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"Seven Thieves" is an average but interesting little "rob the casino" caper, raised a level by the quality of the acting.

Edward G. Robinson stars as "the professor" who masterminds a plot to rob a Monte Carlo casino. For Robinson, this represents his one last chance to make a major score before he cashes in. Rod Steiger plays on old acquaintance from the States whom Robinson tries to recruit in order to complete his team. Joan Collins, looking gorgeous, is the femme fatale and Eli Wallach as Poncho the Sax playing member of the group. Michael Dante, Alexander Scourby and Berry Kroeger round out the rest of the "Seven Thieves". Sebastian Cabot also appears as the casino director.

Robinson in what amounts to a supporting role, is excellent as always. Steiger's method acting seems a little misplaced here, however under Henry Hathaway's direction, he does deliver a good performance. Collins was never more beautiful and performs a couple of provocative (for 1960) dances in a cabaret with Wallach.

"Seven Thieves" is always interesting but contains little in the way of physical action. There are a couple of surprises as well, but I thought the ending was a bit of a let down. Nevertheless, It is still an interesting film to watch if only see the performances of the stellar cast.

"Theo Wilkins" (Edward G. Robinson) has put together a plan to steal $4 million from a casino in Monte Carlo and he specifically asks an old accomplice named "Paul Mason" (Rob Steiger) to assist him. Also conspiring with him are five other accomplices who each have their own interests and it's for this reason that he has asked Paul to join in this caper as Theo desperately needs someone on the team he can trust. Although Paul is initially reluctant to join him he is eventually persuaded due in large part to a woman on the team named "Melanie" (Joan Collins). The problem though is that she has a possessive boyfriend on this team by the name of "Pancho" (Eli Wallach) who she feels a certain loyalty towards. In any event, the mission is quite complicated and because of that all seven members of the team have to work together in order to accomplish it. Now rather than reveal any more I will just say that this was a decent crime-drama which could have been better had it had a bit more action or suspense. Even so, it was still entertaining enough for the time spent and for that reason I have rated it accordingly. Slightly above average.

Usually films located on a place as lovely as the French Riviera, especially Monte Carlo get the full technicolor treatment like To Catch a Thief. But in Seven Thieves director Henry Hathaway opted for black and white because this is a noir and the key here is the plot of the caper and the relationships of the characters.

Expatriate American academician Edward G. Robinson calls on a young protégé Rod Steiger to come over from America to help him heist a casino in Monte Carlo. He's recruited a gang and needs someone he can trust to keep them in line.

Robinson's role is similar to that of Sam Jaffe in The Asphalt Jungle and Steiger it seems is his Sterling Hayden.

That's how it seems at the start, but there's a whole lot more going on here as the characters reveal themselves bit by bit during the planning and execution of the caper.

Coincidentally in the same year another caper film, Ocean's 11 about robbing casinos also came out. But this is definitely not as lighthearted as that Ratpack romp.

What to watch for is the relationships between Robinson and Steiger and between Steiger, Joan Collins and Eli Wallach.

Nicely done little noir classic.

THE SONS OF KATIE ELDER director Henry Hathaway made just about every kind of movie during his long career that spanned from the 1932 western WHEN THE WEST WAS YOUNG to the 1974 blaxploitation thriller SUPER DUDE. This above-average 1960 casino crime caper came out several months before the Frank Sinatra & Dean Martin epic OCEANS ELEVEN. The Hathaway takes place in France instead of Las Vegas and concerns an elderly ex-con, Professor Theo Wilkins (Edward G. Robinson of LITTLE CAESAR), who wants to make the world gasp for one last time. He has orchestrated a highly complex robbery at a Monte Carlo casino that will net some 4 million dollars in French money. He entices an old and dear friend, Paul Mason (Rod Steiger of DUCK YOU SUCKER), as the man who ramrods the operation. Paul straightens out everybody on the crew that he has the final word in everything. He also checks them out and tests them so he can be sure that they are reliable in a tight spot. One of the conspirators is a gorgeous stripper, Melanie (Joan Collins of LAND OF THE PHARAOHS), who strings along a timid, uptight casino secretary Raymond Le May (Alexander Scourby of THE BIG HEAT) to help them obtain invitations to an exclusive party the same night they plan to pull the robbery. They also enlist the aid of a safer cracker, Louis Antonizzi (Michael Dante of RAINTREE COUNTY), and Poncho (Eli Wallach of BABY DOLL) who is supposed to impersonate a wealthy baron. The night of the heist, Poncho fakes a heart attack so they can have an ambulance arrive. The ambulance is being driven by another conspirator Hugo Baumer (Berry Kroeger of Hitler) who handles the automobiles that they use for the robbery. Remember, back in 1960 when this movie was produced, the Production Code Administration still had enough clout to censor movies and they were not about to let these talented thieves get away with their crime. The way that Hathaway and scenarist Sydney Boehm work things out is not entirely satisfactory but it does make for a better ending that all of them being nabbed by French authorities.

It seems like only yesterday that the gang and myself went to see this SEVEN THIEVES picture. It was playing at our local movie show,The Ogden Theatre at 63rd & Marshfield, here in Chicago. It was a Double Feature with THE PURPLE GANG, a production from Allied Artists (formerly known as Monogram Pictures, a long time resident of Hollywood's Poverty Row.

The advertising stated that it starred "........Edward G.Robinson(Little Ceasar) and Rod Steiger(Al Capone)." Gangster films were enjoying a renewed popularity at that time. AL CAPONE was released the prior year and did okay at the Box Office. Desilu Playhouse had aired the two part "THE UNTOUCHABLES", which led to the weekly series.

Well, my 13 year old mind thought that we were seeing something that would be like 'Little Ceasar Meets Al Capone!" We all left the show giving the 'thumbs up' to THE PURPLE GANG, but not really caring for SEVEN THIEVES. Small wonder, when a bunch of kids see a picture like this that will have a lot of material that was really "TWA"(over our heads).

Well, only a few months ago this former guttersnipe saw SEVEN THIEVES again. This time I understood it, I think.

Billed as "The Robbery That Rocked Monte Carlo!" It is a caper film, and a very good one at that. It has a fine cast, in addition to Mr. Robinson and Mr. Steiger, Joan Collins, Elli Wallach, Sebastian Cabot, Alexander Scourby, et al.

Anyone would enjoy this film. It's well worth seeing, and our old gang would heartily agree.