The Alpha Caper

The caper film is a classic genre and there are some wonderful examples of these movies such as RAFIFI, GRAND SLAM, OCEANS 11 and many, many more. With "The Alpha Caper", however, it's a made for television version of these films and, like most films like it, it's worth seeing...though it's far from being a classic.

Mark Forbes (Henry Fonda) is a parole officer and he's being forced to retire. However, instead of spending his time playing shuffleboard or sitting in a rocking chair, he's planning on doing a huge gold heist. After all, he knows lots of ex-cons and is able to assemble a team of guys with considerable skills. Can they pull it off? Perhaps. Will they get away with it? Rarely does this ever happen in a caper film!

The biggest weakness of this movie is that like most made for TV films, it was rushed and done on the cheap. Sure, they must have spent a lot of money for Fonda...as well as Leonard Nimoy and Larry Hagman...but was a lot of money left for rewrites or better direction? Probably not. This is probably why there are a few mistakes or sloppy scenes. Take the one where Hagman is shooting some sort of dart-like objects onto the undersides of the armored trucks. When he does this to the last one and says "This is the last one"...you can CLEARLY see another armored truck coming up behind. They simply kept reusing the same footage. Or, when the attack began, why did EVERY cop on a motorcycle suddenly come sliding off their motorcycle?! And then there was that preacher....well you kind of get the idea. An interesting film with good acting and only okay attention to details and the script. Still, overall it's still worth seeing.

I remind having seen this when I was a kid, back in the late seventies. I loved it, but after a while, I have to admit that heist is very unlikely, totally unrealistic, but fun. I prefer this to the modern post OCEAN'S ELEVEN (2001) rip-offs; yes, I prefer this because there is no f....bloodin comedy line here. But, also yes, it is too short, too cheap, it could have been forty minutes longer, with a better character depiction. And the final scene is quite close to another heist bullion movie from the fifties: PLUNDER ROAD; maybe a tribute. Anyway, I like this however light hearted film. Hank Fonda excellent.

I recently was able to view this film thanks to the Sleuth Channel. Having been a long time Leonard Nimoy fan I have had this on my "to watch" list for years...more like decades. I can only hope the increase in cable options bring us more choices like this. Not only do we see Nimoy in his post Star Trek/Mission Impossible years, but Larry Hagman as well. This film may be short in it's running time but is packed with plot and story. I for one found it refreshing from the torrent of angst driven character centered media that seems to pervade everything and everywhere. There was more than one made for TV movies that Nimoy and Hagman made during the seventies that were gems on their own. There was another film with Hagman as a motorcycle policeman who loved reading and on lunch break his motorcycle falls over on him causing him to believe he is Sherlock Holmes. This film is on the same par. As was Nimoy in "The Missing Are Deadly". Lots of rare unearthed gems out there.

Eights year before this TV film was made, Paramount made "The Italian Job," a comedy caper picture that takes place in England and Italy. It had a superb cast that included several prominent entertainers of the day - Michael Caine, Noel Coward, Benny Hill, Raf Vallone, Rossano Brazzi, John Le Mesurier and others.

Anyone who saw that film and then watched this one on TV, or on video tape or DVD later, would know that "The Alpha Caper" was inspired by the 1969 movie. But this is more of a crime drama than a comedy caper. All I can say is it's too bad that Universal and ABC didn't stay with it as a comedy caper. The cast is spot on for comedy, and my guess is that the writer for this TV film struggled to keep from writing it as part comedy. Just look at the cast. Besides Henry Fonda in the lead, Leonard Nimoy Larry Hagman and James McEachin are the guys who pull the job. In several instances in the film, the dialog and antics of these guys is right on the edge of humor. So, it doesn't seem like it would have taken much to adjust the plot with dialog to make it an outright comedy caper.

And, although Fonda turns from a law-abiding parole officer, to a crook to get even with his boss who wouldn't support an extension of a few years in his job, he never seems too upset. Rather, he seems to be enjoying the planning for a big heist.

This is an enjoyable film that still has the feel of a caper comedy, even if they tried so hard not to make it so. And, those who have seen "The Italian Job" of 2003 are aware that it combines the 1969 and 1973 films for the heist and action in it. It's clearly not a comedy caper but more of a crime and revenge caper film. Here are some favorite lines from this film.

Mitch, "That's a lie. Whatever he said, we are clean." Mark Forbes, "I could put you away just for being together - you're consorting with known criminals." Scat, "C'mon." Mark Forbes, "In a place that serves alcoholic beverages. Cheers!"

Tudor, "There's no law against thinking, is there?" Mark Forbes, "I'm your parole officer. If I don't like your attitude, I can send you back."

Scat, "I don't believe this conversation. You're our parole officer. You're supposed to keep us straight." Mark Forbes, "Well, I haven't done a very good job of that, have I? This time I think I just made you better crooks."

Mitch, "I don't get it, Mark - what's the game?" Mark Forbes, "No game. Are you interested?" Tudor, "Aw, come off of it. You never stole nothin' in your life. You wouldn't even know how to." Mark Forbes, "I sat on the other side of the law for 40 years. At least I know what not to do, which is more than I can say for you three."

Leading a terrific roster of talent, Henry Fonda is very good cast against type as the mastermind of "The Alpha Caper", a minor movie for TV that is better than its high-priced famous competitors, like George Clooney's "Ocean's" movie series. Watching "Alpha" for the first time just now, I had the odd coincidence that the movie's premise is based upon Fonda's character as a veteran parole officer has been ordered to retire, a victim of ageism, just after I read the op-ed of Clooney in real life requesting President Biden to drop out of the race, a current case of ageism!

The suspense is fun rather than harrowing as the actual crime takes place, and the ending is delightful. By 2024 prices, the gold they steal would be worth over 115 million dollars!

That's because Elroy Schwartz's ingenious script details how the big robbery will be carried out in great detail, quite fascinating. Even the very best caper films of all time, like "Rififi", rely on the brilliant execution of the caper to enthrall an audience, but in this case the first half of the feature as Fonda works out the meticulous planning is great fun to witness, too.

Casting includes Leonard Nimoy as an ex-con lowlife who excels in such a different part than his image: he looks like Ray Romano here! It's interesting that the show's producer and developer is Harve Bennett, who famously produced several of the "Star Trek" features starring Nimoy later on.