Robbery: 134

Widows (1983–1985), a British crime drama that originally aired in 1983 and 1985 on the ITV network, was produced by Euston Films for Thames Television. The two six-part series were written by renowned crime writer Lynda La Plante. During an armed robbery, three men — Harry Rawlins, Terry Miller, and Joe Perelli — are fatally shot, leaving behind their wives Dolly Rawlins, Shirley Miller, and Linda Perelli. With pressure from the police and a rival gang attempting to take control of Harry’s criminal empire, the widows turn to Dolly for guidance. Utilizing Harry’s infamous ‘ledgers’ which detail ...

Vabank (1981) is a Polish comedy heist film written and directed by Juliusz Machulski. It follows the story of Henryk Kwinto, a renowned safe cracker and jazz trumpeter, who is released from prison in October 1934 after serving six years. Upon returning home, Kwinto discovers that his wife has moved on to a new relationship with Karelicki, a police commissioner. He takes out a hidden roll of banknotes from under his chair’s leg, leaves his key on the table, and departs. As he nears the city gates, he is approached by two young criminals, Moks and Nuta, who have recently pulled off a successful jewel store robbery ...

The American Western film, The Long Riders (1980), directed by Walter Hill, follows the James-Younger gang as they terrorize banks and trains in the years after the Civil War in the Midwestern United States. Led by Jesse James and Cole Younger, along with their brothers, this band of robbers wreaks havoc until a careless mistake during a bank robbery leads to a shootout where Jesse is injured. In response, Jesse kicks Ed Miller out of the gang while his brother Clell remains. Assigned to capture the outlaws is Mr. Rixley of the Pinkerton’s agency, who relentlessly pursues them but causes some unintended ...

Going in Style (1979) is an American heist comedy/drama film written and directed by Martin Brest. Three senior citizens, Joe, Al, and Willie, reside together in a small apartment situated in Queens, New York City. In order to escape their mundane routine of spending their days on a park bench, Joe proposes the idea of a ‘stick-up’. Despite their lack of experience as criminals, Al eventually agrees to borrow three pistols from his nephew Pete’s gun collection. Going ahead with the plan while disguised with novelty glasses, the trio successfully carries out the heist and obtains $35,000. However, their ...

The Canadian thriller film, The Silent Partner (1978), directed by Daryl Duke, follows Miles Cullen, a teller at a small bank in Toronto’s Eaton Centre. Miles discovers that his bank is going to be robbed after finding a hold up note on one of the counters. He recognizes the potential robber as a mall Santa Claus with similar handwriting on his ‘give to charity’ sign. Instead of alerting his superiors or contacting the police, Miles secretly stashes the cash from his window’s transactions in an old lunch box rather than in the bank’s till. As expected, the Santa Claus robber holds up Miles ...

The British heist comedy film, The Great Train Robbery (1978), was both directed and written by Michael Crichton. Based on his 1975 novel of the same name, the story revolves around Edward Pierce, a member of London’s elite society who is secretly a skilled thief. His plan? To steal a shipment of gold aboard the London to Folkestone train, intended as payment for troops fighting in the Crimean War. With two safes in the baggage car, each with two locks requiring four keys, Pierce enlists his accomplices including pickpocket Robert Agar, mistress Miriam, and chauffeur Barlow. A train guard named Burgess is also ...

Herbie Goes to Monte Carlo (1977) is an American sports adventure comedy directed by Vincent McEveety and written by Arthur Alsberg and Don Nelson. Protagonist Jim Douglas, accompanied by his partner and mechanic Wheely Applegate, heads to Paris for the chance to participate in the Trans-France Race (a fictional version of the famous Monte Carlo Rally) in hopes of reviving his racing career. The competition includes three formidable opponents: veteran German driver Bruno Von Stickle, French racer Claude Gilbert, and the ...

The Italian crime-comedy film, The Con Artists (1976), directed by Sergio Corbucci, received a David di Donatello for Best Actor, which was awarded to Adriano Celentano for his performance. In the Roaring Twenties in southern France, notorious con man Philip Bang causes a commotion during dinner and is subsequently transferred to a maximum-security prison for hard labor. However, this transfer is all part of a clever plan orchestrated by his ex-wife and former partner in crime, Belle Duke, who owns a casino yacht, and their daughter Charlotte. While being transported to ...

The American biographical crime drama film Dog Day Afternoon (1975), directed by Sidney Lumet, follows Sonny Wortzik’s first-time attempt to rob the First Brooklyn Savings Bank on August 22, 1972 with his friends Salvatore ‘Sal’ Naturile and Stevie. However, their plan quickly falls apart as Stevie becomes overwhelmed and runs away. Despite arriving after the daily cash pickup, Sonny and his accomplices only find $1,100 in cash. In a desperate move, Sonny takes the bank’s traveler’s checks and sets fire to the register in a trash can. The smoke draws attention from outside, leading to the ...

Gone in 60 Seconds (1974), an American independent action film, features writer, director, producer, and star H.B. Halicki. The protagonist, Maindrian Pace, is both a respectable insurance investigator and the head of an automobile chop shop in Long Beach, California. Together with his professional car theft ring, Pace steals and resells cars using legitimate parts and details (such as vehicle identification numbers and bumper stickers) from purchased wrecks. Despite his insider knowledge in the insurance industry, Pace has one peculiar rule: all stolen cars must be insured. During a chance encounter with a South ...

