Thriller: 228

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 ...

The British thriller film, The 39 Steps (1959), was directed by Ralph Thomas and stars Kenneth More and Taina Elg. After witnessing a nanny almost being killed in a failed hit-and-run attempt, Richard Hannay decides to help her. He is taken aback when he realizes there is no baby in the pram. Intrigued, Hannay meets her at the Palace Music Hall where they watch the performance of Mr Memory. Afterwards, they go back to Hannay’s flat where she confides in him that she works for British Intelligence and is on a mission ...

The British spy comedy film, Our Man in Havana (1959), was shot in CinemaScope and helmed by director and producer Carol Reed. Set in pre-revolutionary Cuba, the film follows James Wormold, a vacuum cleaner salesman who is recruited by Hawthorne of the British Secret Intelligence Service as their operative in Havana. Rather than recruiting actual agents, Wormold creates imaginary ones out of men he barely knows and fabricates plans for a rocket-launching pad using vacuum cleaner parts to impress the service and secure more funds for himself and his lavish daughter, Milly. As his importance increases, a secretary named ...

The iconic legal thriller, The Paradine Case (1947), helmed by legendary director Alfred Hitchcock and produced by David O. Selznick, takes place in England and contains elements of film noir. The story revolves around Maddalena Anna Paradine, a stunning and enigmatic young Italian woman who stands accused of poisoning her wealthy retired colonel husband, who is also blind. As the trial unfolds, it becomes unclear whether Mrs. Paradine is a devoted wife unjustly suspected or a cunning femme fatale with ulterior motives. To aid in her defense, her solicitor Sir Simon ...

The British espionage thriller film Sabotage (1936) follows a group of terrorists planning attacks in London. In one incident, sand is used to stop an electrical generator, causing a power outage at Karl Verloc’s cinema. When customers request their money back, Verloc sneaks into his living quarters and washes the sand from his hands before pretending to be asleep. He orders his wife to refund the money and mentions that he has other funds coming in. Just as refunds are about to be issued, the lights come back on. The following day, Verloc meets with his contact from an unnamed European country to discuss their plan for future attacks in London. The exact motive ...

Directed by Alfred Hitchcock, The 39 Steps (1935) is a gripping British spy thriller starring Robert Donat and Madeleine Carroll. Loosely based on the novel The Thirty-Nine Steps by John Buchan, the film follows Richard Hannay as he witnesses gunshots at a London music hall theatre. Amidst the chaos, he finds himself with a frightened woman named Annabella Smith who reveals herself to be a spy. Claiming that she is being pursued by assassins, she convinces Hannay to ...