Armored Car Robbery (1950)

A well-planned robbery goes awry, with tough cop Cordell in pursuit.

Director:

Richard Fleischer

Writers:

Earl Felton (screenplay), Gerald Drayson Adams (screenplay),

Stars:

Charles McGraw, Adele Jergens, William Talman

Cast

Complete credited cast:
Charles McGraw	...	Lt. Jim Cordell
Adele Jergens	...	Yvonne LeDoux
William Talman	...	Dave Purvis
Douglas Fowley	...	Benjamin 'Benny' McBride
Steve Brodie	...	Al Mapes
Don McGuire	...	Detective Danny Ryan
Don Haggerty	...	Detective Cuyler - Driving Final Pursuit Car
James Flavin	...	Lt. Phillips
Gene Evans	...	William 'Ace' Foster

Storyline

Dave Purvis takes pride in being unknown to the law, though famed among fellow crooks as a planner He plots a holdup in meticulous detail; but things go wrong, a cop and two robbers are killed, and Purvis hides out with the money while Lieut. Cordell, friend of the dead cop, investigates. Purvis's new getaway plan shows promise, but may have one tiny flaw.

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Plot Keywords:

police | robbery | pursuit | armored car robbery | airplane | 

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Taglines:

THE STICK-UP THAT STUNNED THE NATION!

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Genres:

Crime | Film-Noir | Thriller

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Certificate:

Approved

Details

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

8 June 1950 (USA)

Also Known As:

Armoured Car Robbery

Filming Locations:

City Hall - 200 N. Spring Street, Downtown, Los Angeles, California, USA

Company Credits

Production Co:

RKO Radio Pictures

Technical Specs

Runtime:

67 min

Sound Mix:

Mono (RCA Sound System)

Color:

Black and White

Aspect Ratio:

1.37 : 1

Did You Know?

Quotes

Ryan: [On the phone] We hit pay dirt. The gal in question is Yvonne LeDoux, a bur-le-q queen workin' out of the Bijou Theater, but that's not all. She's also the widow of the late Benny McBride'
Lt. Jim Cordell: Benny's wife, huh?
Ryan: You should see her workin' clothes Imagine a dish like this married to a mug like Benny McBride... the naked and the dead.
Lt. Jim Cordell: Very funny.

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Connections

Featured in Palookaville (1995)

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Soundtracks

"Third Street Dance"
(uncredited)
Music by Roy Webb

User Reviews

Surprisingly compelling bit of entertainment.

Robert Fleischer's film Armored Car Robbery is, in many aspects, a straightforward heist movie. It features all of the usual suspects, including a bunch of ragtag tough guys, a heartless dame who only cares about the promise of lots of 'lettuce', and a lantern jawed, square shouldered cop who deep down really cares about his partner. These caricatures are expected and well played; what was a surprise was how well William Talman filled a role a less skilled performer might have slept through. Talman, who played the leader of the gang, infused his character with a flinty, almost sociopathic nature that plays as believable and chilling. Additionally, the movie had great momentum, one that moved a somewhat predicable plot forward at a gripping and exciting pace.

All of the actors gave good to excellent performances, though Charles McGraw's character was a smidge too one dimensional at times, as he spoke his clipped sentences through gritted teeth and wore the heroic big suit like a comic book lieutenant. Still, an enjoyable heist film that won't disappoint fans of the crime or noir genres. Some lovely visuals as well!