It Takes a Thief (1968 TV series)

infobox television
show_name = It Takes a Thief


caption =
format = Drama/Adventure
runtime = 60 min.
creator = Roland Kibbee
starring = Robert Wagner
Malachi Throne
Fred Astaire
Ed Binns
country = USA
executive_producer = Jack Arnold
Gordon Oliver
Frank Price
network = ABC
opentheme =
camera =
first_aired = January 9 1968
last_aired = March 24 1970
num_episodes = 66
num_seasons = 3
tv_com_id = 4081
imdb_id = 0062572
website =

"It Takes a Thief" is an American action-adventure television series that aired on ABC for two and a half seasons between January 9 1968 to March 24 1970. It was among the last of the 1960s spy television genre, although "" continued for several years. "It Takes A Thief" was inspired by, though not based upon, the 1955 Cary Grant motion picture "To Catch a Thief", directed by Alfred Hitchcock; both of their titles stem from the English proverb "It takes a thief to catch a thief."

Premise

"It Takes a Thief" featured the adventures of cat burglar, pickpocket, and thief Alexander Mundy (Robert Wagner) who steals to finance his life as a polished playboy and sophisticate. He is in prison when the U.S. government's SIA (secret intelligence agency) proposes a deal to Mundy: steal for the government in exchange for his freedom. His new SIA boss, Noah Bain (Malachi Throne), uses the catch phrase, "Hey, look, Al, I'm not asking you to spy, I'm just asking you to steal." The pilot was a 1968 television film called "A Thief is a Thief" or "The Magnificent Thief".

During the third season, Fred Astaire played Alistair Mundy, Alexander's father, also a master gentleman-thief who says at the start of each episode, "I've heard of stealing "from" the government, but not "for" the government." Later, in the series' third season, Throne was replaced by Edward Binns as Mundy's SIA chief.

Movie remake

Universal is reportedly planning to produce a feature film remake of "It Takes a Thief", with Will Smith as Alexander Mundy. "Variety" reported in March 2006: [cite news |url=http://www.variety.com/article/VR1117940129.html |title=U finds man of steal for 'Thief' feature |first=Michael |last=Fleming |coauthors=Gabriel Snyder |work=Variety |date=2006-03-21 |accessdate=2008-04-17 ] quote
Smith and his Overbrook Entertainment partner James Lassiter have come aboard to produce the film with Kevin Misher, John Davis and Joe Singer. "Four Brothers" scribes David Elliot and Paul Lovett are set to write the script.

Episodes

eason 1 (1968)

Trivia

*This show marks the TV debut of veteran movie actor Robert Wagner. He would later co-star/star in two more successful series, "Switch" (1975-1978) and "Hart to Hart" (1979-1984), and would also have a hugely successful movie career of the 1990s.
*Future "Hart to Hart" star and longtime friend of Wagner's, Stefanie Powers guest-starred with Wagner on "Fortune City".

References

External links

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* [http://www.cinemaretro.com/index.php?/archives/2204-DEAN-BRIERLY-IT-TAKES-A-THIEF-NOW-PLAYING-ON-A-COMPUTER-NEAR-YOU.html It Takes a Thief Tribute at Cinema Retro]