Cast overview, first billed only: | |||
Warren Beatty | ... | Joe Collins | |
Goldie Hawn | ... | Dawn Divine | |
Gert Fröbe | ... | Mr. Kessel | |
Robert Webber | ... | Attorney | |
Scott Brady | ... | Sarge | |
Arthur Brauss | ... | Candy Man | |
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Robert Stiles | ... | Major |
Wolfgang Kieling | ... | Granich | |
Bob Herron | ... | Bodyguard (as Robert Herron) | |
Christiane Maybach | ... | Helga | |
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Hans Hutter | ... | Karl |
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Monica Stender | ... | Berta Schmidt |
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Horst Hesslein | ... | Bruno |
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Wolfgang Kuhlman | ... | Furcoat |
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Klaus Schichan | ... | Knifeman (as Klaus Tschichan) |
Several criminals use safe deposit boxes in a German bank to store large amounts of illicit cash. An employee of the bank learns who they are by means of a prostitute they all patronize, and devises a clever plan with her to steal the money. Now the criminals can't go to the police, but they can try to steal the money back... Written by Anonymous
American banking engineer, orchestrating the opening of a high-tech new bank in Germany, conspires to rip-off a gang of crooks and low-lifes who keep their loot in private boxes at the branch. There is quite a long set-up to the protracted chase in this film; luckily it involves a daffy, wonderful Goldie Hawn as a hooker/accomplice to thief Warren Beatty. Hawn is a living, breathing cliffhanger, you never know what she's going to do next. In the middle of the hysteria, there's a beautifully modulated moment where she tells Beatty about a screen-test she did for the movies ("First take, nothing. Second take, I dunno know...tears. Third take, I forgot my own name. And I made it up myself!"). The chase takes up about two entire reels, and it's been edited with hairbreadth timing. I also loved what first appeared to be a twist ending: someone dupes someone else, and then in turn gets duped. It would've been an awesome climax, but there's a weird tag at the very end of the picture (ostensibly to wrap it up with a bow) which is sort of a letdown. It seems to involve none of the participants--only their props!--which leads me to believe this was a post-production/last minute decision. Still, "$" (pronounced "Dollars") is funny, smart, and filmed in a cool, jazzy style that is no longer fashionable but certainly memorable. ***1/2 from ****