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!
54 Reviews
Solid little cops-n-robbers flick
BrianG13 April 2000
Director Richard Fleischer was responsible for two of the best of the low-budget '50s cops-n-robbers flicks, both notable for starring Charles McGraw, one of the great movie bad guys, as a tough detective. One, "The Narrow Margin," is quite well known; this is the other one, and while not as well known, it certainly should be. The story is about a vicious gang of robbers, headed by a murderous psychopath (William Talman, who seemed to have a corner on that market in the '50s), pulls off an armored car robbery that goes awry. Detective McGraw is out to track down the gang. The film is a textbook example of the best of the B movie--swiftly paced, tightly edited, with a good story and a cast of veteran character actors that work together like a well-oiled machine. Some clever plot twists and startling (for the time) violence make this one a keeper. Very highly recommended.
Lean, hard programmer shows Fleischer's talents best
bmacv22 June 2002
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.
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.
Oscar Night at the Jailhouse
dougdoepke11 September 2007
Great B-movie cast with many nice touches. Everybody's favorite 50's psycho William Talman heads the heist gang, looking almost suave and sleek at times. He even gets to kiss the girl, probably the only time in his career. Too bad he turned legit on the old Perry Mason show. That fine utility actor Steve Brodie has some good moments too, along with a sneering Douglas Fowley and a blue-collar Gene Evans. And, oh yes, mustn't forget the great cheap blonde of the era, Adele Jergens, all decked out in her best Victoria's Secret finery. Her strip show may be on the tame side, but we get the idea. And in dogged police pursuit, the ever-forceful Charles McGraw who could play either side of the legal fence with jut-jawed persuasion. There's a thousand slices of A-grade thick ear wrapped up in this hard-boiled assembly.
Then too, director Fleischer makes all the deft moves-- the balky car, the gruesome corpse. Maybe somebody forgot the utility bill, but there's a real change of mood half-way through, when the screen shifts from high-key daylight to low-key noir as the shadows and bodies pile up. Yeah, you've probably seen it all before, but rarely done this well and with an Oscar night of B-movie all-stars. Too bad, Stanley Kubrick didn't acknowledge this modest programmer when he lifted the caper film to artistic heights in The Killing (1956). As he learned, prop washes make a superb visual blender for loose dollar bills, along with a lasting note of dramatic irony. Acknowledged or not, this little potboiler has all the earmarks of RKO's golden age of take-no-prisoners noir.
Then too, director Fleischer makes all the deft moves-- the balky car, the gruesome corpse. Maybe somebody forgot the utility bill, but there's a real change of mood half-way through, when the screen shifts from high-key daylight to low-key noir as the shadows and bodies pile up. Yeah, you've probably seen it all before, but rarely done this well and with an Oscar night of B-movie all-stars. Too bad, Stanley Kubrick didn't acknowledge this modest programmer when he lifted the caper film to artistic heights in The Killing (1956). As he learned, prop washes make a superb visual blender for loose dollar bills, along with a lasting note of dramatic irony. Acknowledged or not, this little potboiler has all the earmarks of RKO's golden age of take-no-prisoners noir.
Surprisingly compelling bit of entertainment.
Haecker23 March 2005
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!
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!
Rather interesting crime drama
chris_gaskin1237 March 2005
Warning: Spoilers
BBC2 often show these sort of movies either in the daytime or in the early hours. Armoured Car Robbery came on one afternoon so I set the video and was pleased I did.
A gang decides to rob an armoured car and when doing so, this results in a policeman being killed and one of the robbers injured and is shot dead later by one of the other robbers after getting a little touchy. The remaining robbers go on the run and end up hiding in a hut somewhere in LA docks, after passing through an oil field. The police are closing in on them all the while and are caught or killed at the end.
The location photography in this movie is done well, especially the oil field sequence with the "nodding donkeys".
The cast includes Charles McGraw, B movie regular Adele Jergens (The Day the World Ended), Steve Brodie, Gene Evans and William Talman.
Watching Armoured Car Robbery is a good way to spend just over an hour one afternoon or evening.
Rating: 3 stars out of 5.
A gang decides to rob an armoured car and when doing so, this results in a policeman being killed and one of the robbers injured and is shot dead later by one of the other robbers after getting a little touchy. The remaining robbers go on the run and end up hiding in a hut somewhere in LA docks, after passing through an oil field. The police are closing in on them all the while and are caught or killed at the end.
The location photography in this movie is done well, especially the oil field sequence with the "nodding donkeys".
The cast includes Charles McGraw, B movie regular Adele Jergens (The Day the World Ended), Steve Brodie, Gene Evans and William Talman.
Watching Armoured Car Robbery is a good way to spend just over an hour one afternoon or evening.
Rating: 3 stars out of 5.
Ballpark Heist
bkoganbing6 March 2011
Armored Car Robbery in the no frills style of noir that characterized RKO Studios is the story of just that. The execution and then police investigation of the robbery is subject of this film. It plays like an episode of Criminal Intent with the action shifting back and forth from the cops as represented by Charles McGraw and the crooks headed by William Talman.
