Seven Thieves (1960)

A different way of telling a story

Easily the biggest piece of Right wing non sense propaganda I ever saw.

It’s sentimental, ridiculously long and only occasionally funny

Blistering performances.

"Theo Wilkins" (Edward G. Robinson) has put together a plan to steal $4 million from a casino in Monte Carlo and he specifically asks an old accomplice named "Paul Mason" (Rob Steiger) to assist him. Also conspiring with him are five other accomplices who each have their own interests and it's for this reason that he has asked Paul to join in this caper as Theo desperately needs someone on the team he can trust. Although Paul is initially reluctant to join him he is eventually persuaded due in large part to a woman on the team named "Melanie" (Joan Collins). The problem though is that she has a possessive boyfriend on this team by the name of "Pancho" (Eli Wallach) who she feels a certain loyalty towards. In any event, the mission is quite complicated and because of that all seven members of the team have to work together in order to accomplish it. Now rather than reveal any more I will just say that this was a decent crime-drama which could have been better had it had a bit more action or suspense. Even so, it was still entertaining enough for the time spent and for that reason I have rated it accordingly. Slightly above average.

*Spoiler/plot- Seven Thieves 1960, A large crew plans a European 4 million casino heist to help an old pal.*Special Stars- Rod Steiger, Edward G. Robinson, Joan Collins, Eli Wallach, Sebastian Cabot, Alexander Scourby, Michael Danta, Berry Kroeger.*Theme- Justice can come in the place of vengeance.*Trivia/location/goofs- B & W, European. Watch for a very lovely stripper dance from a 19 yr old Joan Collins.*Emotion- A wonderful mega star cast of international characters that take the audience through their biggest 'caper'. The acting is wonderful.*Based On- crime books of the 50's.

A so-so caper movie that somehow fails to take off despite a veteran cast and director. There's lots of casino glitz, a sexy Joan Collins, and an inherently suspenseful premise, but the elements never really come together. I agree with the reviewer who thinks Steiger miscast. His is the central role. Yet he's so humorless, his enforcer-leader fails to generate needed sympathy for the caper (I gather director Hathaway was also unhappy with the grimness). In fact, with Robinson's exception, none of the characters is particularly likable. As a result, viewers are not encouraged to engage with the caper, but instead to simply observe it. At the same time, ace director Hathaway films in uncharacteristically impersonal, uncompelling fashion.Nonetheless, the movie does have its moments. There's genuine tension when the Duc (Hillaire) tries to get Melanie (Collins) evicted from the casino, spoiling the heist. Instead, Melanie does some fast thinking and hangs in there. Then there's the very human last- minute-jitters that threaten to undo the elaborate scheme. But these moments of tension tend to remain isolated instead of tightening into a suspenseful whole, a failing perhaps of the screenplay.I think there's a reason these heist films were popular during the law-and-order 1950's. The best ones-- The Asphalt Jungle (1950), The Killing (1956)— humanize crime in ways crime features to that point don't. Unlike most crime dramas of the period, ordinary people are seen as able to pool their talents into a cleverly profitable undertaking, at the same time, being daring enough to take big risks for big gains. Such qualities mirror the kind of commercial initiative ordinarily lauded by popular culture. Of course, heists are also criminal enterprises, but except for the key factor of legality, they show off the combined skills of ordinary people acting in effective and sympathetic light. And just as importantly, as long as it's only a bank or racetrack or casino that gets victimized, well, they can likely afford it. Without that key consideration of who's harmed, the ending of this film would be more morally questionable than it is.Anyhow, the movie's passable entertainment, and if it fails to scale the caper film heights, at least there are compensations.

Edward G. Robinson has planned the perfect crime in "Seven Thieves," a 1960 black and white film also starring Rod Steiger, Joan Collins, Eli Wallach, Alexander Scourby, Michael Dante, Marcel Hillaire, and Sebastian Cabot. The film is set in Monte Carlo where Theo Wilkins (Robinson) has arranged to meet Paul Mason (Rod Steiger) to ask him to join in the plot. Wilkins is a former scientist who lost his credibility after commission of some sort of crime, but we don't know what it is; Mason has just finished three years in jail. The crime concerns the theft of 4 million francs from a casino and will involve a total of 7 people - a dancer (Collins), her friend (Wallach), her married boyfriend (Scourby), and a safe cracker (Dante).Directed by Henry Hathaway, this is an interesting drama that moves somewhat slowly and might have been better. It has a couple of twists at the end that are interesting, and there is quite a bit of tension and suspense for the audience throughout.The performances are excellent. Robinson gives a sympathetic portrayal of an old man looking for his last shot; Steiger gives a subdued (!) performance, his character being quietly threatening instead of screaming his guts out - good choice. Someone commented on this site that Joan Collins looks the same today as she did in this film 45 years ago - actually, it's kind of true. The only difference is that she wore less makeup then. Her figure is amazing, and she gives a wonderful performance as an unhappy, hard woman who has much compassion underneath. Eli Wallach does a great job as a nervous wreck."Seven Thieves" holds your attention. Strangely this is around the time of "Ocean's 11" where the touch is much lighter. This is a very dramatic story. It's not the greatest but worth checking out.