Sterminate la gang!

Richard Fleischer's Armored Car Robbery is a lean little heist thriller, from which Stanley Kubrick apparently borrowed a thing or two six years later for The Killing. In a refreshing preview of truth in packaging, the title pretty much sums it up: it's the few-frills story of a criminal gang who knocks over a payroll truck at Los Angeles' Wrigley Field, followed by the inevitable falling out of thieves and their pursuit by John Law.

Coming together are several of the second string of noir actors. Charles McGraw stays as gruff as a minion of the law as he was as a menace to society; he takes the heist heavily because his partner was killed in the shoot-out. Leader of the gang is ruthless William Talman, who starred in almost as many noirs as Raymond Burr, for whom he was to co-star in the Perry Mason television franchise; while falling just shy of Burr's opulent evil, he could seed a few nightmares himself. And bringing up the distaff side is tough blonde Adele Jergens, here a `Burly-Q' headliner who never seems to lose her heavy white stole. She's making hay with Talman even though her older husband, on his uppers, also dies as a result of the truck robbery (when he pleads for a doctor for his gunshot wound, Talman shoots him, muttering his mantra `No loose ends').

Fleischer, son of legendary animator Max, was not one of the poets of the noir cycle but a wrap-it-up director with a racing pulse; The Narrow Margin (also starring McGraw) remains his best-known film. In later years he directed a number of big action pictures, few of any real distinction. His metier was probably these brief, shoestring programmers, because bigger budgets and longer running times slowed him up and made him ponderous (viz. Tora! Tora! Tora!). Armored Car Robbery endures as a testament to how good he was with the swift and blunt approach.

Robert Fleischer's film Armored Car Robbery is, in many aspects, a straightforward heist movie. It features all of the usual suspects, including a bunch of ragtag tough guys, a heartless dame who only cares about the promise of lots of 'lettuce', and a lantern jawed, square shouldered cop who deep down really cares about his partner. These caricatures are expected and well played; what was a surprise was how well William Talman filled a role a less skilled performer might have slept through. Talman, who played the leader of the gang, infused his character with a flinty, almost sociopathic nature that plays as believable and chilling. Additionally, the movie had great momentum, one that moved a somewhat predicable plot forward at a gripping and exciting pace.

All of the actors gave good to excellent performances, though Charles McGraw's character was a smidge too one dimensional at times, as he spoke his clipped sentences through gritted teeth and wore the heroic big suit like a comic book lieutenant. Still, an enjoyable heist film that won't disappoint fans of the crime or noir genres. Some lovely visuals as well!

Remembered mostly as Hamilton Berger, TV's Perry Mason's opponent always doomed to fail, William Talman radiates with star quality as the anti-hero in this taut programmer. With few words and with no fanfare, Talman etches a finely tuned portrayal of a brainy and fussy gangster. The man is a portrait of self-discipline and clean-living except that he is a crook. Charles McGraw does well as his adversary, the detective, but it's Talman who captures our imagination and leaves indelible imprint on our minds as the meticulous crook who has figured out everything to the most infinitessimal detail. There's just one thing he doesn't know: this is an early 50's movie, so his character must learn that crime doesn't pay!

Wow, this was a neat little film, far better than I had hoped. I don't tape many shows on TV, but this was one I'm sure glad I did, especially since it is not available on VHS or DVD.

I say "little" film because it's only 67 minutes long. Richard Fleischer, who directed THE NARROW MARGIN (1952), another short and fast-moving crime story, directed this movie, too, and you can see some similarities. The major similarity is how fast-paced these films are. Another is the presence of one of the best 'B' tough guys ever: Charles McGraw.

Because of that, and it's so interesting to view, it's one I plan on viewing a number of times. McGraw, as the cop, and William Talman, as the leader of the gang, are fun to watch.

It's a heist tale and most of the film is about the gang trying to escape after the robbery and what happens to each one. In that regards, it reminds me a bit of another great film: THE ASPHALT JUNGLE, which also came out at this time. This isn't up to that level, but it's good and highly recommended viewing if you see it listed on TCM, where I saw it.

Having just watched Spike Lee's Inside Man recently, it occurred to me that the caper/heist genre movie has gradually become so familiar that even the twistiest of plots seems predictable and ordinary. With this in mind I stepped back about 50 years to this entry in the genre that is almost a documentary by way of comparison to recent films. Instead of building to twists and revelations, this film takes a much straighter line and plays up the noir aspects of the film to deliver a solid b movie that is lacking in fireworks but not any less satisfying for it.

Apparently this film caused a bit of a stir at the time of release as it was criticised for being too "instructional" in regards planning a job and also police procedure in the investigation. This is maybe pushing it a bit far but certainly it is played pretty straight throughout and by doing so seems to work well as just a tough crime story. The tough part is key because, although the basic story is solid, the film is sold on the atmosphere as painted by the script, the direction and the performances. The film is set in the grey world of noir where the criminals are hard but the cops seem to be driven by bitterness and revenge just as much as a desire to do the right thing. This gives the film a nice dark edge that fits the material well and although it lacks flair, the straight-shooting approach works well.

The direction is good and Fleischer is confident within the smoky confines of interview rooms, nightclubs and hideouts. The script is not a classic but it does provide some memorable lines and has a tough edge that the cast take to. Talman is suitably sharp and dark as the gang leader, convincing in his infatuation with Yvonne just as he is betraying his gang. McGraw is more obvious but no less enjoyable in the role of the bitter, driven detective after the gang. Jergens is a bit too, well, round to totally convincing as the scheming showgirl but she did well enough to carry her scenes. Support from Fowley, McGuire and others round out the b movie cast but their performances all suit the material and the genre.

Overall then this runs the risk of coming over a bit dull to those that are used to their "heist gone wrong" movies with more violence and more twists but this relatively by-the-numbers film still works well. The material is enjoyable and the solid script is well delivered with a tough edge by director and cast.