He's quite a piece of work in this film, Talman. He's proud of the fact that he's never even been pinched for anything, hence he's not on anyone's radar. His three accomplices, Steve Brodie, Gene Evans, and Douglas Fowley can't say that however.
Also in the mix is the high maintenance stripper wife of the luckless Fowley. That would be Adele Jergens who split these kind of parts with Marie Windsor. Jergens has been trading up and Fowley would like to get the guy she's been cheating on him with. He doesn't have a clue that it's Talman.
The Armored Car Robbery takes place in front of Wrigley Field in Los Angeles, it's the last stop on the route. That Wrigley Field was also named for the same guy who owned the Chicago Cubs and was the home of the Triple A Los Angeles Angels franchise of the Pacific Coast League. It's gone now, but just like the friendly confines in Chicago, LA's Wrigley Field was situated in a residential neighborhood as you see in the film.
The robbery is successful, but Fowley is wounded and McGraw's partner is killed. Then the tension builds. McGraw is tough and smart, but Talman is ruthless and no fool. It all ends in quite a nice shootout climax.
Like last year's The Town which also featured a robbery of a ballpark, Armored Car Robbery doesn't quite have that film's budget. But RKO studios specialized in getting these kind of films done right and tight. Armored Car Robbery is a great example of what this studio specialized in.
He's quite a piece of work in this film, Talman. He's proud of the fact that he's never even been pinched for anything, hence he's not on anyone's radar. His three accomplices, Steve Brodie, Gene Evans, and Douglas Fowley can't say that however.
Also in the mix is the high maintenance stripper wife of the luckless Fowley. That would be Adele Jergens who split these kind of parts with Marie Windsor. Jergens has been trading up and Fowley would like to get the guy she's been cheating on him with. He doesn't have a clue that it's Talman.
The Armored Car Robbery takes place in front of Wrigley Field in Los Angeles, it's the last stop on the route. That Wrigley Field was also named for the same guy who owned the Chicago Cubs and was the home of the Triple A Los Angeles Angels franchise of the Pacific Coast League. It's gone now, but just like the friendly confines in Chicago, LA's Wrigley Field was situated in a residential neighborhood as you see in the film.
The robbery is successful, but Fowley is wounded and McGraw's partner is killed. Then the tension builds. McGraw is tough and smart, but Talman is ruthless and no fool. It all ends in quite a nice shootout climax.
Like last year's The Town which also featured a robbery of a ballpark, Armored Car Robbery doesn't quite have that film's budget. But RKO studios specialized in getting these kind of films done right and tight. Armored Car Robbery is a great example of what this studio specialized in.
Another Fleischer Film Noir Gem
ccthemovieman-123 December 2005
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.
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.
"No loose ends"
ackstasis8 May 2009
Warning: Spoilers
Most noir enthusiasts would, I'm sure, agree that the modern heist thriller was basically born with John Huston's 'The Asphalt Jungle (1950).' But it wasn't alone for long. Just one month after its release, Richard Fleischer released his own heist flick, a low-budget B-movie with no star power (unless you count supporting player Charles McGraw, who was no stranger to film noir – see 'Roadblock (1951)'). With its very brief running-time, 'Armoured Car Robbery (1950)' strips away all unnecessary fat, leaving hardly a moment to draw breath as the gang of thieves execute a brilliant heist, before losing out to the authorities, all in 67 minutes. The one classic crime element we're denied is the preparation for the heist itself. When the four co-conspirators first approached the intended site of attack, I thought that they were going through a trial-run as part of their planning, but, no, they went straight for the hit. As such, most of the film is concerned with how their "perfect" heist unravels, like a ball of yarn with a trailing thread.
The film's low-budget is readily seen in its production values. Rather than the shadowy, stylised noir photography with which we're most familiar, cinematographer Guy Roe instead opts for a documentary-style realism. The performances also reflect this approach, though there are some some strong actors in the mix. William Talman, as Dave Purvis, is a classic criminal mastermind, a calculating genius who engineers every movement to the nearest second. Square-jawed McGraw, whom I maintain is a dead ringer for Kirk Douglas, is also excellent as tough cop Cordell, who's eager to dish out retribution for the death of his long-time partner (James Flavin). Icy dame Adele Jergens plays an alluring exotic dancer, though her role in the film is mostly passive. A swift and blunt piece of storytelling, 'Armoured Car Robbery' lives up to its matter-of- fact title, not putting anything new on the table, but utilising its resources well. The ending, with thousands of dollars in notes flittering across an airport runway, seems to have inspired Kubrick in 'The Killing (1956).'
