Larceny in Technicolor - 5 Ultra Cool Euro-Heist Flicks

I am a fan of all manner of crime flicks throughout the 20th Century from the gritty pre-code classics to the operatic Hong Kong gangster stories but I have always held a deep affinity for a swinging 60s Euro-heist. Immaculately styled capers featuring impossibly cool casts set against locales from the golden age of travel. I imagine my enthusiasm for this genre is somewhat akin to what James Bond fans feel — I just have an easier time rooting for thieves than I do for government agents. Maybe it's the Summer vibes and thoughts of taking a holiday but I've had heist flicks on the brain again. The following are some of my absolute favorites in this vein and the films I often find myself recommending to the curious or people stuck talking to me at cocktail parties.

Topkapi (1964) — Jules Dassin may not have invented the heist film with his unimpeachable 1955 classic Rififi but he very well may have perfected it. After Rififi’s breakout international success Dassin made a succession of European films outside of the crime milieu before returning to the genre with Topkapi. A much lighter affair than its predecessor, Topkapi makes explosive use of color and employs humor in the place of noir stylings. Peter Ustinov co-stars as the unwitting accomplice (schmo) to an international crew of master thieves looking to steal a jewel encrusted dagger in Istanbul. Despite the riot of sound and color on display for most of Topkapi’s runtime, the films highlight is a near silent burglary sequence crammed with white-knuckle tension. It's corny in parts and the plot doesn't make all the sense in the world, but I get swept away by Topkapi every time I watch it. 

Any Number Can Win (1963) — An absolutely gorgeous heist picture from Henri Verneuil featuring the first collaboration between cinema titans Jean Gabin and Alain Delon. Gabin plays the veteran crook who recruits Delon’s hotheaded rookie to help rob a casino on the French Riviera. The dynamic between the two is a lot of fun to watch and the actual heist sequence is excellent. I’ve always thought Verneuil had a real gift for framing a sequence and Any Number is no exception. The extended sequence of Delon trying to nonchalantly pass bags of stolen loot by the pool as police descend on the resort is perfection. More Gallic cool than crazy caper, Any Number oozes style from Michel Magne’s jazz score to the Cannes locale. As of this writing there is no in-print physical copy of Any Number Can Win available in the US and that’s a more serious crime than any robbery.

Grand Slam (1967) — Giuliano Montaldo’s international caper flick is a breezy, idiosyncratic affair that features a ridiculously fun score from Ennio Morricone and a wild cast including Janet Leigh, Edward G. Robinson, George Rigaud, Klaus Kinski, Adolfo Celi, and more. The set up is an assembled multinational crew of experts who plan to rob a bank in Rio de Janeiro during Carnival season. This is another fantastic heist sequence that is nearly wordless and involves close to 30 minutes of rappelling, suction cups, electric eyes, telescoping ladders, and the titular Grand Slam 70 alarm system. Some of the narrative twists and turns are a little hard to swallow but Grand Slam more than delivers on sweaty palmed tension. The actual footage of Carnival in the 60s is a genuine treat as well.

Gambit (1966) — Ronald Neame’s heist comedy employs a gambit of its own but manages to be clever enough to get away with it. The film was advertised with the line “Go Ahead: Tell the End (It's Too Hilarious to Keep Secret) But Please Don't Tell the Beginning!" Which hopefully is enough to dissuade you from reading too much about the plot. It also contains some elements which we’d call out as problematic in a modern context — Shirley MacLaine plays a woman of European and Asian descent while Harold Lom plays a Middle Eastern man from a fictional country. If you’re still able to appreciate Gambit as a product of its time; there’s abundant charm, wit, and tension to enjoy. Michael Caine plays a burglar, Harry Dean,  who recruits MacLaine’s Nicole Chang in a Hong Kong nightclub to help him rob a priceless statuette from the incredibly private and wealthy Ahmad Shahbandar (Lom). Dean believes they can use Chang’s resemblance to Shahbandar’s late wife to gain access to his penthouse and consequently his art gallery so that the statue can be stolen. I don’t want to say much more other than this is probably worth your time just to see 1960s Caine and MacLaine play off of each other. They are both delightful and look amazing. Definitely more of a comedy with a less technical heist than the other films on this list but still delivers some legitimate suspense. 

