3 Hardened Crims
Barry Foster phones in his performance.
William Marlowe: money to burn.
Stanley Baker: the very living end.
ROBBERY (1967), directed by Peter Yates, is a fictional version of the Great Train Robbery of 60s English criminal legend. It’s well-made but not particularly distinguished or interesting — nothing to match the car chase in BULLITT or the handheld running battle in BUSTING, although it does have a detective played by James Booth who looks distractingly like Ray Davies. Douglas Slocombe’s photography was ruined by the TV cropping, but check out the colours in that first image.
Had to watch this for the cast, but when I tried to, Fiona wandered in during the credits. “Stanley Baker? Joanna Pettet? Barry Foster??? You can’t watch this without me!”
And there’s perhaps not too many women who would say that. So what I would say is, if you’re out there, and you’re single, and sometimes despondent about it — there is hope.
THE ? END
shadowplay 
May 12, 2009 at 12:52 pm
I remain skeptical about this hope business – it’s more likely that there’s only one right thinking woman in the world and you have monopolised her.
May 12, 2009 at 1:40 pm
Oh, surely not. Barry Foster was mobbed by screaming girls in his day. Some of them must still be alive. And William Marlowe was married to Catherine Schell, so he obviously has pulling power. Get a brown cardigan like his and everything will be fine.
May 12, 2009 at 1:57 pm
I’m disappointed that none of them are wearing striped shirts.
May 12, 2009 at 3:09 pm
Not really the done thing in the more “realistic” and “gritty” crime film. None of these guys would be seen dead in a little mask with a sack marked “swag”.
May 12, 2009 at 3:58 pm
Or alive for that matter.
May 12, 2009 at 8:43 pm
women just naturally love a good caper movie.Its all in their caculating,manipulative makeup.
May 13, 2009 at 10:08 am
The (?) End of this one, where Baker takes off for America wearing unpleasant sunglasses and dye-job, abandoning Joanna Pettet, had Fiona swearing at the screen.
But in its utter amoral negativity, it’s maybe one of the film’s best decisions.
Angela Bassett starred in a female heist movie a few years ago, didn’t she?