- The Big Steal
:"The Big Steal is also a
1990 Australian film starringBen Mendelsohn andClaudia Karvan ."Infobox Film
name = The Big Steal
caption = British VHS Cover
director =Don Siegel
producer = Jack J. Gross
writer = Screenplay:Gerald Drayson Adams Daniel Mainwaring Story Richard Wormser
starring =Robert Mitchum Jane Greer William Bendix Patric Knowles Ramón Novarro
music = Leigh Harline
cinematography =Harry J. Wild
editing = Samuel E. Beetley
distributor =RKO Radio Pictures
released =July 9 ,1949 (U.S.A.)
runtime = 71 minutes
country =United States
language = English
budget =
amg_id = 1:5476
imdb_id = 0041178"The Big Steal" is a 1949
black-and-white film noir /comedy reteaming "Out of the Past " starsRobert Mitchum andJane Greer . The film was directed byDon Siegel , based on the story "The Road to Carmichael's" by Richard Wormser. [imdb title|id=0041178|title=The Big Steal.]Plot
The story involves Mitchum and Greer pursuing thief (Patric Knowles) through Mexico while simultaneously being chased by a lawman (Bendix).
Background
Lizabeth Scott was hired first to play the part of Joan. But because of the controversy surrounding Mitchum's recent marijuana drug arrest and small jail stint, Scott pulled out of the project just three weeks before filming started. RKO ownerHoward Hughes , who had been admittedly keeping Greer, a former girlfriend, from appearing in any RKO films in an attempt to ruin her film career, finally hired her when no other female lead would take the part.ref|book1The movie was filmed in
Los Angeles and on location inTehuacán , Puebla, Mexico.Cast
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Robert Mitchum as Lt. Duke Halliday
*Jane Greer as Joan 'Chiquita' Graham
*William Bendix as Capt. Vincent Blake
*Patric Knowles as Jim Fiske
*Ramon Novarro as Inspector General Ortega
*Don Alvarado as Lt. Ruiz
*John Qualen as Julius Seton
* Pascual García Peña as ManuelCritical reception
Channel 4 film reviews describes the movie as, "Sparkling dialogues, fast-paced chases and the occasional twist make this an at first somewhat confusing but ultimately hugely entertaining film." [ [http://www.channel4.com/film/reviews/film.jsp?id=101143 Channel 4] Film Reviews. LAst accessed: March 11]2008 .]Hal Erickson writing for
Allmovie calls the film "tautly directed by Don Siegel, who manages to pack plenty of twists and turns into the film's crowded 71 minutes." [Erikson, Hal. amg movie|id=1:5476|title=The Big Steal.]References
Additional sources
#cite book | author=Ken Annakin | title=Early Film Noir: Greed, Lust and Murder Hollywood Style | publisher =McFarland & Company | year=2003 | id=ISBN 0-7864-1629-7External links
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* [http://noiroftheweek.blogspot.com/2005/11/big-steal-1949-11272005.html " The Big Steal"] at Film Noir of the Week.
* [http://www.ericenders.com/mexiconoir.htm Shades of Black and Brown: Visions of Mexico and Mexican-Americans in 1940s Film Noir]
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