The Sicilian Clan (1969) — Another Verneuil film and another one featuring Delon and Gabin with the addition of this blog’s favorite actor — Lino Ventura. The Sicilian Clan was a large-budget affair that was shot both in French and in English (reportedly a source of consternation for Gabin who felt he should be paid twice) and had a wide international release. Beyond its marquee power Sicilian Clan features a phenomenal Morricone score and was shot by the master French cinematographer Henri Decaë. Delon plays a thief who manages to escape police custody in a thrilling sequence with the help of the Italian crime family led by Gabin. The new allies reach an uneasy agreement to rob a jewelry exhibition and Ventura plays a gruff police inspector determined to re-apprehend Delon and uncover the criminal plot. Between the firecracker opener and an epic finale, Sicilian Clan brings the temperature down to a simmer. The focus is frequently on the interpersonal relationships — the crime family dynamic, the outsider vs. the in-group, an affair, and the professional rivalry between Gabin and Ventura. It’s all done with consummate professionalism and intricate detail, though. It’s an absolute must-see for French crime cinema enthusiasts.

 

Ex-Fest 2022!

During the darkest of COVID times when movie theaters were closed and their future was uncertain, I made a promise to myself that if the world came to life again I would endeavor to make it to a film festival and particularly to a movie marathon. In the slightly less uncertain but still dark times of a Minnesota winter I purchased tickets to Ex-Fest in Phoenixville, Pennsylvania hoping I wouldn’t be sick and planes would be flying. Admittedly it wasn't the highest bar to set in the world but I was stoked when Erin and I were finally able to board that plane to Philly.

In fairness there have been movie marathons closer to home that I could have attended but they tend to sell out quickly, be entirely horror focused, and run a full 24 hours. Ex-Fest being a 7 movie, 12 hour affair was enticing and since the theme is classic exploitation and grindhouse films — you have the promise of a variety of movie genres as you go from film to film. The organizers — Exhumed Films — hold fantastic repertory screenings all over the Philadelphia area and are committed to exhibiting everything on film so I knew the selections would be solid. The festival was also being held at the historic Colonial Theater which is the theater featured in The Blob and is where they host Blobfest every year. As a fan of classic movie houses — I was certainly interested in visiting. What really put Ex-Fest on my radar and sold me on the idea was the Twitch of the Death Nerve podcast crew singing its praises during one of their episodes. Those folks know their shit and if they say an event is one of their favorites — I’m bound to listen.

Those of you that know me personally are probably aware of my general abhorrence towards cars and driving and that was the only logistic hurdle that we had to overcome in getting to Phoenixville. Despite being a mere 45 minutes outside of Philadelphia and being in possession of some lovely old railroad infrastructure — it’s a real pain to get there without a car. When I crunched the numbers it looked like hiring a cab was going to be cheaper and easier than renting a car. I’m not going to say it was cheap but it was easy. Phoenixville itself offers a historic small town downtown strip and we stayed at the one hotel in town. It’s not 100 percent my scene but they do close the main drag to car traffic on summer weekends which strikes a chord in my pedestrian heart. Once you’re there you can walk to everything — the hotel, the theater, restaurants, coffee, bars, etc. It’s in sharp contrast to the kinds of conventions held at isolated suburban hotels bound by freeways.

We landed the night before the fest and mostly wandered around eating and drinking. We had a chance to say "hi" to some folks and I got to meet/chat with Jon from TotDN and Erica from Unsung Horrors. I’m not the best at introducing myself normally and have gotten rustier in the last couple of years but I found a lot of the attendees easy to converse with randomly throughout the weekend. The festival opened at 10am the next day and there was already a line to get in an hour before that! We were a little slower to get going — we stopped for massive breakfast burritos to properly fuel beforehand — but had no problem getting some decent seats adjacent to the people we sort-of knew. The theater was great with reasonably comfortable seats and a balcony — my years served at the historic Uptown Theater in Minneapolis have made me a main floor guy but I admit that balconies are cool. There were a couple of merch tables so I naturally grabbed a t-shirt and picked up a copy of Vigilante from Jesse/DiabolikDVD which I’ve been meaning to buy for a long time.

There was a rough schedule/line up with some clues about what the movies were going to be and I overheard some wild conjecture regarding those. We buckled in an prepared for a day of cheap thrills.

