SimonJack A mid-20th century trio of top-notch actors star in "Seven Thieves." This unusual caper mystery is based on a 1959 novel by Max Catto, "The Lions at the Kill." Catto was a prolific English writer who sometimes wrote under the pen name, Simon Kent. Ten of his novels were made into movies. Among them are the 1950 book, "The Killing Frost," which became the 1956 film, "Trapeze;" and the 1969 book, "Murphy's War," which became a 1971 film of the same name.In "Seven Thieves," Edward G. Robinson, Rod Steiger and Eli Wallach are joined by four others in pulling off a grand heist of the Monte Carlo Casino in Monaco. Joan Collins plays the sole female of the group. The exteriors of Monte Carlo and the French Riviera - at Cannes, are filmed. I visited and vacationed at these places in 1963 and 1964 while serving in the U.S. Army in Germany, and they appeared then just as shown in this film. The plot for this film is a good drama and caper. It has some good character development - for as much as a 100-minute film will allow with seven main characters. All the performances are very good, including a number of supporting cast. Among them are Berry Kroeger and Sebastian Cabot. This is one of those heist films when one hopes they get away with it. The film has some sentimental underpinnings that lurk under the surface until the end. That revelation and a surprise twist provide for an interesting ending. And one more little twist at the final scene adds a touch of delight. At times this film may seem slow to modern audiences used to fast action and little substance. But the substance is well worth it for those who appreciate good acting and a nice crime caper.Here's a favorite line from the movie. Theo Wilkins (E.G. Robinson) sits down with Paul Mason (Rod Steiger) to have a drink at an outdoor lounge overlooking the beach at Cannes, France. Theo says, "Now, an international axiom. A man who says 'whiskey' is an Englishman. A man who says 'double whiskey' is an Irishman. But a man who asks, 'Have you any ice?' is an American."

oscar-35 *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.

zardoz-13 THE SONS OF KATIE ELDER director Henry Hathaway made just about every kind of movie during his long career that spanned from the 1932 western WHEN THE WEST WAS YOUNG to the 1974 blaxploitation thriller SUPER DUDE. This above-average 1960 casino crime caper came out several months before the Frank Sinatra & Dean Martin epic OCEANS ELEVEN. The Hathaway takes place in France instead of Las Vegas and concerns an elderly ex-con, Professor Theo Wilkins (Edward G. Robinson of LITTLE CAESAR), who wants to make the world gasp for one last time. He has orchestrated a highly complex robbery at a Monte Carlo casino that will net some 4 million dollars in French money. He entices an old and dear friend, Paul Mason (Rod Steiger of DUCK YOU SUCKER), as the man who ramrods the operation. Paul straightens out everybody on the crew that he has the final word in everything. He also checks them out and tests them so he can be sure that they are reliable in a tight spot. One of the conspirators is a gorgeous stripper, Melanie (Joan Collins of LAND OF THE PHARAOHS), who strings along a timid, uptight casino secretary Raymond Le May (Alexander Scourby of THE BIG HEAT) to help them obtain invitations to an exclusive party the same night they plan to pull the robbery. They also enlist the aid of a safer cracker, Louis Antonizzi (Michael Dante of RAINTREE COUNTY), and Poncho (Eli Wallach of BABY DOLL) who is supposed to impersonate a wealthy baron. The night of the heist, Poncho fakes a heart attack so they can have an ambulance arrive. The ambulance is being driven by another conspirator Hugo Baumer (Berry Kroeger of Hitler) who handles the automobiles that they use for the robbery. Remember, back in 1960 when this movie was produced, the Production Code Administration still had enough clout to censor movies and they were not about to let these talented thieves get away with their crime. The way that Hathaway and scenarist Sydney Boehm work things out is not entirely satisfactory but it does make for a better ending that all of them being nabbed by French authorities.

pro_crustes Remember "Mission: Impossible"? The TV series, not the movie. It was always fun to watch the team pull off one of their stunts, because they balanced their Rube Goldberg concepts with NASA-quality planning. This movie is cut from the same cloth. It's about a casino robbery engineered during one of the gambling hall's biggest celebrations. The eponymous crooks must work in synchronized unison to fulfill their plan. Unlike the MI series, though, they aren't all quite equally devoted to their mission or, at least not to their particular roles within it. Still, they have a clever series of steps that get more interesting to watch, even as it seems increasingly likely that the plan will succeed.Along the way, there are some interesting mixtures of personality types, some mysterious backgrounds waiting to be uncovered, and a degree of slipperiness that make it hard to be sure just who we should be rooting for. Indeed, part of the charm of this film is that there are _no_ "good guys," yet we want the thieves to get away with their crime.A nifty, thoughtful piece, with little action and no sfx (in the current sense, anyway). An added plus for some of us is a pair of fairly sexy dance numbers a 27-year-old Joan Collins does "nearly naked," as her character puts it. She was at her physical prime in this film, but don't underestimate her acting ability. She carries the sole female role with every bit as much mastery as Wallach, Steiger, and the oddly endearing Edward G. Robinson carry theirs. John Beradino (the original "Dr. Hardy" of TV's "General Hospital") has a small role, and Marcel Hillaire appears as more or less the same character he would play dozens of times in TV guest spots for the next few years.7/10, recommended if you've had your fill of explosions, CGI, or Tom Cruise.