The Great St. Louis Bank Robbery (1959)
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 star with no criminal history. Surprisingly, Egan takes a liking to George while Willy remains unimpressed. The crew meticulously researches the bank’s layout to aid Egan in formulating his plans. However, in order to finance their stay at a hotel, Gino convinces George to borrow funds from Ann – the first encounter between the estranged couple since George’s unspecified actions led them both to be expelled from college.
George and Gino keep their secret from Egan, who has a strict policy against involving women in his work. In a drunken state, he reveals to George that his dislike of women stems from his traumatic experiences with his abusive mother, whom he eventually killed by pushing down a flight of stairs. Meanwhile, Ann observes George and Gino’s suspicious behavior as they watch the bank and deduces that they are planning a robbery. When she confronts George about it, he claims that he intends to use the money to turn his life around by going back to school. Despite her lingering fondness for George, Ann realizes the gravity of the situation and decides to take action. She goes to the Southwest Bank at night and writes a warning about the planned robbery on its window.
Date of download: 2015-11-11T17:22:34+00:00
| Cast: |
Steve McQueen
Crahan Denton
David ClarkeThe 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 star with no criminal history. Surprisingly, Egan takes a liking to George while Willy remains unimpressed. The crew meticulously researches the bank’s layout to aid Egan in formulating his plans. However, in order to finance their stay at a hotel, Gino convinces George to borrow funds from Ann – the first encounter between the estranged couple since George’s unspecified actions led them both to be expelled from college.
George and Gino keep their secret from Egan, who has a strict policy against involving women in his work. In a drunken state, he reveals to George that his dislike of women stems from his traumatic experiences with his abusive mother, whom he eventually killed by pushing down a flight of stairs. Meanwhile, Ann observes George and Gino’s suspicious behavior as they watch the bank and deduces that they are planning a robbery. When she confronts George about it, he claims that he intends to use the money to turn his life around by going back to school. Despite her lingering fondness for George, Ann realizes the gravity of the situation and decides to take action. She goes to the Southwest Bank at night and writes a warning about the planned robbery on its window.
