The Silent Partner (1978)

Director:

Daryl Duke

Writers:

Curtis Hanson (screenplay)
Anders Bodelsen (novel)

Release Date:

30 March 1979 (USA)

Genre:

Drama | Crime | Thriller

Tagline:

"The Silent Partner" begins with a crime of sheer genius and builds to a climax of sheer terror!

Plot:

This is an imaginative plot, yet one with which the viewer can readily identify. A bank teller (Elliot Gould) is held up at gun point in his bank...

Plot Keywords:

Bank Teller | Pay Phone | Female Nudity | Barricading | Cross Dressing

Awards:

2 wins

Cast

Elliott Gould	...	Miles Cullen
Christopher Plummer	...	Harry Reikle
Susannah York	...	Julie Carver
Céline Lomez	...	Elaine
Michael Kirby	...	Charles Packard
Sean Sullivan	...	Frank, Bank Guard
Ken Pogue	...	Detective Willard
John Candy	...	Simonsen
Gail Dahms-Bonine	...	Louise (as Gail Dahms)
Michael Donaghue	...	Berg
Jack Duffy	...	Fogelman
Nancy Simmonds	...	Girl in Sauna
Nuala Fitzgerald	...	Safety Deposit Box Woman
Guy Sanvido	...	Locksmith
Charlotte Blunt	...	Mrs. Vivian Packard

Also Known As:

L'argent de la banque (Canada: French title)

MPAA:

Rated R for violence, language and some sexuality.

Runtime:

106 min

Country:

Canada

Language:

English

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Sound Mix:

Mono

Certification:

Finland:K-16 (uncut) (1995) | Finland:K-16 (cut) (1979) | Iceland:16 | Norway:16 | Netherlands:16 (original rating) | Australia:R | Sweden:15 | USA:R

Filming Locations:

Eaton Centre, Toronto, Ontario, Canada

Company:

Carolco Entertainment

Trivia:

The main location for this movie, shown in the opening shot, is the Toronto Eaton Centre. It was built shortly before the movie was shot.

Quotes:

Julie Carver: I don't understand you, Miles.
[long pause]
Julie Carver: And I'm not sure I want to.

Movie Connections:

Remake of Tænk på et tal (1969)

Soundtrack:

C'mon Downtown

Find this movie!

"The Silent Partner" is one of the best films you have probably never heard of. It had a very brief theatrical run in 1979 and I was lucky enough to see it during the one week it was in my town. I, along with the few brave others in attendance, were blown away. This is the only time I have ever seen just a handful of people in a movie and at the end we all applauded. It's that good.

Elliot Gould plays a bank teller in a mall during Christmas time. Christopher Plummer plays the mall Santa who is planning to rob the bank. Gould finds this out (How? I will leave you to discover that for yourself) and soon Plummer knows that Gould knows thus Gould becomes Plummer's silent partner and a game of cat and mouse ensues. But there is much, much more to this intense thriller and it is better for me to leave it unsaid.

Susannah York has a nice supporting role as Gould's would be girlfriend and she looks just great.

I only have one complaint and that is there are two scenes involving Plummer that are shockingly violent. We know Plummer is a bad guy after the first act of violence. Did we really need to see the second (which is far more graphic and brutal)? I found this film on video about 15 years ago and watched it again and loved it just as much. I haven't seen it since. If you are a fan of thrillers then this is one of the best and I urge you to search far and wide to find it. You won't be disappointed.