Director: Ralph Murphy
Year:  1934
Rating: 6.0

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Gentleman thieves were a big deal back in the 1930's and 40's in both print form and the films that were made based on the various characters. There was Raffles, The Saint, The Lone Wolf, Boston Blackie, Arsene Lupin and Flambeau from the Father Brown stories among others. Of course in films they are nearly all reformed - I expect due to the film codes of the time. Thieves can't get away with it in the end. Well, as far as I know Sophie Lang was the only Gentlewoman Thief.


The character of Sophie Lang was created by Frederick Irving Anderson who primarily wrote detective stories about Deputy Parr and his friend Oliver Armiston back at the beginning of the 20th century. Their nemesis was a thief named Godahl and some of these stories are available on Kindle for very little. Anderson also wrote a book with the two detectives matching wits with a lady thief, Sophie Lang, which is apparently very difficult to find.


At any rate Paramount made three films of the character in which Gertrude Michael played Sophie in all three. The Notorious Sophie Lang (1934) is the first in the series with another produced in 1936 and then in 1937. The films are not so easy to find either but this one fell into my hands. In it Sophie is in New York City to steal some pearls and has to contend with another thief (Paul Cavanagh) after the same pearls and a police inspector (Arthur Byron) after both of them. It is very light entertainment - not even on par in that respect to The Saint or Lone Wolf films which are not exactly heavy going. At times it is as much screwball comedy as it is a heist film. It is an easy enough way to pass 64 minutes.