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:

Join us - we'll cut you in on the theft of the century!

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Genres:

Adventure | Comedy | Crime | Thriller

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Certificate:

Unrated

Did You Know?

Trivia

The title refers to the Topkapi Palace built by the Ottoman Sultan Mehmed II in 1459 after the fall of the Byzantine Empire. The Ottoman sultans made the Topkapi palace their main residence for four hundred years. It became a museum in 1924, and its hundreds of rooms contain numerous collections of historical and religious relics, treasures, and jewelry. Topkapi means literally "Cannon Gate" in Turkish.

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Goofs

When the team members are watching the wrestling matches before the heist, Mercouri's hairstyle changes from shot to shot (pulled back, loose)

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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

Referenced in At the Movies: True Romance/The Ballad of Little Jo/Kalifornia/The Joy Luck Club/The Real McCoy (1993)

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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

A Classic Heist

"Topkapi" is a classic. In it, a group of criminals with a plan to break into the Topkapi Palace Museum in Istanbul, and steal a jewel-encrusted dagger. Melina Mercouri stars as Elizabeth Lipp, the mastermind behind the heist. Peter Ustinov is along for the ride as Arthur Simon Simpson, who does a good turn of comic relief. The movie shows beautiful shots of Greece and Turkey on its wild trip. It's similar to the original "Ocean's Eleven," as you root for the thieves. You find yourself hoping crime will pay! The last shot of the movie shows more of the fun spirit present in the movie. In the end, I wondered a little about the continuing adventures of the characters. Surely, this caper deserves investigation!

Details

Official Sites:

MGM

Country:

USA

Language:

English French Turkish German Greek Italian

Release Date:

2 September 1964 (France)

Also Known As:

Topkapi

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