The Happy Thieves (1961)

Director:

George Marshall

Writers:

Richard Condon (novel), John Gay

Stars:

Rita Hayworth, Rex Harrison, Joseph Wiseman

Cast

Complete credited cast:
Rita Hayworth	...	Eve Lewis
Rex Harrison	...	Jimmy Bourne
Joseph Wiseman	...	Jean Marie Calbert
Alida Valli	...	Duchess Blanca
Grégoire Aslan	...	Dr. Victor Muñoz
Virgilio Teixeira	...	Cayetano the Bullfighter
Peter Illing	...	Mr. Pickett the Art Expert
Britt Ekland	...	Mrs. Pickett (as Britta Ekman)
George Rigaud	...	Spanish Police Inspector
Gérard Tichy	...	Antonio, Prado Museum Guard

Storyline

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Plot Keywords:

original artwork replaced with expert duplicate | caper comedy | caper | art theft | independent film | 

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Taglines:

We confess! They did it! But it's how they did it that makes it so delightful!

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Genres:

Comedy | Drama | Crime

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Details

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

January 1962 (USA)

Also Known As:

Rendezvous in Madrid

Filming Locations:

Madrid, Spain

Company Credits

Production Co:

Hillworth Productions A.G.

Technical Specs

Runtime:

88 min

Sound Mix:

Mono (Westrex Recording System)

Color:

Black and White

Did You Know?

Trivia

The painting, known as the "Rokeby Venus" is by Velazquez and is his only known nude. It moved to England in 1813 to hang in Rokeby Park, Yorkshire. The painting was purchased by National Art Collections Fund in 1906 for the National Gallery, London. The suffragette Mary Richardson attacked and badly damaged the painting in 1914 but it was restored and returned to display.

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Quotes

Jimmy Bourne: [as Eve grabs a drink from a tray and tosses it back] But Eve, that's a *martini*.
Eve Lewis: It *was* a martini.

User Reviews

Thieves Fall Out

Having been to the Prado Museum in Madrid I was looking forward to seeing The Happy Thieves which was produced by Rita Hayworth's final husband James Hill and starring Hayworth and Rex Harrison. But this turned out to be a disappointment for me. I expected more from these stars and director George Marshall.

For all the sophisticated dialog that Rex Harrison delivers he's also a guy who countenances murder as a diversion for him to steal a Goya painting from the museum. It didn't quite compute with his character.

After training her in the art of thievery, Rex finds Rita balking at the more disagreeable parts of his profession. So she can never testify against him, he marries her. Apparently that must be a part of the Spanish legal system as well, even under Francisco Franco. Later on she turns the tables on him, but you have to see the film to find out how and why.

Color cinematography might have helped especially since a good deal of this film was done in the Prado Museum and the movie audiences could have gotten a look at some of the great old masters like, Goya, El Greco, and Velasquez.

In the end The Happy Thieves depends on the charm of its leads and they're not up to it. No one would have been.