Piccadilly Third Stop (1960) User Reviews

Unfairly neglected, this is a tightly-written British crime caper

[Leofwine_draca · 6/10 · 10 March 2015]

A well-cast British crime caper, PICCADILLY THIRD STOP has the indignity of being a forgotten film, one of those that occasionally shows up in the middle of the night on TV. That unwieldy title doesn't help matters either. It's a pity, because this is a perfectly acceptable movie, one that's well made and suspenseful, with a tight story and realistic characters to propel the narrative.

The plot sees a group of criminals coming together to steal £100,00, hidden in a safe in an expensive mansion. The group is made up of various characters: Terence Morgan (CURSE OF THE MUMMY'S TOMB) leads as the cold, almost reptilian organiser, while John Crawford is more than effective as the edgy American. William Hartnell in particular shines as the old-fashioned safe cracker, while Mai Zetterling (THE WITCHES) and Yoko Tani (SAMSON AND THE SEVEN MIRACLES OF THE WORLD) add glamour value. Watch out for Dennis Price in the minor role of a loan shark.

The film begins rather slowly, taking time to explore the characters and their relationships, but quickly builds up steam in the second half. The scene of the actual robbery is limited to the last 20 minutes or so but makes for cracking entertainment, with plenty of suspense to keep it brimming along.

Wonderful Crime Drama

[boblipton · 7/10 · 6 November 2020]

Terrence Morgan crashes an embassy party, and seduces the ambassador's daughter. She's in love, and agrees to help him steal a hundred thousand pounds from the embassy's safe. Since Morgan is also carrying on numerous other affairs, he acquires a crew, thanks to John Crawford. As they ready their job, everyone reveals a plan to swindle everyone else, except for cracksman William Hartnell.

Wolf Rilla's crime drama is a fine, seedy affair, with the heart of the theft done in silence, which is a relief from Phillip Green's intrusive and annoying score. Yôko Tani, John Crawford, Mai Zetterling and Dennis Price round out a fine cast, and Ernest Steward's gloomy and threatening lighting of Underground tunnels helps the mood.

the dark and sleazy underbelly of the smart set

[myriamlenys · 7/10 · 10 March 2023]

A young cad encounters a pretty foreign-looking girl who turns out to be the daughter of an ambassador. While seducing the naive and sheltered girl he finds out that the embassy is home to a safe laden with money. Interesting news, especially for a louche young man with a lot of louche contacts...

A member of the heist family, "Piccadilly Third Stop" is an enjoyable crime movie filled with an impressive amount of scheming and double-crossing. The movie is notable for its convincing depiction of the smart set's seedy underbelly, where you're never more than ten feet away from some kind of rogue or crook. Here, a gatecrasher steals jewels on display during a wedding reception, a gambler unloads bad checks on a casino owner and an unfaithful wife makes her husband beg for money. All of these people shy away from anything resembling good, honest work and it is not a coincidence that their heist will fail mainly because - who could have foreseen this ? - breaking through walls and drilling through metal demands a lot of effort.

"Piccadilly Third Stop" works up to an exciting finale where the villains end up having to outrun each other and/or the police. The conclusion is very satisfying.

It's a bit of a pity that the movie doesn't offer much in the way of in-depth characterization. Still, a good, suspenseful watch - and Sophocles at his most penetrating compared to some other entries into the heist genre.

Old fashioned British Thriller

[n_adams1 · 7/10 · 7 March 2012]

I enjoyed this 1960 thriller very much. The plot revolves around Dominik ( Terence Morgan) a charming but villainous playboy, he reminds me a bit of a poor man's Richard Burton. After seducing the daughter of a far eastern ambassador he decides to rob the embassy of £10000 contained in their safe. He assembles a gang of himself and 3 others including John Crawford who plays one of the most obnoxious characters in Movie history. As always in these noir type movies things don't always go as they should resulting in an unhappy conclusion to all those concerned.

Great parts played by Dennis Price (Casino boss ), William Hartnell ( Safe breaker ), Mia Zetterling ( Crawford's long suffering wife ) and Charles Kay (Morgan's henchman). Also mention to the unfortunate duped oriental Yoko Tani, she is gorgeous!

All in all a very enjoyable hour and half despite the slightly predictable ending.

Solid British B noir with Dennis Price in standout support role

[adrianovasconcelos · 7/10 · 26 February 2023]

German-born Wolf Rilla does a fine job of directing this strangely entitled British B noir. PICCADILLY THIRD STOP refers to a bus stop but the Belgravia underground stop comes much more into view as an action locale. Rilla cleverly exploits a tight screenplay by Leigh Vance which sees a group of assorted criminals plan to rob the Chinese ambassador in London of the £100,000 that he has in his vault.

