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St Benny the Dip

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St Benny the Dip

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Summary

1951. A gang of con artists disguise themselves as clerics in order to pull off a job, but soon find that even pretending to be religious people is having an effect on them.

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IMDB

Review

A star rating of 3 out of 5.

Terry Staunton

Three small-time crooks on the run hide out in an abandoned New York mission in this breezy caper comedy. Discovering cassocks in the church building, they assume the identities of priests and soon find themselves forced into carrying out good deeds in the community to avoid blowing their cover. Although big band crooner Dick Haymes is the de facto star as Benny ("dip" is underworld slang for pickpocket) and features in a romantic subplot, it's his misfit sidekicks Lionel Stander and Roland Young who bring the laughs in a script full of zesty humour that recalls the short stories of Damon Runyon. Freddie Bartholomew adds to the fun as a genuine clergyman, further compounding the narrative's themes of the struggle between good and evil. The message is a little corny and predictable, but doesn't encroach too much on the vaudevillian knockabout japes.

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5.6/10

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Credits

Cast

rolenameBennyDick HaymesLinda KovacsNina FochMatthewRoland YoungMonk WilliamsLionel StanderReverend WilburFreddie BartholomewMr KovacsOskar KarlweisReverend MilesDick Gordon

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Crew

rolenameDirectorEdgar G Ulmer

Details

Languages

English

Formats

Black and white

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