The film's low-budget is readily seen in its production values. Rather than the shadowy, stylised noir photography with which we're most familiar, cinematographer Guy Roe instead opts for a documentary-style realism. The performances also reflect this approach, though there are some some strong actors in the mix. William Talman, as Dave Purvis, is a classic criminal mastermind, a calculating genius who engineers every movement to the nearest second. Square-jawed McGraw, whom I maintain is a dead ringer for Kirk Douglas, is also excellent as tough cop Cordell, who's eager to dish out retribution for the death of his long-time partner (James Flavin). Icy dame Adele Jergens plays an alluring exotic dancer, though her role in the film is mostly passive. A swift and blunt piece of storytelling, 'Armoured Car Robbery' lives up to its matter-of- fact title, not putting anything new on the table, but utilising its resources well. The ending, with thousands of dollars in notes flittering across an airport runway, seems to have inspired Kubrick in 'The Killing (1956).'
Before Michael Mann's "Heat," There was "Armored Car Robbery"
zardoz-134 December 2009
Warning: Spoilers
"Violent Saturday" director Richard Fleischer maintains momentum throughout his gritty, fast-paced, crime thriller "Armored Car Robbery." An obstinate Los Angeles Police Department detective wants to nab a ruthless career criminal for the fatal shooting of his partner during a daring, daylight hold-up. Most heist movies build up to the crime after the villains have invested considerable time and effort in setting up their score. This straightforward, efficiently fashioned B-movie, however, plunges the bad guys into action during the first third of the tale while the remainder of "Armored Car Robbery" depicts the chief villain's futile efforts to evade the authorities. Altogether, this nifty little RKO Radio Pictures' caper doesn't appear to be anything more than a potboiler, but Fleischer puts his serviceable cast through the paces without letting things simmer down. Essentially, Hollywood makes two kinds of armored car heist capers; those where the crime is an inside-job, and those where it is an outside job. "Armored Car Robbery" fits into the latter category. Fleischer and scenarists Earl Fenton and Gerald Drayson Adams keep things plausible throughout this tightly-plotted, 67-minute melodrama. Half of the plausibility here is the method of operation that the criminals utilize.
David Purvis (William Talman, later of TV's "Perry Mason" where he played the chief prosecutor) is a criminal mastermind obsessed with details. He plans to knock off an armored car at Wrigley Stadium in Los Angeles, and he sends the L.A.P.D. some false alarms so he can clock the time it takes for them to reach the stadium. Afterward, he briefs his gang, including Benjamin 'Benny' McBride (Douglas Fowley of "Battleground"), Al Mapes (Steve Brodie of "Badman's Territory"), and William 'Ace' Foster (Gene Evans of "The Steel Helmet") about the stick-up. Purvis describes the robbery as "a one-shot deal" worth a half-million dollars. Purvis stipulates he will take half of the $500-thousand haul, while the other three can split what is left between them. He orders them to "study this routine until it comes out your ears." Fleischer cuts to the following Tuesday when the crime takes place. Meantime, the concept of 'honor among thieves' doesn't apply here when we learn information that Benny doesn't know. Specifically, Purvis is making time with Bennie's high-maintenance burlesque hall dancer wife Yvonne LeDoux (Adele Jergens of "Blonde Dynamite") who wants nothing to do with Benny.
Fleischer cleverly stages the actual robbery. Wheeling up behind the armored car, Foster climbs out to tinker with the overheated engine of his old jalopy. At the right moment, they don gas masks and set-off a gas bomb. A stadium cashier alerts the police. Although Purvis had clocked the police response time at 3 minutes, L.A. Detectives, Lieutenant Jim Cordell (Charles McGraw of "The Narrow Margin") and his partner, Lieutenant Phillips (James Flavin of "G-Men"), are cruising in the vicinity. Cordell and his partner go into action with their revolvers blazing, and the criminals blast away at them, with Purvis dropping Phillips, but not before Cordell hits Benny. Mapes whips up in the getaway car, and the criminals take off with Cordell hot on their heels until Purvis stars his windshield with a bullet and a deliver truck crosses his path, forcing him to swerve and lose sight of them. Nevertheless, Benny is badly wounded and the hoods are rattled. Cordell gets gung-ho rookie Detective Danny Ryan (Don McGuire of "Humoresque") to replace Phillips. The police kill Foster but capture Mapes, and Ryan decides to masquerade as Mapes and find out what Yvonne knows about Purvis. The cops install microphones in her dressing room and wire her automobile, like Burt Reynolds and his team would later do the heroine in "Sharky's Machine." The final showdown at the L.A. airport has Purvis and Yvonne taking a chartered two-engine aircraft for parts unknown. The police warn the tower, and the tower halts the aircraft. Purvis thrusts his revolver into the pilot's neck, but an incoming plane prevents them from taking off, and the cops are breathing down Purvis' neck. Scrambling out of the plane, he hoofs it across the tarmac, but Cordell brings him down. Purvis recovers, but it's too late. The plane that kept them from taking off collides with him and kills him. Of course, this scene is nothing like a similar scene in the Charles Bronson thriller "Break Out" where a propeller shredded a guy.
