George C. Scott didn't make many comedies, and when he did he played the straight man. Any movie buff who has seen much of his work would probably doubt his ability to do comedy any other way. "The Bank Shot" turned out not very good. But the plot for this film had real potential. All it needed to be successful would have been to eliminate the character or most of the role that Clifton James plays, as Streiger.
Once Scott's Walter Ballentine escapes from prison, there's no further need for Streiger in the movie. But the decision to sort of build a double plot - around Ballentine's bank heist efforts, and the Streiger-led efforts to catch Ballentine's gang, ruins this film. It creates overload, and removes any suspense there might be about the heist working. Besides, who ever heard of a warden leading a police network and manhunt?
No, I think the plot without the organized chase by Streiger would have been a very good comedy, with the gang encountering and dodging the usual police presence. Then, the time and space saved from the Streiger removal could have had a little more comedy put into the dialog of the crooks. And, the ending could have been kept as is, with regular police arriving on the scene, or changed to something else creatively funny.
I was quickly annoyed by the diversions to Streiger after the first one, and instead tried to enjoy the heist plot and antics without letting the diversions take away from the film. With that I can give this film six stars. Take Streiger out after the prison break and it would jump at least one notch. Put in some more comedy around the gang and it could climb to an 8-star film for entertainment.