Sharp-witted and ruthless Dominic, played with verve by Terence Morgan, gets that info from the ambassador's daughter, Fina, touchingly played by Yoko Tani, who has fallen so hard for Dominic that she does not think twice to betray her own father.

Mai Zetterling, then at the height of her interracial relationship and marriage with Sammy Davis Jr, acts as the wife of good for nothing, losing gambler Joe Preedy, but she too is in love with Dominic, who uses females as he might underpants.

Preedy is competently played by John Crawford, placed between a rock and a hard place by Edward, the soft-spoken opportunistic gambling hall kingpin who demands that he cough up the £9,000 that he owes in gambling debts.

The small part of Edward is played by Dennis Price, who simply steals the show. A truly superb actor, it is a pity that Price did so few films as lead, and never had a part again like that of KIND HEARTS AND CORONETS (UK 1949). His dry delivery and distinguished diction are marvelous.

William Hartnell also shines as the old safe cracker who seems reluctant to make use of new technology and certainly does not want to pay for it.

Cinematography ranks far above B pic average.

Definitely worth watching.

Hard to know what this film is trying to be...

[ButaNiShinju · 7 November 2011]

Hard to know what this film is trying to be... farce, thriller, kitchen-sink drama..? The plot is so improbable and the characters so caricatured that you are really not sure whether you are expected to laugh or not. Black-and-white scenes of London in 1960, and the jazz score, are diverting, but not really enough to compel. Dennis Price and William Hartnell are always watchable, but the script does not make the most of their considerable palette of acting skill. The ending, in which the anti-heroes are killed in what appears to be poetic justice, seems out of character with the rest of the film: suddenly a strong moral tone is injected where none existed before.

An American in a British Asphalt Jungle

[TheFearmakers · 6/10 · 2 August 2021]

The British crime-heist b-movie PICCADILLY THIRD STOP could also be known as It's Your Fault Jungle since there's never been a more spiteful, argumentative group to rob a safe together...

Which includes usual suspect ingredients like the safe-cracker himself, the wild card, the weak link, the leader, and instead of the usual Noir two are three dames, and the most important isn't British but Asian in French-born starlet Yôko Tani as a rich ambassador's initially virginal daughter until played by womanizing lead Terence Morgan...

After which she becomes part manipulated Geisha girl part trophy Marilyn Monroe from aforementioned muse ASPHALT JUNGLE, including not only an anticipated double-cross but attempted triple-cross...

Particularly with HELL IS A CITY edgy American import John Crawford, in-dept to crooked casino-owner Dennis Price while unhappily married to ingenue Mai Zetterling (sleeping with the sneaky Morgan, who lives with an underused Ann Lynn)...

So basically STOP is dialog-driven as the suspense lies not in the heist or whoever might be killed but who'll get a punch in the nose for annoying one another...

That's except for quirky safe-cracking scene-stealer William Hartnell... who needed more screen-time since when he's around, the gang (movie) becomes more centered, driven, professional.

Down the tube

[mappman728 · 6/10 · 2 September 2014]

Intrersing British B film containing not a single likable character. The plot is somewhat hackneyed, thieves falling out in the final reel with disastrous consequences for all concerned. One critic has pointed out similarities with "Asphalt Jungle" - William Hartnell's safe-cracker paying homage to Sam Jaffe's character, both of them finding it hard not to indulge in leering at the fairer sex. With its background chorus of upper class toffs, hints of homosexuality (what's the exact relationship between Terence Morgan and Charles Kay?) and general seediness, the film could have been made by Joseph Losey in one of is more strapped-for-cash periods, though he would have completely re-written the script. On a more basic level there's a reasonably tense finale in Belgravia underground station (probably filmed at Aldwych underground as there's no such station as Belgravia). And for collectors of trivia I'm pretty sure that James Villiers can be briefly seen (uncredited) swanning superciliously (as was his wont) across the screen in the opening party sequence.

Augh. Wake me when its over.

[mls4182 · 3/10 · 11 November 2021]

I spent most of this film waiting for something to happen yet hoping it would soon be over. Most of the film is spent showing Crawford Romancing beautiful Yoko Tani. When the action starts, it's still slow and unsuspenseful. I just don't get the good reviews. I thought it stunk.

William Hartnell is brilliant

[cloisterbell-1 · 9/10 · 31 October 2004]

This excellent, unjustifiably overlooked, film, has a great part for future Doctor Who, William Hartnell. His character, "The General", is an over-the-hill safe cracker (in the mold of Ray Milland's character in "The safe cracker" or the crooks in "Timelock"). His Colonel is wonderfully fastidious, with great little mannerisms totally foreign to his portrayal of the Doctor. Terence Morgan is coldly wooden, but this fits his character perfectly, as the wannabe underworld spiv. Lastly, I have to compliment Philip Green's score. Green, while being perhaps a bit TOO prolific, here depicts the London underworld with loads of icy jazz; it seems like every scene someone is playing a record or listening to a tape of his music, it's integrated really cleverly into the film. Totally recommended if you can find it.