"Armored Car Robbery" qualifies as a film noir melodrama owing to lenser Guy Roe's high-contrast photography, the gritty urban settings, and the paranoia of Talman's criminal experiences as the robbery unravels. The police procedural part of the action includes some pre "C.S.I.: Crime Scene Investigation" scenes where the laboratory technicians help point the detectives in the right direction. In many ways, the vicious brain behind the robbery foreshadows the kind of criminal that Robert De Niro portrayed in "Heat." The William Talman thug reprimands his accomplices for jotting down anything incriminating that could be used against them as a clue. Furthermore, he goes to extreme lengths to appear as invisible as possible, right down to slicing the labels off his apparel with a razor blade. Mind you, since the Production Code Administration was still calling the shots in Hollywood, "Armored Car Robbery" is rather predictable because you know that the hoodlums aren't going to get away with the loot. In other words, this is another crime-does-not pay movie. Nevertheless, despite his doomed future, the cunning villain emerges as a more interesting character than the cops chasing him.
"Armored Car Robbery" is well-worth watching if you enjoy heist thrillers.
David Purvis (William Talman, later of TV's "Perry Mason" where he played the chief prosecutor) is a criminal mastermind obsessed with details. He plans to knock off an armored car at Wrigley Stadium in Los Angeles, and he sends the L.A.P.D. some false alarms so he can clock the time it takes for them to reach the stadium. Afterward, he briefs his gang, including Benjamin 'Benny' McBride (Douglas Fowley of "Battleground"), Al Mapes (Steve Brodie of "Badman's Territory"), and William 'Ace' Foster (Gene Evans of "The Steel Helmet") about the stick-up. Purvis describes the robbery as "a one-shot deal" worth a half-million dollars. Purvis stipulates he will take half of the $500-thousand haul, while the other three can split what is left between them. He orders them to "study this routine until it comes out your ears." Fleischer cuts to the following Tuesday when the crime takes place. Meantime, the concept of 'honor among thieves' doesn't apply here when we learn information that Benny doesn't know. Specifically, Purvis is making time with Bennie's high-maintenance burlesque hall dancer wife Yvonne LeDoux (Adele Jergens of "Blonde Dynamite") who wants nothing to do with Benny.
Fleischer cleverly stages the actual robbery. Wheeling up behind the armored car, Foster climbs out to tinker with the overheated engine of his old jalopy. At the right moment, they don gas masks and set-off a gas bomb. A stadium cashier alerts the police. Although Purvis had clocked the police response time at 3 minutes, L.A. Detectives, Lieutenant Jim Cordell (Charles McGraw of "The Narrow Margin") and his partner, Lieutenant Phillips (James Flavin of "G-Men"), are cruising in the vicinity. Cordell and his partner go into action with their revolvers blazing, and the criminals blast away at them, with Purvis dropping Phillips, but not before Cordell hits Benny. Mapes whips up in the getaway car, and the criminals take off with Cordell hot on their heels until Purvis stars his windshield with a bullet and a deliver truck crosses his path, forcing him to swerve and lose sight of them. Nevertheless, Benny is badly wounded and the hoods are rattled. Cordell gets gung-ho rookie Detective Danny Ryan (Don McGuire of "Humoresque") to replace Phillips. The police kill Foster but capture Mapes, and Ryan decides to masquerade as Mapes and find out what Yvonne knows about Purvis. The cops install microphones in her dressing room and wire her automobile, like Burt Reynolds and his team would later do the heroine in "Sharky's Machine." The final showdown at the L.A. airport has Purvis and Yvonne taking a chartered two-engine aircraft for parts unknown. The police warn the tower, and the tower halts the aircraft. Purvis thrusts his revolver into the pilot's neck, but an incoming plane prevents them from taking off, and the cops are breathing down Purvis' neck. Scrambling out of the plane, he hoofs it across the tarmac, but Cordell brings him down. Purvis recovers, but it's too late. The plane that kept them from taking off collides with him and kills him. Of course, this scene is nothing like a similar scene in the Charles Bronson thriller "Break Out" where a propeller shredded a guy.
"Armored Car Robbery" qualifies as a film noir melodrama owing to lenser Guy Roe's high-contrast photography, the gritty urban settings, and the paranoia of Talman's criminal experiences as the robbery unravels. The police procedural part of the action includes some pre "C.S.I.: Crime Scene Investigation" scenes where the laboratory technicians help point the detectives in the right direction. In many ways, the vicious brain behind the robbery foreshadows the kind of criminal that Robert De Niro portrayed in "Heat." The William Talman thug reprimands his accomplices for jotting down anything incriminating that could be used against them as a clue. Furthermore, he goes to extreme lengths to appear as invisible as possible, right down to slicing the labels off his apparel with a razor blade. Mind you, since the Production Code Administration was still calling the shots in Hollywood, "Armored Car Robbery" is rather predictable because you know that the hoodlums aren't going to get away with the loot. In other words, this is another crime-does-not pay movie. Nevertheless, despite his doomed future, the cunning villain emerges as a more interesting character than the cops chasing him.
"Armored Car Robbery" is well-worth watching if you enjoy heist thrillers.
