The Anderson Tapes (1971)

A thief (Duke Anderson) just released from ten years in jail, takes up with his old girlfriend (Ingrid) in her posh apartment. He makes plans to rob the entire building. What he doesn't ... See full summary »

Director:

Sidney Lumet

Writers:

Lawrence Sanders (novel), Frank Pierson (screenplay)

Stars:

Sean Connery, Dyan Cannon, Martin Balsam

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Sean Connery	...	Anderson
Dyan Cannon	...	Ingrid
Martin Balsam	...	Tommy Haskins
Ralph Meeker	...	Delaney
Alan King	...	Angelo
Christopher Walken	...	The Kid
Val Avery	...	Parelli
Dick Anthony Williams	...	Spencer (as Dick Williams)
Garrett Morris	...	Everson
Stan Gottlieb	...	Pop
Paul Benjamin	...	Jimmy
Anthony Holland	...	Psychologist
Richard B. Shull	...	Werner (as Richard B. Schull)
Conrad Bain	...	Dr. Rubicoff
Margaret Hamilton	...	Miss Kaler

Storyline

A thief (Duke Anderson) just released from ten years in jail, takes up with his old girlfriend (Ingrid) in her posh apartment. He makes plans to rob the entire building. What he doesn't know is that his every move is recorded on audio and video tape, although he is not the subject of any surveillance.

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Plot Keywords:

surveillance | tape | new york city | surveillance camera | city | 

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Taglines:

Someone is listening... someone is watching... as the crime of the century unreels!

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Genres:

Crime | Drama | Thriller

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Certificate:

GP

Details

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

2 September 1971 (West Germany)

Also Known As:

Le gang Anderson

Filming Locations:

1 East 91st Street, Manhattan, New York City, New York, USA

Company Credits

Production Co:

Columbia Pictures Corporation, Robert M. Weitman Productions

Technical Specs

Runtime:

99 min

Sound Mix:

Mono

Color:

Color (Technicolor)

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

Final feature film of Margaret Hamilton.

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Goofs

When the Mayflower moving van is leaving the parking lot to head for the rendezvous at the crime scene, several crew members (one of whom is holding a large reflector) are visibly reflected on the side of the van.

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Quotes

Anderson: What's advertising but a legalized con game? And what the hell's marriage? Extortion, prostitution, soliciting with a government stamp on it. And what the hell's your stock market? A fixed horse race. Some business guy steals a bank, he's a big success story. Face in all the magazines. Some other guy steals the magazine and he's busted.

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Connections

Referenced in Siskel & Ebert: Family Business/Blaze/We're No Angels/The Wizard/The Rosegarden (1989)

User Reviews

Ho-hum heist

The late 60's and early 70's saw a spate of heist movies ("The Heist", "The Hot Rock", "How To Steal A Diamond") but this didn't strike me as being one of the best of them, despite Sidney Lumet directing and a toupee-less Sean Connery starring.

The gimmick to the story, as is made abundantly clear from the outset, is that released felon Connery's every move and utterance is being taped, not only by the authorities but also by the jealous sugar daddy of his call-girl lover Dyan Cannon, in the end thwarting his big-idea plan to clean out every flat in a luxury complex of their occupants' rich pickings.

The improbability of the story is its biggest stumbling block. Despite having mob connections you don't comprehend just why Connery merits such official attention which added to the coincidence of Cannon's surveillance too, stretches credulity way too far. In other ways a determinedly adult-oriented film, especially the scenes between Connery and Cannon in bed and the casual violence of the heist itself, it wants to be gritty and grown- up, at the same time attempting to be modern and clever with various showy directorial techniques (assorted flashbacks, stop-start sequencing), but in the end it all fails to gel and underachieves, with too many inconsequential scenes and thinly-drawn characterisations at its heart. The robbery itself attempts to impose some forced and unwelcome humour by highlighting the individual quirks of the intended victims which include a disabled computer whizz-kid, an ancient but feisty old woman and a warring couple but this just comes across as distasteful and glosses over the real horror and violation I'm sure any ordinary citizen would feel at the violation they endure.

The acting is mixed, Connery seemingly miscast as the "Limey" (he'd hate that) leader of the motley crew he gathers around him for the job, amongst whom only Martin Balsam as way-too-far over-the-top homosexual and a young Christopher Walken as a savvy new- kid-on-the-block, shine. Dyan Cannon is wasted in an underwritten role and is mainly required, it seems, to be something for Connery to nuzzle up to.

No, not the greatest of caper films and not the strongest item in the careers of Messrs Lumet and Connery. I'm a keen student of early 70's contemporary thrillers and had high hopes for this movie, but like Connery's character's plans, it just never got off the ground.