Excellent, Forgotten UK Caper Film

[mackjay2 · 8/10 · 13 November 2021]

Terence Morgan heads the cast in this well-wrought crime story climaxing with a dramatic caper sequence. He's a dastardly type, using women as tools to financial ends. Romancing an innocent young Asian student, he plans a robbery at her country's embassy. His helpers are excellent John Crawford and William Hartnell as the safe-cracker who considers himself an 'artist'. The dialog is often clever and amusing. There are no weak links in the cast that includes Mai Zetterling, Yoko Tani, Charles Kay and great Dennis Price. A jazz-inflected score works well in some scenes, many of which are filmed on London locations. The title apparently refers to the fictional "Belgravia" Underground station in the story. Director Wolf Rilla really scores with this one. Recommended.

Robbery and Murder

[gordonl56 · 8/10 · 9 November 2013]

PICCADILLY THIRD STOP – 1960 - UK

This reasonably brisk thriller from the Uk features a cast that includes, Terence Morgan, John Crawford, William Hartnell, Dennis Price, Charles Kay, Mai Zetterling, Ann Lynn and Yoko Tani.

Morgan plays a smooth talking con man trying to move up in the world. He is tired of small jobs and wants to make a big score. At the moment he is making pocket cash by moving watch movements for his smuggler boss, John Crawford. There is a side benefit to the employment, in that Morgan is getting in some non-vertical Mambo with Crawford's wife, Mai Zetterling.

While pulling a small jewel theft at a wedding party he crashes, Morgan happens to run into the pretty Yoko Tani. Tani is the daughter of a South Asian ambassador. The smooth talking Morgan quickly talks the somewhat naive Tani into his bed. The girl of course becomes infatuated with Morgan. She believes that Morgan likewise returns the feelings.

Morgan really looks on Tani as just another bird to use. That is till Tani mentions the 100,000 pounds in cash that is kept in the Embassy safe. Morgan decides this bit of info needs to be looked into, and cuddles up to Tani.

Morgan's boss, Crawford, is a rather poor gambler and is in Dutch to local casino owner, Dennis Price. Price is annoyed that Crawford has stuck him with several thousand in bad cheques. He tells Crawford that he best pay up, or a call from the firm's collection expert, leg breaker, Doug Robinson is in order.

Morgan pumps Tani(in more ways than one) for all the info she can supply on the brand of safe the Embassy has. He also gets a detailed layout of the interior from Tani. He has talked her into helping by promising a life of good times on the 100,000 pounds.

Morgan approaches Crawford for help in getting a crew together. He knows that Crawford has plenty of underworld contacts through his smuggling racket. Crawford normally would not touch a deal like this, but is desperate for funds to pay off casino boss, Dennis Price. Crawford knows just the safe man for the job, old time box man, William Hartnell.

The plan is to go through an unused tunnel that runs off the London Underground. This will lead to a basement wall of the Embassy. They will knock through the wall at 4 in the morning when everyone is either gone, or sleeping.

Needless to say, several flies in the ointment now appear. First is that Crawford plans on a double cross. He intends to keep the entire take from the safe. He will bring along a pistol to make sure this idea is "ok" with the rest of the crew. Crawford however makes the mistake of telling his wife, Zetterling of his plan.

Zetterling, of course lets her lover, Morgan, in on hubby's idea. Zetterling is longing for Morgan's tale of life on the French Riviera. Morgan will also be packing a gun for the job. He also intends a double cross of his own. Morgan arranges to have Zetterling waiting in a car by the subway exit.

The robbery scheme goes well and the crew makes it to the safe undetected. Hartnell blows the safe and the cash inside is quickly shoved into a satchel. Now Crawford and Morgan both make their play for the money. Hartnell is the first to go down from a pistol butt to the head. A running gun battle ensues through the underground tunnels with Crawford the loser. Morgan exits and jumps into the car with the waiting Zetterling.

She guns the motor and the two speed off to catch the ferry to France. The over excited Zetterling takes an incorrect turn and goes the wrong way down a one way street. They hit a large lorry at speed and careen into a building. Both Zetterling and Morgan are killed while the satchel of cash bursts open and is caught up by the wind.

The director is Wolf Rilla who is best known for the 1960 feature film, VILLAGE OF THE DAMNED. He also helmed MARILYN – 1954, which is sort of a UK clone of the American film, THE POSTMAN ALWAYS RING TWICE.

This is a better film than I make it sound. Morgan is particularly good as the smooth talking ladies' man with big ideas. Hartnell is equally good as the slightly over the hill safe-cracker.