Seven Thieves (1960)

Director:

Henry Hathaway

Writers:

Sydney Boehm (screenplay)
Max Catto (novel)

Release Date:

11 March 1960 (West Germany)

Genre:

Crime | Drama

Plot:

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...

Plot Keywords:

Casino | Thief | Monte Carlo | Loot | Heist

Awards:

Nominated for Oscar.

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
rest of cast listed alphabetically:
Ida Augustian	...	Claire (uncredited)
Eugene Borden	...	Customs Inspector (uncredited)
Alan Caillou	...	Doctor Gerald Halsey (uncredited)
Peter Camlin	...	Bartender (uncredited)
Jack Chefe	...	Ball Dance Participant (uncredited)
Marcel De la Brosse	...	French Waiter (uncredited)
Marga Ann Deighton	...	Governor's Wife (uncredited)
Jean Del Val	...	Roulette Croupier (uncredited)
Bess Flowers	...	Ball Dance Participant / Casino Patron (uncredited)
Jonathan Kidd	...	Seymour (uncredited)
Donald Lawton	...	Henri (uncredited)
Eddie Le Baron	...	Chemin de fer Dealer (uncredited)
Alphonse Martell	...	Governor (uncredited)
Luis Mata Jr.	...	Sandy (uncredited)
Louis Mercier	...	Casino Attendant (uncredited)
Harold Miller	...	Ball Dance Participant (uncredited)
Forbes Murray	...	Ball Dance Participant (uncredited)
George Nardelli	...	Cellar Club Manager (uncredited)
Andre Philippe	...	Page (uncredited)
Francis Ravel	...	Casino Attendant (uncredited)
Joseph Romantini	...	Barkeep (uncredited)
Cosmo Sardo	...	Casino Stickman (uncredited)
Jeffrey Sayre	...	Croupier (uncredited)
Hal Taggart	...	Gambler (uncredited)

Directed by
Henry Hathaway

Writing credits
Sydney Boehm		(screenplay)
Max Catto		(novel)

Produced by
Sydney Boehm	....	producer

Original Music by
Dominic Frontiere

Cinematography by
Sam Leavitt

Film Editing by
Dorothy Spencer

Art Direction by
John DeCuir
Lyle R. Wheeler

Set Decoration by
Stuart A. Reiss
Walter M. Scott

Costume Design by
Bill Thomas

Makeup Department
Ben Nye	....	makeup artist
Myrl Stoltz	....	hair stylist

Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
Ad Schaumer	....	assistant director

Sound Department
Harry M. Leonard	....	sound
Charles Peck	....	sound

Music Department
Edward B. Powell	....	orchestrator

Other crew
Candy Barr	....	technical advisor (uncredited)

Production Companies

• Twentieth Century Fox Film Corporation

Distributors

• Twentieth Century Fox Film Corporation (1960) (USA) (theatrical)
• Centfox (1960) (West Germany) (theatrical)
• Twentieth Century Fox Home Entertainment (2007) (USA) (DVD)

Also Known As:

Runtime:

102 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English | French

Color:

Black and White

Aspect Ratio:

2.35 : 1

Sound Mix:

Mono (Westrex Recording System)

Certification:

Finland:K-16 | West Germany:16 (nf) | USA:Approved (certificate #19432)

Company:

Twentieth Century Fox Film Corporation

Goofs:

Errors in geography: After the robbery, when they are driving from Monaco to Cannes, they are driving to the east. Cannes is west of Monaco.

Movie Connections:

Referenced in Ocean's Eleven (2001)

Soundtrack:

At Last

Did Steiger Swallow a Lemon

A so-so caper movie that somehow fails to take off despite a veteran cast and director. There's lots of casino glitz, a sexy Joan Collins, and an inherently suspenseful premise, but the elements never really come together. I agree with the reviewer who thinks Steiger miscast. His is the central role. Yet he's so humorless, his enforcer-leader fails to generate needed sympathy for the caper (I gather director Hathaway was also unhappy with the grimness). In fact, with Robinson's exception, none of the characters is particularly likable. As a result, viewers are not encouraged to engage with the caper, but instead to simply observe it. At the same time, ace director Hathaway films in uncharacteristically impersonal, uncompelling fashion.

Nonetheless, the movie does have its moments. There's genuine tension when the Duc (Hillaire) tries to get Melanie (Collins) evicted from the casino, spoiling the heist. Instead, Melanie does some fast thinking and hangs in there. Then there's the very human last- minute-jitters that threaten to undo the elaborate scheme. But these moments of tension tend to remain isolated instead of tightening into a suspenseful whole, a failing perhaps of the screenplay.

I think there's a reason these heist films were popular during the law-and-order 1950's. The best ones-- The Asphalt Jungle (1950), The Killing (1956)— humanize crime in ways crime features to that point don't. Unlike most crime dramas of the period, ordinary people are seen as able to pool their talents into a cleverly profitable undertaking, at the same time, being daring enough to take big risks for big gains.

Such qualities mirror the kind of commercial initiative ordinarily lauded by popular culture. Of course, heists are also criminal enterprises, but except for the key factor of legality, they show off the combined skills of ordinary people acting in effective and sympathetic light. And just as importantly, as long as it's only a bank or racetrack or casino that gets victimized, well, they can likely afford it. Without that key consideration of who's harmed, the ending of this film would be more morally questionable than it is.

Anyhow, the movie's passable entertainment, and if it fails to scale the caper film heights, at least there are compensations.