Take Me Out to the Ballgame! While they're stealing third base, I'm stealing the loot!
mark.waltz12 January 2013
Warning: Spoilers
The old Wrigley Field in Los Angeles becomes the setting for a heist of the armored car by a group of crooks who then shoot it out with the police. One officer is sent to the hospital with a bullet wound, while one of the crooks is seriously wounded yet manages to make it past the officers who search each car passing through their barricade. This riveting crime drama/film noir examines both the thieves' plans to how the investigators take each clue they receive to identify the culprits. Add in a burlesque queen (married to one of the robbers), some thrilling car chases and a finale that will have you dropping your jaw, and you've got a fun-filled "B" feature that shows once again if crime does pay, it comes at a cost.
You've seen all of these character types in movies before, and how the gangsters all seem to be in sync until the bottom falls out. Betrayal always follows, and some will live, but a few will most likely die. These films don't shirk on action, and with mostly a cast of unknowns, seem grittier than some of the "A" features of similar themes. This 1950 RKO movie is pretty much the same theme as 1955's low-budget noir, "The Killing" (set at a race track rather than a ball game). You can pretty much predict how everything is going to turn out, but it is so much fun watching it all unfold. Adele Jergens, one of the great brassy blondes of the golden age of Hollywood, is memorable as the burlesque queen the cops question and who may or may not lead them to the bandits. Crackling dialog, rough action and a no-holds barred and unapologetic atmosphere of grit make this a must for crime/film noir lovers.
You've seen all of these character types in movies before, and how the gangsters all seem to be in sync until the bottom falls out. Betrayal always follows, and some will live, but a few will most likely die. These films don't shirk on action, and with mostly a cast of unknowns, seem grittier than some of the "A" features of similar themes. This 1950 RKO movie is pretty much the same theme as 1955's low-budget noir, "The Killing" (set at a race track rather than a ball game). You can pretty much predict how everything is going to turn out, but it is so much fun watching it all unfold. Adele Jergens, one of the great brassy blondes of the golden age of Hollywood, is memorable as the burlesque queen the cops question and who may or may not lead them to the bandits. Crackling dialog, rough action and a no-holds barred and unapologetic atmosphere of grit make this a must for crime/film noir lovers.
What a marvelous and underrated little gem!!
planktonrules16 November 2007
Wow, was I ever impressed by this little film. While ARMORED CAR ROBBERY is not an especially sexy title and the film possesses no real star power, it is a wonderfully effective and superbly written little B-movie directed by a young Richard Fleischer. So far in his career Fleischer had directed some shorts and a couple undistinguished films and it was several years before he gained fame with THE NARROW MARGIN (also a wonderful B-film starring Charles McGraw), THE VIKINGS and SOYLENT GREEN. So, since he was an unknown, they gave him mostly unknowns for the film. The biggest name in it was Charles McGraw--a great heavy and supporting actor who'd been around but still hadn't made a name for himself. Additionally, William Talman plays the leader of the bad guys and while you most likely won't recognize his name, he is the man who played Hamilton Burger on the "Perry Mason" TV show.
While McGraw was as wonderful as I'd expected since I'd seen him in quite a few great Film Noir movies, I was particularly impressed by Talman. As Ham Burger, he was a bland and one-note character--the jerk who ALWAYS lost to Perry Mason. But here, he was a very cold, calculating and scary man because he was so believable and amoral. It's a darn shame that this role didn't result in better roles--he really showed he could act.
The film is naturally about an armored car robbery and it was rather straight-forward in its plotting. However, because the dialog and the rest of the writing was so true to life, it really jumped out at me. While it did have a few great Noir-like lines (spoken mostly by the great McGraw), it emphasized reality over style and seemed like a very honest crime drama more than anything else. While it lacked the tension of THE NARROW MARGIN, it made up for it with quality at every level--resulting in a marvelous and generally unrecognized little gem. Watch this film--it's dandy.
While McGraw was as wonderful as I'd expected since I'd seen him in quite a few great Film Noir movies, I was particularly impressed by Talman. As Ham Burger, he was a bland and one-note character--the jerk who ALWAYS lost to Perry Mason. But here, he was a very cold, calculating and scary man because he was so believable and amoral. It's a darn shame that this role didn't result in better roles--he really showed he could act.
The film is naturally about an armored car robbery and it was rather straight-forward in its plotting. However, because the dialog and the rest of the writing was so true to life, it really jumped out at me. While it did have a few great Noir-like lines (spoken mostly by the great McGraw), it emphasized reality over style and seemed like a very honest crime drama more than anything else. While it lacked the tension of THE NARROW MARGIN, it made up for it with quality at every level--resulting in a marvelous and generally unrecognized little gem. Watch this film--it's dandy.
Could be a modern movie
Leofwine_draca3 July 2014
With its lean, pared-down running time and exclusive focus on the cops 'n' robbers storyline, ARMOURED CAR ROBBERY could be a modern movie along the likes of the BOURNE films or HEAT. It's certainly a film that's stood the test of time very well, as it's extremely fast paced and action-packed with it. There's little to dislike here.
The plot is simplicity in itself: a group of bank robbers hijack an armoured car and make way with the loot. A gang of cops are soon on their tail, and then things get rather messy. There are fatalities on both sides, a sleazy burlesque club gets drawn into the mix, and there's an inexorable slide towards the inevitable showdown at the climax.
