Seven Thieves (1960)

In Monte Carlo, Theo Wilkins recruits his young protégé Paul Mason - just released from prison - to help him rob the famous casino of $4 million. The plan is straightforward. On the night ... See full summary »

Director:

Henry Hathaway

Writers:

Sydney Boehm (screenplay), Max Catto (novel)

Stars:

Edward G. Robinson, Rod Steiger, Joan Collins

Nominated for 1 Oscar.

Cast

Complete credited cast:
Edward G. Robinson	...	Theo Wilkins
Rod Steiger	...	Paul Mason
Joan Collins	...	Melanie
Eli Wallach	...	Poncho
Alexander Scourby	...	Raymond Le May
Michael Dante	...	Louis Antonizzi
Berry Kroeger	...	Hugo Baumer
Sebastian Cabot	...	Director of Casino
Marcel Hillaire	...	Duc di Salins
John Beradino	...	Chief of Detectives

Storyline

In Monte Carlo, Theo Wilkins recruits his young protégé Paul Mason - just released from prison - to help him rob the famous casino of $4 million. The plan is straightforward. On the night of the Governor's Ball, Theo will create a distraction in the casino by having one of the team collapse requiring urgent medical attention. During that time Paul and another member of the crew will get the money from the vault. When the ambulance arrives, the money will leave with the sick man. The plan is a good one but not everyone will survive the robbery and no one will get rich from it.

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Plot Keywords:

casino | thief | monte carlo | loot | heist | 

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Genres:

Crime | Drama

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Certificate:

Approved

Details

Country:

USA

Language:

English French

Release Date:

11 March 1960 (West Germany)

Also Known As:

Sieben Diebe

Company Credits

Production Co:

Twentieth Century Fox Film Corporation

Technical Specs

Runtime:

102 min

Sound Mix:

Mono (Westrex Recording System)

Color:

Black and White

Aspect Ratio:

2.35 : 1

Did You Know?

Goofs

Hugo has white hair, but when seen repairing the car engine he has dark hair.

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Crazy Credits

The names of the cast appear on items on a gaming table.

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Connections

References Bob le Flambeur (1956)

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Soundtracks

"At Last"
(uncredited)
Music by Harry Warren
Played after Melanie leaves the table and Paul and Raymond have their first discussion

User Reviews

"Mission: Impossible" with a black hat

Remember "Mission: Impossible"? The TV series, not the movie. It was always fun to watch the team pull off one of their stunts, because they balanced their Rube Goldberg concepts with NASA-quality planning. This movie is cut from the same cloth. It's about a casino robbery engineered during one of the gambling hall's biggest celebrations. The eponymous crooks must work in synchronized unison to fulfill their plan. Unlike the MI series, though, they aren't all quite equally devoted to their mission or, at least not to their particular roles within it. Still, they have a clever series of steps that get more interesting to watch, even as it seems increasingly likely that the plan will succeed.

Along the way, there are some interesting mixtures of personality types, some mysterious backgrounds waiting to be uncovered, and a degree of slipperiness that make it hard to be sure just who we should be rooting for. Indeed, part of the charm of this film is that there are _no_ "good guys," yet we want the thieves to get away with their crime.

A nifty, thoughtful piece, with little action and no sfx (in the current sense, anyway). An added plus for some of us is a pair of fairly sexy dance numbers a 27-year-old Joan Collins does "nearly naked," as her character puts it. She was at her physical prime in this film, but don't underestimate her acting ability. She carries the sole female role with every bit as much mastery as Wallach, Steiger, and the oddly endearing Edward G. Robinson carry theirs. John Beradino (the original "Dr. Hardy" of TV's "General Hospital") has a small role, and Marcel Hillaire appears as more or less the same character he would play dozens of times in TV guest spots for the next few years.

7/10, recommended if you've had your fill of explosions, CGI, or Tom Cruise.