Forbidden Hollywood is a monthly series hosted by STL film critic Katie Carter celebrating the Pre-Code films of the early 1930s, when movies were wild, racy, transgressive, and tons of fun.

With its witty, risqué dialogue, elegant tone, and winking sense of humor, “Jewel Robbery” might easily be mistaken for one of the sparkling comedies of director Ernst Lubitsch. Rather, this 1932 Vienna-set romantic heist movie is Warner Brothers director William Dieterle’s take on the sophisticated continental comedy, starring William Powell as a gentleman thief who steals the heart of Kay Francis’ Teri, a bored baroness who distracts herself from her loveless marriage to an older, wealthy man with expensive jewels and extramarital affairs. An anarchic undercurrent runs throughout “Jewel Robbery,” which thumbs its nose at social conventions and institutions (from marriage to law enforcement) via the sexually-charged relationship between frequent screen team Powell and Francis, who are engaged in more than one kind of illicit behavior. Among the transgressions unique to the film is marijuana use, Powell’s thief distributing “special cigarettes” to his unwitting victims so they will be too high to interfere with his robberies.

Arkadin does not generally provide advisories about subject matter or potentially triggering content in films, as sensitivities vary from person to person. However, we encourage researching titles to determine if a screening may contain content that could be upsetting to you. Please feel free to contact us for guidance on specific films. Information about content can also be found on Common Sense Media, IMDB and DoesTheDogDie.com, as well as through general internet searches.