Film #1 - High Risk (1981) - Not the Jet Li spin on Die Hard but a star-studded action/comedy from Stewart Raffill — the man behind such classics as Ice Pirates and Tammy and the T-Rex. It’s the story of a group of laid off auto workers who — under the leadership of James Brolin — travel to Colombia to rip off a drug lord played by James Coburn. It has some hangout vibes, some Deliverance elements, and some positively bonkers moments. Ernest Borgnine and Anthony Quinn turn up as total scene-stealers as an arms dealer and revolutionary turned bandit. High Risk got a huge reaction from the audience and was a great way to kick things off.

Film #2 - The Ladies Club (1986) - I knew this was going to be a rape/revenge flick going in so wasn’t sure how much of a downer it would be. I was genuinely surprised by how little this dwells on the former — while treating it honestly and with gravity — and how well it delivers on the latter. It’s the story of a group of women who have had their lives affected by rape in one way or another and formulate a scheme to abduct serial rapists and castrate them. It does have a bit of a Lifetime movie feel to it, but I found the cast terrific and the overall film well executed. 

Film #3 - Deadlier than the Male (1967) - Swinging 60s spy story that keeps things fun without moving into parody. I am not the biggest James Bond fan in the universe but I do love jet-set crime flicks from the same era. I found Deadlier than the Male had enough of that energy to hold my attention. The fact that it featured Elke Sommer, Sylvia Koscina, and an epic dummy drop from a London high-rise didn’t hurt. It loses some steam towards the end of the film but thankfully it's a breezy affair under the two hour mark.

Film #4 - Kill or be Killed (1976) - Somewhat surreal South African karate cult classic. This had been on my watchlist for a long time so this was probably the ideal way to check it out. Diamonds, Nazis, a dwarf named Chico, and lots of serviceable karate action. I didn’t quite know what the hell was happening in parts but I’m an easy sell when it comes to the “eccentric villain holds a martial arts tournament for reasons” genre of film. I especially loved all the exterior shots of what was definitely a toy model of a castle. There are so many of them.

Film #5 - Crimson Bat, the Blind Swordswoman (1969) - Sadly, this is where we had to tap out for a minute. After a full shift of movies we were ready for a break and some food that wasn’t popcorn. Luckily that was easily obtained across the street and after a bowl of pasta and a negroni we were back in time to catch the final showdown. I can’t really speak to Crimson Bat other than it’s a riff on a Zatoichi style narrative with a female protagonist. It’s definitely on my watchlist now.

Film #6 - High Crime (1973) - The only film in the lineup I had seen previously but I was thrilled to see again in a theater on 35mm. A high octane, desperately pessimistic poliziotteschi from the legendary Enzo G. Castellari starring the peerless Franco Nero. Castellari is such a fantastic action director and there are some terrific sequences throughout High Crime. The violence is cranked pretty high in this one and it was a real joy to hear the audience reactions throughout. Fernando Rey and James Whitmore are both in excellent supporting roles and the music is by the De Angelis brothers. I need more non-horror Italian genre theatrical screenings in my life!

Film #7 - Killer’s Romance (1990) - To wrap up the festival, we were treated to a loose, Hong Kong adaptation of the Crying Freeman manga featuring Simon Lam looking both lovely and sad in a variety of autumn fashions. The titular romance between Lam and Joey Wong was not setting my world on fire but there definitely moments of inspired violence that would startle me back to consciousness. I was reaching my limit at this point and Killer’s Romance wasn’t quite the thrill ride I needed but we stuck it out to the end and immediately marched back to our hotel to crash.

This was such a fun experience and I’m so glad we made the trip. The film selection was terrific and delivered on the variety we hoped for. The facilities were excellent and being able to reach everything we need on foot was something that not every fest/marathon can offer. The crowd was great! Everyone had a lot of respect for what was happening — lots of audience engagement that was totally appropriate and nobody was trying out their MST3K material. My favorite movie of the bunch is still High Crime but if I had to pick a favorite viewing of the day it has to be High Risk. There is a moment towards the end that had the entire audience roaring in laughter and applause. I imagine there are some music rights issues with releasing it, but absolutely catch it at a rep screening if you have the chance. I don’t know if schedules and finances will allow for us to make the trip out to Ex-Fest every year — but having made the journey we’re definitely going to have to consider it.