The film The Sting (1973) takes place in September of 1936, during the Great Depression. It follows two skilled con artists as they attempt to swindle a mob boss. Their first scam in Joliet, Illinois brings in $11,000, but Hooker’s luck turns when he loses his share in a rigged roulette game. His partner Luther, on the other hand, decides to retire after their big score. Before leaving, he advises Hooker to seek out his old acquaintance Henry Gondorff in Chicago for ‘the big con’. However, their victim turns out to be working for corrupt police officer William Snyder and notorious gangster Doyle Lonnegan. After Luther and the victim are murdered by ...

Dirty Money (1972) is a crime thriller film, the final work of director Jean-Pierre Melville before his passing the following year. On a rainy winter day in Saint-Jean-de-Monts, France, Simon and his three accomplices carry out a bank heist. The team consists of Marc Albouis and Paul Weber, who enter the bank with Simon, and Louis Costa, their designated getaway driver who remains outside. As they prepare to leave the scene, a teller triggers the alarm and Marc is caught in the crossfire, ultimately causing him to shoot and fatally wound the teller. The group flees with only a portion of their intended loot and heads ...

Based on the eponymous novel by Jim Thompson, The Getaway (1972) is an American action thriller film directed by Sam Peckinpah. Despite serving four years of his ten-year sentence for armed robbery, Carter ‘Doc’ McCoy is denied parole from a Texas prison. Desperate to gain his freedom, he urges his wife Carol to seek assistance from Jack Beynon – a corrupt businessman and member of the parole board in San Antonio. Thanks to Beynon’s intervention, Doc is released under the condition that he orchestrate a bank heist with two accomplices: Rudy Butler ...

Kelly’s Heroes (1970), directed by Brian G. Hutton, is a film set during World War II that blends comedy, drama, and a thrilling heist storyline. As the 35th Infantry Division approaches the town of Nancy in early September 1944, they are met with fierce resistance from the enemy. Despite being ordered to hold their position, one of the division’s mechanized reconnaissance platoons finds themselves caught in a thunderstorm and facing friendly fire from their own mortars. In the midst of chaos, Private Kelly takes action and captures Colonel Dankhopf of Wehrmacht Intelligence. In a twist of fate, Kelly ...

The crime film, The Red Circle (1970), is primarily set in Paris and was helmed by director Jean-Pierre Melville. After being released early from a Marseille prison for good behavior, Corey receives a tip from a prison warden about a high-end jewelry store in Paris that he could potentially rob. Paying a visit to his former associate Rico, who has previously betrayed him and now lives with his ex-girlfriend, Corey forcefully obtains money and a handgun from Rico’s safe. He then makes his way to a billiard hall, where he comes across two of Rico’s men. In self-defense, Corey kills one and knocks out the other ...

Directed by Woody Allen, Take the Money and Run (1969) is an American mockumentary crime comedy that follows the life of Virgil Starkwell. Parodying the style of prison documentaries, the film uses ‘archival footage’ and ‘interviews’ with people from Virgil’s past. To protect their identities, his parents don Groucho glasses during their interviews, as they are ashamed of their son. As a child, Virgil is constantly targeted by bullies who steal and destroy his glasses. Despite this, he excels on an IQ test in school. However, when he steals a fountain pen, his teacher orders the class to ...

Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid (1969) is an American Western buddy film directed by George Roy Hill and written by William Goldman. Set in 1899 Wyoming, it follows the story of Butch Cassidy, a charming and clever leader of the outlaw group known as the Hole-in-the-Wall Gang. His closest companion is his skilled but quiet partner, the ‘Sundance Kid’. When they return to their hideout after a long absence, they find that the rest of their gang has chosen a new leader, Harvey Logan. Logan challenges Cassidy to a knife fight for leadership, but Cassidy ...

The British comedy caper film, The Italian Job (1969), was written by Troy Kennedy Martin and directed by Peter Collinson. As thief Roger Beckerman drove through the Alps, his car collided with a bulldozer parked in a tunnel by the Mafia, resulting in his untimely death. The Mafia then disposed of Beckerman’s car and body by pushing them over a cliff and into the river below. Meanwhile, Beckerman’s friend and fellow thief Charlie Croker was released from prison and reunited with his girlfriend Lorna to celebrate his newfound freedom. However, when Croker went ...

The American heist film, The Thomas Crown Affair (1968), stars Steve McQueen and Faye Dunaway. Directed and produced by Norman Jewison, it received two Academy Award nominations and won for Best Original Song. The protagonist, Thomas Crown, is a wealthy thrill-seeker who meticulously plans a nearly perfect crime out of boredom. He orchestrates a five-person heist of $2,660,527.62 from a Boston bank with the help of a getaway driver who hides the money in a quiet cemetery trash can. Crown remains elusive throughout the ...

The Looters (1967) is a French adventure film directed by Jacques Besnard and starring Frederick Stafford and Jean Seberg. Morgan, a former burglar, is abducted aboard a yacht by the alluring Colleen. Upon awakening, he learns that Colleen and her companions have enlisted his help in breaking open the vaults of a Caribbean island, home to a brutal dictator who has stolen treasures from his people. Despite his mistreatment, Morgan agrees to the task. With assistance from local resistance fighters, they successfully storm the ...