The Silent Partner (1978)

A timid bank teller anticipates a bank robbery and steals the money himself before the crook arrives. When the sadistic crook realizes he's been fooled, he tracks down the teller and engages him in a cat-and-mouse chase for the cash.

Director:

Daryl Duke

Writers:

Curtis Hanson (screenplay by), Anders Bodelsen (based on the novel "Think of a Number" by)

Stars:

Elliott Gould, Christopher Plummer, Susannah York

3 wins & 3 nominations.

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Elliott Gould	...	Miles Cullen
Christopher Plummer	...	Reikle
Susannah York	...	Julie
Céline Lomez	...	Elaine
Michael Kirby	...	Charles Packard
Sean Sullivan	...	Bank Guard
Ken Pogue	...	Detective Willard
John Candy	...	Simonsen
Gail Dahms-Bonine	...	Louise (as Gail Dahms)
Micheal Donaghue	...	Berg (as Michael Donaghue)
Jack Duffy	...	Fogelman
Nancy Simmonds	...	Girl in Sauna
Nuala Fitzgerald	...	Safety Deposit Box Woman
Guy Sanvido	...	Locksmith
Charlotte Blunt	...	Mrs. Packard

Storyline

A bank teller is held up at gun point in his bank. Luckily for him he receives a clue that this is going to occur and diverts most of the cash into his own safety deposit box, leaving only a nominal amount for the crook. The ruse works well, but for the fact that the crook resents the fact that he has been outsmarted. There ensues a terrific battle of wits involving the clever but basically "moral" teller, and the cunning and totally uninhibited bank robber, which involves several other people in ways which cannot be revealed here.

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Plot Keywords:

santa claus costume | christmas carol | mall | security guard | angel fish | 

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Taglines:

A chilling story interwoven with comedy... sex... terror!

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Genres:

Crime | Drama | Thriller

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Motion Picture Rating (MPAA)

Rated R for violence, language and some sexuality

Did You Know?

Trivia

The bank robbery plot appears to have been taken from L'étrange Monsieur Steve (1957) or the novel upon which the 1957 film was based, La Revanche des Mediocres by the film's writer, Marcel Prêtre.

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Goofs

The bank robber flees and steals a car from someone that is tying a Christmas tree to the roof of it. The bank robber drives away, throwing the car owner on the wet pavement. But, before that, you can see that the seat of his pants are already wet, proving they did the stunt more than once.

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Quotes

Miles Cullen: Sometimes it's better if you just like someone, nothing more than that.
Elaine: Like someone and have... a little something in common.
Miles Cullen: Like money?

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Connections

Remake of Think of a Number (1969)

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Soundtracks

C'mon Downtown
Written and Recorded by Nancy Simmonds

User Reviews

A film not to be overlooked

You're in for a lot of suspense with this one, I've never understood why this movie was not more widely seen, even though it is deservedly highly-regarded. The whole cast is terrific, above all the great Elliott Gould. Curtis Hanson's screenplay offers just the right twists at just the right moments and it all adds up to a very believable story. Don't miss it!!

Details

Country:

Canada

Language:

English

Release Date:

16 March 1979 (USA)

Also Known As:

The Silent Partner

Filming Locations:

6 Howard Street, Toronto, Ontario, Canada

Box Office

Budget:

CAD2,500,000 (estimated)

Company Credits

Production Co:

Carolco Pictures, Cine Guarantors

Technical Specs

Runtime:

106 min

Sound Mix:

Mono

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1