The Thomas Crown Affair (1968)

A debonair, adventuresome bank executive believes he has pulled off the perfect multi-million dollar heist, only to match wits with a sexy insurance investigator who will do anything to get her man.

Director:

Norman Jewison

Writer:

Alan Trustman (as Alan R. Trustman)

Stars:

Steve McQueen, Faye Dunaway, Paul Burke

Won 1 Oscar. Another 1 win & 5 nominations.

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Steve McQueen	...	Thomas Crown
Faye Dunaway	...	Vicki Anderson
Paul Burke	...	Eddy Malone
Jack Weston	...	Erwin
Biff McGuire	...	Sandy
Addison Powell	...	Abe
Astrid Heeren	...	Gwen
Gordon Pinsent	...	Jamie
Yaphet Kotto	...	Carl
Sidney Armus	...	Arnie
Richard Bull	...	Booth Guard
Peg Shirley	...	Honey
Patrick Horgan	...	Danny
Carol Corbett	...	Miss Sullivan
Tom Rosqui	...	Pvt. Detective

Storyline

Four men pull off a daring daytime robbery at a bank, dump the money in a trash can and go their separate ways. Thomas Crown, a successful, wealthy businessman pulls up in his Rolls and collects it. Vickie Anderson, an independent insurance investigator is called in to recover the huge haul. She begins to examine the people who knew enough about the bank to have pulled the robbery and discovers Crown. She begins a tight watch on his every move and begins seeing him socially. How does the planner of the perfect crime react to pressure?

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Plot Keywords:

american abroad | bank | heist | insurance investigator | bank heist | 

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Taglines:

He was young, handsome, a millionaire - and he'd just pulled off the perfect crime! She was young, beautiful, a super sleuth - sent to investigate it!

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Genres:

Crime | Drama | Romance | Thriller

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Certificate:

Approved

Details

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

26 June 1968 (USA)

Also Known As:

Thomas Crown, Esquire

Filming Locations:

Acorn St, Beacon Hill, Boston, Massachusetts, USA

Box Office

Budget:

$4,300,000 (estimated)

Gross USA:

$14,000,000, 31 December 1968

Company Credits

Production Co:

The Mirisch Corporation, Simkoe, Solar Productions

Technical Specs

Runtime:

102 min

Sound Mix:

Mono (Westrex Recording System)

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.33 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

Alan Trustman first thought of the film's story while working at a bank, and later wrote the treatment after becoming a lawyer.

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Goofs

Police with insurance agent discuss five men walking in off the street to do the robbery. We know there are five men total, but only four entered the bank and at that time a driver was not known.

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Quotes

Sandy: You're mad! Absolutely mad!
Thomas Crown: What else can we do on Sunday?

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Connections

Referenced in Twice in a Lifetime: Old Flames (2000)

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Soundtracks

Cash and Carry
Music by Michel Legrand

User Reviews

Favored over the remake

The large number of reviews tossing this in the trash bin as an overwrought 1960s period piece, or inferior when compared to the Pierce Brosnan/Rene Russo remake caused me to find the DVD and take another look.

The problem with the 1967 film is that, unlike most films made today (including the remake), viewers need to think and connect the dots; and, there isn't always a "right" ending with all details neat and tidy. This is still a classic of the caper films, with McQueen giving the definitive performance of his absolute-cool image, and Dunaway as the Joan Crawford of the Virginia Slims generation.

The then-innovative parts of the film, including the multiple split screens and the repetition of the theme song with Noel Harrison look dated (and the split-screen is only effective on the big, big screens of the 1960s-era theaters), but the chess game is still the most-seductive bit of film where all the clothes stay on and nobody talks.

Listening to director Norman Jewison's commentary on the DVD is enlightening. The split screens were indeed a timely gimmick (Jewison and the producer saw the technique at Expo '67 in Montreal), and his explanation of the last scene in the cemetery gives a good insight as to how he aimed the film in general.