Thieves Like Us (1974)

When two men break out of prison, they join up with another and restart their criminal ways, robbing banks across the South.

Director:

Robert Altman

Writers:

Calder Willingham (screenplay), Joan Tewkesbury (screenplay)

Stars:

Keith Carradine, Shelley Duvall, John Schuck

1 win.

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Keith Carradine	...	Bowie
Shelley Duvall	...	Keechie
John Schuck	...	Chicamaw
Bert Remsen	...	T-Dub
Louise Fletcher	...	Mattie
Ann Latham	...	Lula
Tom Skerritt	...	Dee Mobley
Al Scott	...	Capt. Stammers
John Roper	...	Jasbo
Mary Waits	...	Noel Joy
Rodney Lee	...	James Mattingly (as Rodney Lee Jr.)
Arch Hall Sr.	...	Alvin (as William Watters)
Joan Tewkesbury	...	Lady in Train Station (as Joan Maguire)
Eleanor Matthews	...	Mrs. Stammers
Pam Warner	...	Woman in Accident

Storyline

Two convicts break out of Mississippi State Penitentiary in 1936 to join a third on a long spree of bank robbing, their special talent and claim to fame. The youngest of the three falls in love along the way with a girl met at their hideout, the older man is a happy professional criminal with a romance of his own, the third is a fast lover and hard drinker fond of his work. The young lovers begin to move out of the sphere in which they have met, a last robbery in Yazoo City goes badly and puts paid to the gang once and for all as a profitable venture, but isn't the end of the story quite yet, as all three are wanted and notorious men with altogether different points of view on the situation they are faced with.

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Plot Keywords:

criminal | mississippi | southern u.s. | great depression | escaped convict | 

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Taglines:

Robbing 36 banks was easy. Watch what happens when they hit the 37th.

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Genres:

Crime | Drama | Romance

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Certificate:

R

Details

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

3 June 1974 (Denmark)

Also Known As:

Bizim gibi hirsizlar

Filming Locations:

Canton, Mississippi, USA

Box Office

Budget:

$1,125,000 (estimated)

Company Credits

Production Co:

George Litto Productions, Jerry Bick

Technical Specs

Runtime:

123 min

Sound Mix:

Mono

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

First major cinema movie role of actress Louise Fletcher.

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Goofs

On the night before the law officers come to the Grapes Motor Hotel, a thunderstorm occurs. Keechie has a conversation with Mattie out in the motor hotel's courtyard, with both of them covering their heads from the rain. The next morning, when Keechie leaves her cabin and walks to the motel's office, the ground in the courtyard is dry. But when the law officers arrive a few minutes later, the ground in the courtyard is suddenly muddy and filled with puddles.

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Quotes

Keechie: I think it'll be a boy.
Lady in Train Station: Can you tell?
Keechie: Well I hope it is. But if it is, he sure will not be named after his dad, God rest his soul. He crossed me up once too often, lying. He didn't deserve to have no baby named after him.

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Connections

Version of They Live by Night (1948)

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Soundtracks

Organ Grinder's Swing
(uncredited)
Written by Will Hudson, Irving Mills and Mitchell Parish

User Reviews

likes it

I think this is one of Altman's best movies. I enjoyed his use of authentic time radio shows. The movie was beautiful to look at in it's simplicity and grittyness. The characters played by Carradine and Duval were youthfully sweet. I appreciate Altman's director's eye in filming this movie. Make more like this!(all of you)