nsidd I watched "Robbery" on TV for the first time in years yesterday and was impressed by the quality and reality of the story-line and the characters.Every scene had an interesting meaning to it and the characters all behaved in a consistent manner - which is very refreshing to see in an age where stories are tailored just to meet the aura or egos of its stars. A big credit for this goes to the writers and the director. The acting of Stanley Baker and James Booth was also outstanding.All in all a very enjoyable experience - which should appeal to film-lovers like me that are entertained by high quality production values and realistic stories.

ShadeGrenade Following a successful diamond robbery in London, criminal mastermind Paul Clifton ( Stanley Baker ) decides to pull off the crime of the century - the theft of three million pounds from a train heading from Glasgow to London. He tries to join forces with other gangs, but they object to the money going to Switzerland. Clifton agrees to share it out on British soil, using a deserted aircraft hangar as hideout. A thief called Robinson ( Frank Finlay ) stupidly attempts to phone his wife during the robbery, and thus the police gain a valuable lead. As the law closes in, Clifton and his gang endeavor to make a getaway...A fictionalised account of The Great Train Robbery of 1963, this Stanley Baker/Michael Deeley production benefits from taut direction by Peter Yates and a first-rate supporting cast. Alongside Baker, there are old reliables such as James Booth, Barry Foster, Frank Finlay, George Sewell and William Marlowe, with the beautiful Joanna Pettet thrown in to provide some glamour. As Clifton's long-suffering wife, she has little to do other than complain about her husband's prolonged absences from the bedroom on account of him forever being in prison.The script by Edward Boyd, Peter Yates and George Markstein does not paint the main characters in any great detail, even Clifton himself ( based on Bruce Reynolds ) comes across as fairly one dimensional. His main nemesis is Inspector Langdon, and James Booth ( who had played 'Hook' in Baker's earlier 'Zulu' ), cast against type for a change, gives far and away the best performance.The film opens with a thrilling robbery sequence culminating in a high-speed car chase through London. Its as exciting as you would expect from the future director of 'Bullitt'. Good music from Johnny Keating too.'Robbery', though, is a curiously old fashioned piece which at times has the flavour of an I.T.C. show such as 'The Saint' ( and which Yates had contributed to ). It was made in 1967, the year that 'Bonnie & Clyde' and 'The Dirty Dozen' raised the bar for screen violence. The only real act of G.B.H. here is when the train driver is brutally coshed ( mirroring what happened to Jack Mills ). No nudity or bad language is on display. Its interesting to reflect that had it been made only a few years later it would have been very different. Look at 'Get Carter' and you will see what I mean.For all its faults, this gripping crime film is well worth seeking out and is vastly superior to the over-sentimentalized 'Buster' starring Phil Collins.

richard-payne-2 Robbery is for me a semi-documentary / thriller based on the Great Train Robbery of 1963. The location of the actual heist, on a bridge crossing a country lane bears similarity to the real robbery. The film moves around much of 60s London in the first part, during which time the gang are robbing to gain funds, plus planning the main robbery. The gangs' meeting on the terraces during a Leyton Orient match is well screened; Stanley Baker becomes so heated during their discussion he misses a great run and shot against the crossbar shown from the pitch! As for the central characters, Stanley Baker superbly plays "Mr Big" Paul Clifton, who is a character that the viewer never quite gets to know the limits. For example he tells the gang "we don't need guns, the police don't carry them"; later his wife finds his revolver at home, when quizzed he says "the gun is because I not going back inside (prison)".William Marlowe cleverly plays Clifton's "number 2" Dave Aitken, who is clearly "nice cop" versus Clifton's "bad cop" in terms of running the gang.As with the real train robbery, the gang make a successful robbery; however mistakes made during hideway contribute to their eventual capture. Not least when their contact who "cleans up" the getaway vehicles is apprehended at an airport leaving the UK with about £50K stuffed up his coat - his capture enables the police to set up a successful trap for the rest of the gang.The ending of the film is probably a slight movement forward from many 1950s movies where the gang are all caught - the ending to Robbery slightly leaves the viewer guessing. This is a film for enthusiasts of films of past years, who may like to spot London landmarks.

foz-3 In some ways this is a strange film. It is loosely based on the Great Train Robbery, but for some reason, possibly legal at the time, nobody is directly portraying Ronnie Biggs or Buster Edwards etc. The car chase at the beginning is the most exciting parts. (Peter Yates, not surprisingly, went on to direct Bullitt the following year). Check out the usual ream of rent-a-hood British film character actors such as George Sewell and James Booth. They are led admirably by Stanley Baker. The main failing of this film is the fact that they lumped all the most exciting bits at the beginning. Some might lose interest half way through because you basically know what's going to happen. Also the music soundtrack is a little repetitive - in some scenes, no sooner has the theme been faded out then it starts up again. Other than that, and a bit of dubious dubbing during the car chase, the film is very watchable.