ARMOURED CAR ROBBERY boasts a tough script, excellent acting and strong direction from the reliable Richard Fleischer (10 RILLINGTON PLACE). The best of the cast is easily William Talman as the chief robber; he has a real screen presence here and holds his own against everyone else. Charles McGraw, as the dogged detective on his trail, is very nearly as good. In any case, this is a great, forgotten little movie that's rip for rediscovery.
The plot is simplicity in itself: a group of bank robbers hijack an armoured car and make way with the loot. A gang of cops are soon on their tail, and then things get rather messy. There are fatalities on both sides, a sleazy burlesque club gets drawn into the mix, and there's an inexorable slide towards the inevitable showdown at the climax.
ARMOURED CAR ROBBERY boasts a tough script, excellent acting and strong direction from the reliable Richard Fleischer (10 RILLINGTON PLACE). The best of the cast is easily William Talman as the chief robber; he has a real screen presence here and holds his own against everyone else. Charles McGraw, as the dogged detective on his trail, is very nearly as good. In any case, this is a great, forgotten little movie that's rip for rediscovery.
The American job
paul2001sw-112 March 2006
Heist movies are part of Hollywood's staple diet these days, but it's interesting to see 'Armoured Car Robbery', a take on the theme dating back to 1950. The film has some plusses: interesting cinematography of industrial L.A., William Tallman's performance as the intelligent, edgy villain, and a low-key mood of realism that prevails throughout. But the limitations of acting and cinematic technique of the period can never be completely forgotten while viewing, and the final scene is bizarrely weak. Ultimately, it doesn't stand comparison with the best of today's movies; but there are plenty of modern heist films that have borrowed the concept, and which may be slick, but which also seem empty and trite in comparison.
By modern standards it is a very straightforward heist movie but it is tough and enjoyable nonetheless
bob the moo2 April 2006
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.
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.
Taut and punchy Fleischer B-noir
Dire_Straits30 May 2005
Richard Fleischer could get more out of a small budget than any director could in the 1950's. His string of 50's 'B' films-noir are legendary to any film noir fanatic.
This film is short and quick-paced. You'll have to watch and not blink or the movie's gone.
Do yourself a favor and grab some cigarettes and a beer and sit down and catch this one the next time it's on; it's an extremely brisk, tight and taut thriller.
There are no holes. Charles McGraw - who looks amazingly like Dick Tracy would if Dick were a real guy, is tough and solid as usual. I would have hated to meet McGraw in an alley back in the day!
I can't wait for the DVD...
This film is short and quick-paced. You'll have to watch and not blink or the movie's gone.
Do yourself a favor and grab some cigarettes and a beer and sit down and catch this one the next time it's on; it's an extremely brisk, tight and taut thriller.
There are no holes. Charles McGraw - who looks amazingly like Dick Tracy would if Dick were a real guy, is tough and solid as usual. I would have hated to meet McGraw in an alley back in the day!
I can't wait for the DVD...
Modest, Involving
abooboo-216 January 2001
Another trim, spare RKO crime quickie from the 1950's. The set up is mechanical and the plot rather pedestrian, but it has that funky flavoring you often get when character actors are given the chance to play leads. It also scores points for showing the nuances of police work in a credible "Ahhh, so that's how it works" manner.
Charles McGraw, William Talman, Don McGuire and Steve Brodie aren't exactly household names; however they, particularly McGraw and Brodie, made a career out of these kinds of un-ambitious but competent enough flicks. And Talman (sort of a skid row Peter O'Toole facially) as the ultra-careful mastermind of the job, sure does make quite a nasty villain - just as he also did in another cult item from around this time "The Hitch-hiker".
A sub-plot of McGraw's new partner (McGuire) trying to prove himself worthy falls flat, partially because McGuire is an unremarkable screen presence but also due to a slightly too short running time. You watch movies like these for the tight dialogue and this one has some good zingers, but at times you can also see it lapsing into self-parody, signaling the genre's imminent demise.
Charles McGraw, William Talman, Don McGuire and Steve Brodie aren't exactly household names; however they, particularly McGraw and Brodie, made a career out of these kinds of un-ambitious but competent enough flicks. And Talman (sort of a skid row Peter O'Toole facially) as the ultra-careful mastermind of the job, sure does make quite a nasty villain - just as he also did in another cult item from around this time "The Hitch-hiker".
A sub-plot of McGraw's new partner (McGuire) trying to prove himself worthy falls flat, partially because McGuire is an unremarkable screen presence but also due to a slightly too short running time. You watch movies like these for the tight dialogue and this one has some good zingers, but at times you can also see it lapsing into self-parody, signaling the genre's imminent demise.
