A gang leader dumps her criminal boyfriend when he is convicted of robbery, but he recovers the stolen loot once he's released. In retaliation, the gang kidnaps his son and demands the money as ransom.
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Title: It Takes a Thief (1960)
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Cast
| Cast overview, first billed only: | |||
| Jayne Mansfield | ... | Billy | |
| Anthony Quayle | ... | Jim | |
| Carl Möhner | ... | Kristy | |
| Peter Reynolds | ... | Buddy | |
| John Bennett | ... | Spider | |
| Barbara Mullen | ... | Ma Piper | |
 |
Peter Pike | ... | 'Joey' / Joey |
| Robert Brown | ... | Bob Crowther | |
| Dermot Walsh | ... | Detective Sergeant Willis | |
| Edward Judd | ... | Detective Sergeant Gittens | |
| John Stratton | ... | Rick | |
| Patrick Holt | ... | Max | |
|
|
Lorraine Clewes | ... | Mrs. Rick |
| Percy Herbert | ... | Shop Steward | |
|
|
Liane Marelli | ... | Striptease Artiste |
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Plot Summary
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Storyline
Billie and Kristy lead a gang of armed robbers who steal from banks, armoured cars, and the like. When Billie's lover, Jim, gets caught by the police after stashing a large amount of money, they wait for him to get out of jail. He does and has to deal with both the police and his ex-gang as they both need him to get what they want. Things become more complicated when Kristy kidnaps Jim's son and threatens to kill him if Jim doesn't come up with the buried loot. Written by Josh Pasnak <chainsaw@intouch.bc.ca>
Plot Keywords:
woman smoker | trumpet | smoking in bed | shooting gallery | saxophone |Parents Guide:
Add content advisory for parents »
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See full technical specs »
Details
Country:
UKLanguage:
EnglishRelease Date:
February 1961 (USA) See more »Also Known As:
It Takes a Thief See more »Company Credits
Show more on
IMDbPro »
Technical Specs
Sound Mix:
Mono (RCA Sound Recording)Color:
Black and White
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Lyrics by Robert Halfin
Music by Bill McGuffie (as William McGuffie)
Performed by Jayne Mansfield (dubbed by Joan Small) (uncredited)
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Did You Know?
Soundtracks
The ChallengeLyrics by Robert Halfin
Music by Bill McGuffie (as William McGuffie)
Performed by Jayne Mansfield (dubbed by Joan Small) (uncredited)
See more »
"The Challenge" (or if you prefer "It Takes a Thief"), may not be "Rififi" or "The Killing" but this John Gilling directed crime movie isn't nearly as bad as people would have you believe. In fact, it's a consistently fast-moving, surprisingly tough picture with a decent cast that includes Anthony Quale and Carl Mohner as crooks under the thumb of unlikely crime boss Jayne Mansfield. Yes, that's right - Jayne Mansfield, who isn't just miscast here but is perfectly dreadful and was probably the main reason the movie bombed, (was casting her really such a good idea in the first place?). Still, she turns almost every line she utters into a howler and is just one of the reasons the movie is so damned entertaining. Nice black and white photography, too, by Gordon Dines and a good use of locations.