A half success. An excellent cast - characters rarely cross which would have meant that clever scheduling would have kept the budget down.
It's about four men who decide to pull a heist. Everyone has an interesting story, though the impact is lessened by the fact that for all four of them it's a woman's fault... Stanley Baker is a boxer who gets injured but his drag of a wife gives their savings to her useless brother. Richard Basehart wants to move to America with wife Joan Collins but her bitch of a mother Freda Jackson does a fake suicide. John Ireland is a soldier whose bitch of a wife Gloria Grahame is cheating on him with her co star (she's an actor). Laurence Harvey is a ne'er do well rich kid whose wife (Margaret Leighton) won't bail him out.
The only one of these who is "bad" is Harvey - who is completely utterly bad. It's a very showy role. Harvey gets a great introduction, and looks fun with his bouffant hair. Sometimes he's effective - other times he seems amateurish. It's a bit all over the shop. I did love seeing him and Robert Morley as his dad and cuddly Morley telling Harvey how much he hates him. And it's fascinating to see Harvey married on screen to real life wife Margaret Leighton, skiving off her - which is what he did in real life.
Stanley Baker is excellent as an anti-hero. I get the feeling that Romulus (who made this) were more American minded saw him play a more sympathetic role.
I liked John Ireland too though Gloria Grahame felt wasted - her one good moment was seeming to be turned on when he announced he had a plan, but then Ireland throws her in a bath.
Basehart is dull. I had trouble remembering who he was when I saw him on screen. Collins does well in a not much role but Jackson is great campy fun.
The big fault of the movie - the heist isn't suggested until 1 hour 10 minutes in. And there's only 20 minutes to go. They should have known each other from the outset, been old army pals (they're all veterans - the movie is pleasingly cynical on the troubles of veterans). Harvey could have suggested the heist early - they all go "no no no" and then change their minds. They decide to do it too quickly and too late.
The other problem is that more needed to be done with the women.
The ending - criminal walking to a plane on the tarmac - feels influenced by The Asphalt Jungle.
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