Topkapi (1964)

A conman gets mixed up with a group of thieves who plan to rob an Istanbul museum to steal a jewelled dagger.

Director:

Jules Dassin

Writers:

Monja Danischewsky (screenplay), Eric Ambler (based on the novel "The Light of Day")

Stars:

Melina Mercouri, Peter Ustinov, Maximilian Schell

Won 1 Oscar. Another 3 wins & 4 nominations.

Cast

Complete credited cast:
Melina Mercouri	...	Elizabeth Lipp
Peter Ustinov	...	Arthur Simon Simpson
Maximilian Schell	...	Walter Harper
Robert Morley	...	Cedric Page
Jess Hahn	...	Hans Fisher
Gilles Ségal	...	Giulio the Human Fly
Akim Tamiroff	...	Gerven - the Cook
Titos Vandis	...	Harback (as Titos Wandis)
Ege Ernart	...	Maj. Ali Tufan
Senih Orkan	...	First Shadow
Ahmet Danyal Topatan	...	Second Shadow
Joe Dassin	...	Josef (as Joseph Dassin)
Despo Diamantidou	...	Voula

Storyline

A small-time con man with passport problems gets mixed up with a gang of world-class jewelry thieves plotting to rob the Topkapi museum in Istanbul. Turkish intelligence, suspecting arms smuggling, gets involved, and under pressure, the con man rises to heights of which he'd never dreamed.

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Plot Keywords:

heist | museum | art museum | caper comedy | istanbul turkey | 

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Taglines:

It's for Thursday, darling, in Istanbul...we've got a leather vest, a surgeon's lamp, a suction cup and a boy-scout knot, also a mastermind, an electronics genius - and a schmo. Come on - you're cut in on the theft of the century!

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Genres:

Adventure | Comedy | Crime | Thriller

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Certificate:

Unrated

Details

Official Sites:

MGM

Country:

USA

Language:

English French Turkish German Greek Italian

Release Date:

2 September 1964 (France)

Also Known As:

A Topkapi kincse

Filming Locations:

Turkey

Box Office

Gross USA:

$7,000,000

Company Credits

Production Co:

Filmways Pictures

Technical Specs

Runtime:

120 min

Sound Mix:

Mono (Westrex Recording System)

Color:

Color (Technicolor)

Aspect Ratio:

1.66 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

Director Jules Dassin originally planned to cast Peter Sellers as Arthur Simon Simpson and hoped to cast Orson Welles as Cedric Page. Welles refused this role and Sellers later dropped out, to be replaced by Sir Peter Ustinov (whom Sellers had, in turn, replaced in The Pink Panther (1963).

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Goofs

At runtime 00:57 when Arthur pulls the couch by a rope Elizabeth sits and lays in three different positions depending on which camera shows the scene.

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Quotes

[first lines]
Elizabeth Lipp: It can be done! That's the way it can be done! Aaah... oh, excuse me; I've just had a great idea - something I've been looking for a long time... a very long time.

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Crazy Credits

At the beginning, the title and the technical credits are shown, but no credit is given to the actors or to the producer-director. However, at the end, (spoiler) we suddenly see the words "There they go again!", and all of the leading actors appear in a snowbound setting, together with their names. Then the names of all of the other actors, together with the name of the producer-director, appear on the screen.

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Connections

Spoofs Rififi (1955)

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Soundtracks

The Stars and Stripes Forever
(uncredited) (1896)
Written by John Philip Sousa
Played when Elizabeth steps on Cedric's mock-up of the security platform

User Reviews

Flawless Heist Film

Geez, I can't get over all the sour comments about this film on this site. Long? Boring? These must be the feelings of MTV kids who can't focus on an image for longer than thirty seconds... For the rest of you looking for the perfect caper film, look no farther. Exotic locale... great cast... memorable score... Topkapi has it all. In my opinion, this is a far superior film to Jules Dassin's earlier Riffifi. Topkapi is glamorous, funny, exciting -- but above all, fun.