Film

Larceny

Name: Larceny
Genre: Drama, Crime
Released: 1948
Cast: John Payne, Joan Caulfield, Dan Duryea, Shelley Winters, Dorothy Hart

A postwar noir about a con man who targets grieving war widows, stealing their savings for a fake memorial. When he falls for one of his marks, conscience collides with criminal obligation. It's a brisk, cynical look at how vulnerability becomes prey, anchored by John Payne's conflicted charm and a script that doesn't pretend redemption is easy or guaranteed.

Should you watch it?

Watch it if you like tight, sour postwar crime dramas where the con artist is the most interesting person in the room and the moral squirming is the real plot.

Skip it if you want crime stories that move briskly and stay cynical; this one spends real time on romance and conscience, so the sourness can soften and drag.

What it asks of you: Eighty-nine minutes of steady, unhurried scheming, with a sharp eye on who is lying to whom and a sour taste that lingers.

Not sure? Find tonight's pick in a minute.

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Not sure tonight? Get a pick in a minute, starting from Larceny

The wildcard

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