Solid Crime Drama
kenjha30 December 2011
After an armored car is robbed by a small gang of crooks, a determined cop goes after them. McGraw is good in what was for him a typical role of a no-nonsense tough guy. Talman, who made a career out of playing creepy villains, is also effective as the ruthless mastermind behind the robbery. The curvaceous Jergens provides the love interest. It is a solid if unspectacular crime drama, well executed by B-movie director Fleischer, who specialized in these kinds of gritty films, the best known being "The Narrow Margin," made a couple of years after this and also starring McGraw. It moves at a fast pace, clocking in at under 70 minutes.
Terrific B noir!
murgie3 December 1998
By all odds the best B noir I've seen, and I've seen a number of them. William Talman and Charles McGraw are both outstanding as always, and though it may verge on the heretical, I have to say that I prefer Armored Car Robbery to the same director's justly-famous The Narrow Margin, also starring McGraw. About as tough as they come, and all wrapped up in under 70 minutes. Be on the lookout for this to turn up on cable(TCM or AMC), and don't miss it when it does!
An unusual role for a District Attorney
vicarson15 February 2011
A good early killer crime flick from director Richard Fleischer, who really hit his straps 20 years later with the classic sci-fi "Soylent Green" (1973).
This film noir is well plotted, has a great storyline and is interesting and absorbing throughout. At 67 minutes it achieves its required result with very little padding.
Brisk performances from the gravel voiced Charles McGraw who had made it big in TV in the mid-50's with "The Adventures of Falcon".
Tough blonde Adele Jergen, who had a tragic life off screen, is great as the lover of gangland leader William Talman who made a career as the District Attorney who always lost to Perry Mason.
If it ever comes on one of the movie channels do yourself a favour and see it.
7/10
This film noir is well plotted, has a great storyline and is interesting and absorbing throughout. At 67 minutes it achieves its required result with very little padding.
Brisk performances from the gravel voiced Charles McGraw who had made it big in TV in the mid-50's with "The Adventures of Falcon".
Tough blonde Adele Jergen, who had a tragic life off screen, is great as the lover of gangland leader William Talman who made a career as the District Attorney who always lost to Perry Mason.
If it ever comes on one of the movie channels do yourself a favour and see it.
7/10
A gorgeously made, finely acted, really compact jewel of a movie
secondtake9 September 2013
Armored Car Robbery (1950)
You know something? This is a perfect movie. I'm not saying it's the most original or a classic masterpiece--it's a crime film, fairly straight up--but it's acted and made with unusual focus and great post-War style. It has enough turns to keep you alert, enough dark dark night scenes to thrill any noir lover, and a steady presence by the main cast to give it intense credibility.
Starring in a role he's repeated elsewhere is Charles McGraw as the weary, determined, no-nonsense cop. Around him are cops with a similar kind of determination. The thugs are quite believably thuggish, too, including the terrific leading bad guy played by William Talman.
Yes, no big names here. And that's part of the appeal. No magic aura, no expectations or star power to get in the way, just some gritty crime back and forth, fast and beautifully made.
And the movie is ahead of its time, too, and influential without much acknowledgement. Near the end is a scene, at an airport, with a suitcase full of money bursting open and blowing away. Sound familiar? Yes, it's a mild version of the astonishing end to Kubrick's masterful "The Killing," made in 1956 But that cuts both ways, because in the heist at the center for the action the criminals use tear gas to hold up an armored truck, much like they did in the famous "Criss-Cross" in 1948.
Such is the movies, I think, and it makes you realize (and appreciate) how part of the success of any movie is simply how well done it is. And this one, coming from someone who has seen way too many of this kind of movie (as if you can see too many), is really great. See it!
You know something? This is a perfect movie. I'm not saying it's the most original or a classic masterpiece--it's a crime film, fairly straight up--but it's acted and made with unusual focus and great post-War style. It has enough turns to keep you alert, enough dark dark night scenes to thrill any noir lover, and a steady presence by the main cast to give it intense credibility.
Starring in a role he's repeated elsewhere is Charles McGraw as the weary, determined, no-nonsense cop. Around him are cops with a similar kind of determination. The thugs are quite believably thuggish, too, including the terrific leading bad guy played by William Talman.
Yes, no big names here. And that's part of the appeal. No magic aura, no expectations or star power to get in the way, just some gritty crime back and forth, fast and beautifully made.
And the movie is ahead of its time, too, and influential without much acknowledgement. Near the end is a scene, at an airport, with a suitcase full of money bursting open and blowing away. Sound familiar? Yes, it's a mild version of the astonishing end to Kubrick's masterful "The Killing," made in 1956 But that cuts both ways, because in the heist at the center for the action the criminals use tear gas to hold up an armored truck, much like they did in the famous "Criss-Cross" in 1948.
Such is the movies, I think, and it makes you realize (and appreciate) how part of the success of any movie is simply how well done it is. And this one, coming from someone who has seen way too many of this kind of movie (as if you can see too many), is really great. See it!
Could Have Used More of Jergens
Handlinghandel17 May 2006
A good low-budget noir. (Though the budget looks pretty darn low, it has a lot of big names.) The plot itself is somewhat routine. Cps vs bad guy. Really bad leader vs his underlings. The matter-of-fact title tells a whole lot of the story.
