Brother Orchid (1940)

 

When retired racket boss John Sarto tries to reclaim his place and former friends try to kill him, he finds solace in a monastery and reinvents himself as a pious monk.

From memory: Likable gangster comedy-drama surprises with an unusual, amusing premise and takes it to an uplifting ending; with a superb star cast of the time, but it's mainly the Robinson/Bogart confrontation that livens up the show.

Halliwell*: "Rather uneasy blend of comedy, drama and religion, with some good scenes."

Maltin***: "Farfetched but entertaining yarn...Sothern delightful as his ever-faithful girlfriend."