Jump to content

The Safecracker

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

This is an old revision of this page, as edited by 14.2.82.1 (talk) at 13:40, 23 June 2023 (Correction to error in link of Rhys Davies the author who did not write this movies script. The movie was written by Lt Col. Reginald Danbury 'Rhys' Davies based on an experience during WW2.). The present address (URL) is a permanent link to this revision, which may differ significantly from the current revision.

The Safecracker
Directed byRay Milland
Written byLt Col. Reginald Danbury 'Rhys' Davies
Bruce Thomas
Paul Monash
Produced byDavid E. Rose
John R. Sloan
StarringRay Milland
Barry Jones
Jeanette Sterke
Victor Maddern
CinematographyGerald Gibbs
Edited byErnest Walter
Music byRichard Rodney Bennett
Production
company
Coronado Productions
Distributed byMetro-Goldwyn-Mayer
Release dates
  • 5 March 1958 (1958-03-05) (London)
  • March 5, 1958 (1958-03-05) (NYC)
Running time
96 minutes
CountryUnited Kingdom
LanguageEnglish
Budget$471,000[1]
Box office$855,000[1]

The Safecracker is a 1958 British crime film noir directed by Ray Milland and starring Milland, Barry Jones and Victor Maddern.[2][3][4]

Plot

Colley Dawson lives a quiet life at home with his mother, but he is an expert safecracker at weekends, breaking into wealthy homes and stealing valuable art. When he is eventually arrested and convicted, Colley is approached in prison by Major Adbury, who offers him a deal in exchange for helping with the war effort. Colley will be given his freedom if he uses his safecracking expertise to perform a mission behind enemy lines. The dangerous mission is to breach a difficult safe in a Nazi chateau and steal a list of German spies operating in England. Colley agrees and is trained as a commando and parachuted into Belgium for the mission.

Cast

Production

The film was originally known as The Tale of Willie Gordon. Ray Milland left for England in June 1957.[6]

In December 1957, producer David E. Rose announced that he and Milland would produce a second film together, but the project did not materialise.[7]

Reception

Critical

In The New York Times, Bosley Crowther called the film "a good, not great, suspense thriller," adding, "The film is full of those tense situations in which the hero slips into a room and opens a safe in terrifying silence. Mr. Milland is good in it. So is Barry Jones."[8]

Box office

According to MGM records, the film earned $280,000 in the U.S. and Canada and $675,000 elsewhere, resulting in a profit of $59,000.[1]

References

  1. ^ a b c The Eddie Mannix Ledger, Los Angeles: Margaret Herrick Library, Center for Motion Picture Study.
  2. ^ mamalv (1 October 1958). "The Safecracker (1958)". IMDb.
  3. ^ "The Safecracker (1957)". BFI. Archived from the original on 12 July 2012.
  4. ^ SAFECRACKER, The Monthly Film Bulletin; London Vol. 25, Iss. 288, (Jan 1, 1958): 48.
  5. ^ imdb.con
  6. ^ 'Wine of Youth' Follows 'Written on Wind;' New Zanuck Films Readied Schallert, Edwin. Los Angeles Times 19 June 1957: 23.
  7. ^ Pioneer Idea Luring Lana: Clown Kelly in 'Everglades;' Keel Will Star With Martin Schallert, Edwin. Los Angeles Times 14 Dec 1957: B3.
  8. ^ "Movie Reviews". The New York Times. 3 September 2021.


Stub icon

This article related to a British film of the 1950s is a stub. You can help Wikipedia by expanding it.

Stub icon

This 1950s crime film-related article is a stub. You can help Wikipedia by expanding it.

Retrieved from "https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=The_Safecracker&oldid=1161554203"