However, Adele Jergens is the draw here. She plays a burlesque dancer. (And we see her routine a couple times. Even today, it looks tawdry.) Though this came out before my time, newsstands kept girlie magazines from years and years -- decades, even -- in stock. I remember as a kid wondering about the weird shoes these women were posing in. Well, Adele Jergens looks like the quintessential bleached-blonde naughty girl of the 1950s-60s. And she was a good actress, too.
More of her would have leavened the plot./ As it is, it's too many guys who look and sound alike -- all of them fine actors but enough gets to be enough.
However, Adele Jergens is the draw here. She plays a burlesque dancer. (And we see her routine a couple times. Even today, it looks tawdry.) Though this came out before my time, newsstands kept girlie magazines from years and years -- decades, even -- in stock. I remember as a kid wondering about the weird shoes these women were posing in. Well, Adele Jergens looks like the quintessential bleached-blonde naughty girl of the 1950s-60s. And she was a good actress, too.
More of her would have leavened the plot./ As it is, it's too many guys who look and sound alike -- all of them fine actors but enough gets to be enough.
So Hard Boiled I Was Looking for The Mayonnaise
barrystock8 May 2006
A very enjoyable, and quick, bank heist film featuring square-jawed Charles McGraw and William Talman with familiar elements, including 1950s L.A. as a backdrop. A career criminal (Talman) lines up local bad guys for a heist, with the added twist of his involvement with one of the local's girl, which leads, naturally, to a double-cross. An intrepid detective (McGraw), loses his partner in the armored car heist, and this drives the plot towards its grisly conclusion. Good fun, moves along fast, with plenty of light coming through venetian blinds, reflecting on hotel walls.
After years of watching Talman as Perry Mason's foil, the district attorney Hamilton Burger on the television series, it was great to watch him use his odd looks to full effect as a sociopathic criminal. His biography, available here on IMDb, also reveals his courage towards the very end of his life, as he filmed a short anti-smoking film for the American Cancer Society as he lay dying of lung cancer.
After years of watching Talman as Perry Mason's foil, the district attorney Hamilton Burger on the television series, it was great to watch him use his odd looks to full effect as a sociopathic criminal. His biography, available here on IMDb, also reveals his courage towards the very end of his life, as he filmed a short anti-smoking film for the American Cancer Society as he lay dying of lung cancer.
Cops and Robbers
sol-5 November 2017
Brazen thieves plot to rob an armored car; when things start to go awry, they gradually find out who their friends truly are in this film noir entry from Richard Fleischer. Clocking in at less than 70 minutes, this is a brisk thrill ride with barely a second wasted and there are several intense moments as the criminals debate the risks of getting their injured friend to a doctor and so on. The film missteps though by given equal focus to the policeman investigating the crime and the criminals themselves; while Fleischer's decision to show both sides in equal depth makes this refreshingly different to the average noir out there, it also places us in an awkward, distanced position in which it is hard to choose a side to root for. As the cop in charge, Charles McGraw is given some extra character dimension as his partner was killed by the thieves, something that causes him to take the case very seriously, and yet, the criminals remain the most charismatic characters here, especially William Talman who doesn't like "anything written down". While the quality sometimes varied, Fleischer always made interesting films and this one is no exception, though it is certainly far from his most involving film.
Armoured Car Robbery!!
AAdaSC4 April 2024
Can you guess what this film is about? There you go, so that's the plot summary.
The film is well-made and the acting is good on all counts. Charles McGraw is usually a sign that the film will be good and here he plays the detective on the tail of the armoured car robbery gang, led by William Talman, who is also good in all his roles. Talman leads a gang of four who have to work out how to divide the money and flea before they get caught.
Talman has got an unusually large head. You know when people wear hats, there is usually a top bit of the hat that contains air and no actual head. Think of a top hat. There is a big gap of air under the top bit of the hat. Well, imagine if the top bit of the top hat was filled out by someone's head. That is Talman.
The story keeps you watching but I'm afraid it never set alight on the excitement front as it includes the very convenient get-out clause of 'shoot them'. Once the shot has been fired, that's it - end of scene. Bang! You're dead. Not very exciting or interesting, I'm afraid. As one of my bosses once said to me - lazy thinking!
The film is well-made and the acting is good on all counts. Charles McGraw is usually a sign that the film will be good and here he plays the detective on the tail of the armoured car robbery gang, led by William Talman, who is also good in all his roles. Talman leads a gang of four who have to work out how to divide the money and flea before they get caught.
Talman has got an unusually large head. You know when people wear hats, there is usually a top bit of the hat that contains air and no actual head. Think of a top hat. There is a big gap of air under the top bit of the hat. Well, imagine if the top bit of the top hat was filled out by someone's head. That is Talman.
The story keeps you watching but I'm afraid it never set alight on the excitement front as it includes the very convenient get-out clause of 'shoot them'. Once the shot has been fired, that's it - end of scene. Bang! You're dead. Not very exciting or interesting, I'm afraid. As one of my bosses once said to me - lazy thinking!
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