Nico Liersch
German actor (born 2000)
Nico Liersch (born 17 July 2000) is a German actor. He is best known for his role as Rudy Steiner in the 2013 film "The Book Thief". He is also known for his work in the German television series "Das ist Gut" where he played Phillip Greenyard, a caveman without parents.
Personal life.
Liersch was born on 17 July 2000 in Munich, Germany. He is currently resided in Olching.
Career.
Nico started acting at the age of seven, when he appeared in a McDonald's Happy Meal commercial with Kai Pflaume. In 2008, he also appeared in a supporting role in "Der Einsturz".
In 2012, Liersch appeared in episodes of the German TV series "Inga Lindström" and "Das Traumhotel", then later feature film "Kokowääh 2", a sequel to "Kokowääh". In February 2013, he was cast in the film adaptation of the best-selling novel "The Book Thief". He played Rudy Steiner, the best friend of the titular book thief, Liesel Meminger. Markus Zusak, who wrote the novel that inspired the movie, was pleased with Nico's portrayal of his character and wrote: ¨He's magnificent, indeed. He is Rudy.¨
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The Thief (1952 film)
1952 American film noir crime film directed by Russell Rouse
The Thief is a 1952 American film noir crime film directed by Russell Rouse and starring Ray Milland. The film is noted for having no spoken dialogue; the only verbal communication present in the film is represented through closeup shots of two telegrams.
Plot.
Dr. Allan Fields is a nuclear physicist employed by the United States Atomic Energy Commission in Washington, D.C. He is also a spy, working for an unnamed foreign power.
Through elaborate tradecraft, Fields, as ordered by his case officer, photographs secret documents, using a Minox camera, and passes these through a network of couriers to New York City, and thereafter overseas to an enemy country. The latest canister of microfilm is intercepted by authorities after the courier is killed in a traffic accident in Manhattan, with the canister of undeveloped microfilm in his hand. The FBI develops the microfilm, analyzes its contents, and draws up a list of suspects within the AEC, one of whom is the custodian of the secret document, whom Fields observes being taken away for interrogation at FBI headquarters.
The custodian is apparently cleared of espionage charges, and the FBI moves its focus to his subordinates at AEC. Fields is one of the suspects. His case officer sends him a Western Union telegram, ordering him to destroy any evidence of his espionage and to move into a safe house in New York City.
Now scared and paranoid, Fields stays overnight in the safe house, a cheap hotel. Receiving a signal from his case officer on the hotel's hall phone, he proceeds to the Empire State Building, meeting his contact, Miss Philips, on the 86th-floor observation deck. An alert FBI agent spots Fields and pursues him, first to the 102nd-floor observation deck, and then to the spire. The two men fight, and the agent falls to his death. Fields returns to the hotel to collect a package of money and false identity documents which will get him out of the country. He proceeds to the docks, where passage has been arranged for him on board a ship bound for Egypt. But shaken by the death of the agent and full of remorse for his actions, he abandons the escape plan and gives himself up to the FBI.
Reaction.
Critical response.
When the film was released, A. W. Weiler, the film critic at "The New York Times" gave the film a good review, writing, "Clarence Greene and Russell Rouse, an enterprising pair of film artisans, are trying to prove that some movie yarns are better seen than heard. Their effort is a successful tour de force. For, generally speaking, theirs is a spy melodrama in which language would appear to be redundant ... aside from its novelty, "The thief" has its fair share of attributes. The fine photography of cinematographer Sam Leavitt, whose cameras have captured the lights of actual, and familiar, locations in Washington and New York, contributes strongly to the tensions of the hunt. The musical score by Herschel Gilbert is insidiously suggestive in creating atmosphere as well as indicating the emotions of the principals. And, above all, Russell Rouse, who also directed, has gotten a sensitive and towering performance from Ray Milland in the title role."
The staff at "Variety" magazine reviewed the film positively. They wrote, "This has an offbeat approach to film story-telling (a complete absence of dialog), a good spy plot and a strong performance by Ray Milland. The film is not soundless. The busy hum of a city is a cacophonous note, a strident-sounding telephone bell plays an important part and, overall, there’s the topnotch musical score by Herschel Burke Gilbert, sometimes used almost too insistently to build a melodramatic mood and in other spots softly emphasizing and making clear the dumb action of the players."
