Robbery: 134

The American biographical neo-noir crime film, Bonnie and Clyde (1967), directed by Arthur Penn and starring Warren Beatty and Faye Dunaway, follows the story of Texas natives Clyde Barrow and Bonnie Parker. During the Great Depression, their paths cross when Clyde attempts to steal Bonnie’s mother’s car. Intrigued by him, Bonnie leaves her mundane job as a waitress to join him in a life of crime. Despite their initial excitement, their small-time heists do not bring in much profit. So they turn to robbing banks ...

The French crime-thriller film, Second Wind (1966), directed by Jean-Pierre Melville and starring Lino Ventura, follows incarcerated gangster Gustave ‘Gu’ Minda. Known for his loyalty to the French underworld and refusal to give up his accomplices to the police, Gu escapes from prison and travels to Paris to visit his sister Manouche and her bodyguard Alban. Meanwhile, Manouche’s current boyfriend Jacques Ribaldi is killed in her restaurant by rival gangster Paul Ricci’s henchmen. Concerned for her safety, Paul’s brother Jo sends two men to ...

Adapted from Pierre Lesou’s novel of the same name, Jean-Pierre Melville’s French crime film Le Doulos (1962) follows Maurice Faugel as he reconnects with his friend Gilbert, who is appraising jewels from a recent heist. Eager to plan a robbery, Maurice enlists the help of Silien and Rémy. In a twist, Maurice ends up using Gilbert’s own gun to kill him and steal the jewels and a large sum of money. It turns out that Gilbert had killed Maurice’s girlfriend Arlette years ago to prevent her from talking to the police while Maurice was in prison. As ...

Breathless (1960) is a French New Wave crime drama film written and directed by Jean-Luc Godard. Michel, a youthful and dangerous criminal, idolizes the iconic Humphrey Bogart on screen. After escaping with a stolen car in Marseille, he fatally shoots a pursuing police officer on a country road. With no money or options, Michel seeks refuge with his American acquaintance Patricia – a student and aspiring journalist who sells newspapers on the streets of Paris. As they simultaneously navigate their attraction and plot their getaway to Italy, Patricia reveals she may be carrying ...

Directed and produced by Lewis Milestone, Ocean’s 11 (1960) is an American heist film based on a story by George Clayton Johnson and Jack Golden Russell. The plot follows World War II veterans Danny Ocean and Jimmy Foster as they assemble a team of nine comrades from their unit in the 82nd Airborne Division for a high-stakes mission: to simultaneously rob five Las Vegas casinos, including the Sahara, the Riviera, the Desert Inn, the Sands, and the Flamingo. From left to right: Lester, Bishop, Davis, Sinatra, and ...

Basil Dearden directed the British film The League of Gentlemen (1960). One night, Lieutenant-Colonel Norman Hyde emerges from a manhole on an empty street in his dinner suit. He then drives home in a Rolls-Royce and prepares seven envelopes with an invitation to lunch at the Cafe Royal, along with £5-notes and a copy of ‘The Golden Fleece’ novel. These envelopes are sent to former army officers who are facing desperate or humiliating situations. At the lunch, when Hyde asks for their thoughts on the robbery-themed book, the men initially show little interest. However, their curiosity is sparked when he ...

The heist flick, The Great St. Louis Bank Robbery (1959), helmed by Charles Guggenheim and featuring Steve McQueen, tells the tale of aging criminal mastermind John Egan. In an attempt to secure a comfortable retirement in Mexico, Egan targets St. Louis’ Southwest Bank and enlists his trusted partner Willy’s help. Together, they enlist ex-convict Gino, who is desperate for cash to fund his upcoming trial defense, and seek out a skilled getaway driver. To their dismay, Gino turns to his sister Ann’s former beau George Fowler, a former college football ...

Bob the Gambler (1956) is a French heist gangster film directed by Jean-Pierre Melville. He lives alone in Paris’ Montmartre district, where the demi-monde community holds him in high regard. A former bank robber and convict, Bob has kept out of trouble for two decades and is even on friendly terms with Ledru, a police commissioner whom he once saved. Always a gentleman, Bob takes in Anne, an attractive young woman who has lost her job and is being pursued by Marc, a pimp Bob despises. Despite her advances, Bob resists Anne’s charms and instead introduces her to Paolo, his young protégé who ultimately ...

The Killing (1956), an American film noir directed by Stanley Kubrick and produced by James B. Harris, follows the story of Johnny Clay, a seasoned criminal who is planning his final heist before settling down with his fiancée, Fay. His plan involves robbing the money-counting room at a racetrack during a high-stakes race. To pull off the heist, Johnny enlists the help of a corrupt cop, George Peatty (a betting window teller who can gain access to the backroom), a sharpshooter to cause a distraction by shooting the favorite horse during the race, a wrestler to start a ...

The British black comedy crime film, The Ladykillers (1955), was directed by Alexander Mackendrick for Ealing Studios. It follows the story of Mrs Wilberforce, a kind and quirky elderly widow who resides in a sinking, crooked home above a railway tunnel in Kings Cross, London. Despite her active imagination and frequent visits to the local police station to report suspicious activity in the neighbourhood, her reports are often dismissed. Things take an interesting turn when she is approached by ‘Professor’ Marcus, a sinister figure seeking to rent rooms in her house. This scene was captured on Argyle Street ...

Rififi (1955) is a French crime film based on the novel of the same name by Auguste Le Breton. Directed by Jules Dassin, an American filmmaker who was blacklisted at the time, it features Jean Servais as the lead character, Tony ‘le Stéphanois’. After serving five years in prison for a jewel heist, Tony finds himself struggling to make ends meet. His friend Jo approaches him with a plan to rob a Parisian jeweler’s store by breaking the window in broad daylight and taking some gems. Initially hesitant, Tony ...

The British comedy film, The Lavender Hill Mob (1951), was written by T. E. B. Clarke and directed by Charles Crichton for Ealing Studios. In the movie, Henry Holland resides in luxury in Rio de Janeiro and entertains a dinner guest from Britain. As they dine, he recounts how he transformed his life through an elaborate gold bullion heist. Prior to this, Holland had worked as a dull bank clerk in London for two decades and was responsible for the delivery of gold bullion. Despite being dedicated and meticulous in his work, he hatched a plan to steal a shipment of gold but ...

The film noir The Asphalt Jungle (1950), directed and co-written by John Huston, follows the story of criminal mastermind Erwin ‘Doc’ Riedenschneider. Upon his release from a seven-year prison sentence, Doc seeks out the help of bookie Cobby in an unknown city located near a Midwestern river. In need of $50,000 to complete a major jewel theft, Doc requests the assistance of three individuals: a safecracker, a driver, and a hooligan. With Cobby’s connections, he sets up a meeting with high-class lawyer and fixer Alonzo Emmerich. During the meeting, Doc mentions that the stolen jewels could potentially ...

Richard Fleischer’s Armored Car Robbery (1950) is a thrilling heist film about a meticulously planned robbery of an armored car during its stop at a sports stadium. However, things go wrong and a determined Los Angeles cop takes up the chase. Meanwhile, criminal mastermind Dave Purvis hatches a plot to rob the final pickup of the day. In his quest for accomplices, he enlists struggling Benny McBride, who calls upon low-level criminals Al Mapes and Ace Foster to join the gang. Benny’s motivation is to win back his estranged wife Yvonne, but little does he know that she is now seeing someone else – ...