Robbery (1967)

A dramatization of the Great Train Robbery. While not a 'how to', it is very detail dependent, showing the care and planning that took place to pull it off.

Director:

Peter Yates

Writers:

Edward Boyd, George Markstein,

Stars:

Stanley Baker, Joanna Pettet, James Booth

1 win.

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Stanley Baker	...	Paul Clifton
Joanna Pettet	...	Kate Clifton
James Booth	...	Inspector George Langdon
Frank Finlay	...	Robinson
Barry Foster	...	Frank
William Marlowe	...	Dave Aitken
Clinton Greyn	...	Jack
George Sewell	...	Ben
Glynn Edwards	...	Squad Chief
Michael McStay	...	Don
Martin Wyldeck	...	Chief constable
Rachel Herbert	...	School teacher
Patrick Jordon	...	Freddy
Barry Stanton	...	Car Lot owner
Kenneth Farrington	...	Seventh Robber (as Ken Farrington)

Storyline

A dramatization of the Great Train Robbery. While not a 'how to', it is very detail dependent, showing the care and planning that took place to pull it off.

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Plot Keywords:

robbery | train | planning | train robbery | ambulance | 

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Taglines:

It made headlines when it happened! It made history when it succeeded!

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Genres:

Crime | Mystery | Drama

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Details

Country:

UK

Language:

English

Release Date:

August 1967 (UK)

Also Known As:

Überfall

Filming Locations:

Arbour Hill Prison, Arbour Hill, Dublin, County Dublin, Ireland

Company Credits

Production Co:

Oakhurst Productions

Technical Specs

Runtime:

110 min

Sound Mix:

Mono

Color:

Color (Eastmancolor)

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

Like many British tough-guy actors of the 1950s to the 1970s, Robbery star Stanley Baker liked to hang out with real gangsters (see James Morton: Gangland, 1991). It is not meant to suggest that Baker was a criminal himself, but the fact is that actors and rascals in the 1950s and 1960s used to socialise at the same hours of the night, because in Britain in those days the pubs all closed at 10pm, and people who had to work late had to go to late-night clubs to chill out after hours.

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Goofs

When the traffic warden puts the gas canister in the car a white cable can be seen from above whatever it was.

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Connections

Featured in The Great Train Robbery (2012)

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Soundtracks

"Born to Lose"
Written by Johnny Keating and Tommy Scott
Performed by Jackie Lee

User Reviews

Definitely captures the mood of 60s underworld London

Robbery is for me a semi-documentary / thriller based on the Great Train Robbery of 1963. The location of the actual heist, on a bridge crossing a country lane bears similarity to the real robbery. The film moves around much of 60s London in the first part, during which time the gang are robbing to gain funds, plus planning the main robbery.

The gangs' meeting on the terraces during a Leyton Orient match is well screened; Stanley Baker becomes so heated during their discussion he misses a great run and shot against the crossbar shown from the pitch!

As for the central characters, Stanley Baker superbly plays "Mr Big" Paul Clifton, who is a character that the viewer never quite gets to know the limits. For example he tells the gang "we don't need guns, the police don't carry them"; later his wife finds his revolver at home, when quizzed he says "the gun is because I not going back inside (prison)".

William Marlowe cleverly plays Clifton's "number 2" Dave Aitken, who is clearly "nice cop" versus Clifton's "bad cop" in terms of running the gang.

As with the real train robbery, the gang make a successful robbery; however mistakes made during hideway contribute to their eventual capture. Not least when their contact who "cleans up" the getaway vehicles is apprehended at an airport leaving the UK with about £50K stuffed up his coat - his capture enables the police to set up a successful trap for the rest of the gang.

The ending of the film is probably a slight movement forward from many 1950s movies where the gang are all caught - the ending to Robbery slightly leaves the viewer guessing. This is a film for enthusiasts of films of past years, who may like to spot London landmarks.