....	Mr. Post, banker
Edward Brophy Edward Brophy Edward S. Brophy was an American character actor, voice artist, and comedian. Small of build, balding, and raucous-voiced, he was known for portraying gangsters, both serious and comic.-Career:...	Lefty
Harold Huber Harold Huber Harold Huber was an American actor who appeared on film, radio and television.-Early life:Huber was born Harold Joseph Huberman in the Bronx to Joseph Huberman and "Mammie" Glassberg, Jewish immigrants from Imperial Russia, who had arrived in the United States as infants. His father was the...	Giuseppe 'Gip'
Eric Stanley Eric Stanley Eric Gerald Stanley FBA is a scholar of Medieval literature, with a particular focus on Old English literature; he was Rawlinson and Bosworth Professor of Anglo-Saxon and Fellow of Pembroke College, Oxford 1977–1991, and has been emeritus professor since then.- References :...	Mr. Ritter, banker
Paul Harvey Paul Harvey (actor) Paul Harvey was an American actor who appeared in at least 177 films.-Selected filmography:*They Shall Have Music *Behind the News *Moonlight Masquerade *Spellbound...	Mr. Whitewood

Adaptations

The story was remade as Stop, You're Killing Me

Stop, You're Killing Me

Stop, You're Killing Me is a 1952 film directed by Roy Del Ruth. It stars Broderick Crawford and Claire Trevor.-Synopsis:The surprise appearance of four corpses interferes with a beer baron's plans to crash high society.-Cast:...

(1952) with Broderick Crawford

Broderick Crawford

Broderick Crawford was an Academy Award-winning American stage, film, radio and TV actor, often cast in tough-guy roles and best known for his starring role in the television series "Highway Patrol."-Early life:...

 and Claire Trevor

Claire Trevor

Claire Trevor was an Academy Award-winning American actress. She was nicknamed the "Queen of Film Noir" because of her many appearances in "bad girl” roles in film noir and other black-and-white thrillers...

.