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It is such a shame that Alain Delon did not continue in the USA, except SCORPIO and a couple of western, comedy oriented stuff - I won't speak of RED SUN, not really American. But on the other hand, that would have meant less masterpieces in France with him...But here the adaptation of John Trinian's book is tremendous, jaw dropping, and the cast exceptional. It is tense, riveting, terrific for any noir lovers. I love for the characters symphony, Delon absolutely terrific, not less than Heflin nor Palance. And the John Davis Chandler as a nasty villain, announces his role in MAJOR DUNDEE, shot the same year. My Ralph Nelson's favourite, besides REQUIEM FOR A HEAVYWEIGHT. I have often thought that this crime drama was made by Mark Robson, I don't know why.

Around this time French film star Alain Delon was trying to broaden his appeal internationally by doing some American films. He did a whole lot better with this than with Texas Across The River.

Delon is a former crook trying to go straight as he has a wife Ann-Margret and a small daughter. Not easy because a San Francisco detective Van Heflin is looking to put him away any way he can. This was before the Miranda decision and Heflin is ruthless in what he tries to do.

Delon might be able to resist Heflin, but when his older brother Jack Palance calls it becomes too much. Palance is a big time operator and planner and has a big score lined up. He also has part of a crew as well, the none too bright Tony Musante and the psychotic John Davis Chandler.

There is such an air of tragedy around Delon that I've seen in very few other films. No matter what he does he has a destiny he can't escape.

Ann-Margret sheds her sex kitten image and turns in a great performance as a wife and mother fighting for her man and marriage against the fates. Too bad the public didn't want to see her in serious stuff like Once A Thief.

This one's a keeper and a sleeper. It should be watched and become better known.

The plot is threadbare, the principals don't really look the part, the pace is much too slow, but this film still has some points of interest.

First, the location work. Plenty of San Francisco footage, though much of it at night (this is film noir, after all). The city looks different now, but many of the setups are in areas that haven't changed too much.

Then there's Anne-Margret, still in her sex-kitten stage but trying hard to break out of it. She's really not up to the mommy part, though she gives it a good try. Her character is about the only sympathetic one in the film, save . . .

Van Heflin's. I've always liked him. He's pretty good as the cop who hounds Delon, though he won't pass for Italian any day of the week, or will Delon, for that matter. It's interesting to contrast this detective with Steve McQueen's Frank Bullit or Clint Eastwood's Harry Callahan. They're all SFPD and only a few years separate their stories, but Heflin's Mike Vido is from another world. Wait until you see who he lives with.

And then there's John David Chandler's homicidal homosexual-child molester, a really nasty characterization you won't encounter today and not often then. Oh yes, he's also a sadist.

Finally, there's Jack Palance's equal opportunity crew: two Italians (though I think their surname is Croatian), a Jew, a Greek, and a Chinese undertaker. Somehow they pull off the heist, though just barely.

Recommended if you enjoy hard-core noir, Anne-Margret, or Heflin, otherwise steer clear.

French heartthrob Alain Delon made his US leading man debut in this adaptation of Zekial Marko's novel "Scratch a Thief" about an ex-thief in San Francisco trying to stay out of trouble but fingered for the murder of a Chinese storekeeper by the police sergeant (Van Heflin) who hates him. Meanwhile, the thief's shady older brother (Jack Palance) is in town, needing the kid's help in pulling off a job. Ordinary crime plot given amusingly jazzy, frenetic direction by Ralph Nelson, who sets the scene with a flashy nightclub drum solo that is crazy-cool. Screenwriter Marko really lays on the '60s-era jive talk, some of it mind-boggling, while Nelson's quasi-European handling gives the picture an arresting look in vivid black-and-white. Some of the interesting supporting characters include a fey platinum-blond punk (years ahead of his time), plus Ann-Margret as Delon's put-upon wife. The talky lulls are given a boost by the slangy dialogue, and the location shooting in San Francisco is a big asset. **1/2 from ****

I suppose I like the cast better than the film, itself. Heflin, Palance, Ann-Margret, Chandler, and Delon are all watchable.

This may very well be Chandler's finest performance (and he was always good at playing bad guys).

The story is one we've all seen before, many times, yet the cast makes it worth watching. Ann-Margret might not have been as good as she could have been, but she's not really that bad.

Even the scenes involving the little girl work well, and the chemistry between she and Delon is exceptional.

The surprise ending is tense and exciting. Too bad there's no DVD of this film. I'd buy it.

Johnboy