More recently, film critic Dennis Schwartz gave the film a mixed review. He wrote, "Russell Rouse ("The Oscar") directs and co-writes this unique but tedious spy/Red Scare thriller set in New York City ... What we get is a tense mood piece through the excellent dark visuals delivered by cinematographer Sam Leavitt. It shows a lonely and alienated unsympathetic man on-the-run, who is trapped in a shadowy world of chaos but is not fleshed out in his character so we never become concerned with his plight as a human interest story."
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It Takes a Thief (1968 TV series)
American television series (1968–1970)
It Takes a Thief is an American action-adventure television series that aired on ABC for three seasons between 1968 and 1970. It stars Robert Wagner in his television debut as sophisticated thief Alexander Mundy, who works for the U.S. government in return for his release from prison. For most of the series, Malachi Throne played Noah Bain, Mundy's boss.
It was among the last of the series in the 1960s spy television genre, although "" continued for a few more years. "It Takes a Thief" was inspired by, though not based upon, the 1955 motion picture "To Catch a Thief", directed by Alfred Hitchcock; both of their titles stem from the English proverb "Set a thief to catch a thief" (or as it is more often phrased, "It takes a thief to catch a thief"). According to Wagner's autobiography, "Pieces of My Heart" (2008) Wagner consulted with Cary Grant, who starred in "To Catch a Thief", on how to play Alexander Mundy.
Premise.
"It Takes a Thief", which was created by television writer Roland Kibbee, featured the adventures of cat burglar, pickpocket, and thief Alexander Mundy, who steals to finance his life as a polished playboy and sophisticate. He is serving time in San Jobel prison when the U.S. government's SIA (the fictional Secret Intelligence Agency) proposes a deal to Mundy: steal for the government in exchange for his freedom. Mundy is puzzled and asks, "Let me get this straight. You "want" me to steal?" In the main opening titles, his new SIA boss, Noah Bain, uses the catch phrase, "Oh, look, Al, I'm not asking you to "spy". I'm just asking you to "steal"." In pre-production, the title for a while was "Once a Crook".
The series opened with its pilot episode, a ninety-minute (with commercials) special premiere titled "A Thief is a Thief is a Thief", written by Kibbee and directed by Leslie Stevens. When the series was released in syndication in the 1970s, the pilot episode was withheld from the package and was expanded into a 99-minute feature film for overseas release; this was eventually released in a separate domestic syndication package, under the title "Magnificent Thief". The pilot feature film version was released on home video in the 1990s.
In the series' third season, Throne was replaced by Edward Binns as Mundy's SIA boss, Wally Powers in some episodes. As Throne explained: "They had this idea of shooting the whole season in Italy, but they wanted me to stay behind and give Wagner’s character...orders over the phone. I told them if I didn't go I'd quit, and I did. The show didn't last another half a season." Throne's version of events was incorrect, as the third season was not shortened. In the end, portions of season three were filmed in Europe and Binns, Throne's replacement, filmed some scenes there.
Also during the third season, Fred Astaire played Alistair Mundy, Alexander's father, in five episodes (four on screen, one voice over that's not credited). Alistair is also a master gentleman-thief, who says bemusedly, at the start of each episode in which he appears, "I've heard of stealing "from" the government, but "for" the government?" Alistair was the lead character in most episodes in which he appeared, rather than Wagner's character of Alexander, who was relegated to supporting or even cameo roles in these episodes. This is somewhat reminiscent of the way the 1950s TV series "Maverick" would introduce a relative of the previously established main character, and then alternate the two characters the leading series role from week to week. It was creator Roland Kibbee's idea to have a semiregular on the show who was related to Wagner's character, Alexander Mundy. The idea of Fred Astaire playing Alister Mundy came from Wagner's wardrobe man Hugie McFarland who also handled wardrobe for Astaire as well as for John Forsythe. Astaire was paid $25,000 per episode he appeared in, a tidy sum for 1970.
Producer Glen Larson came up with the idea of how to introduce Alistair Mundy according to Wagner's autobiography, Pieces of My Heart. Astaire's character makes his first appearance in the third season, episode four titled "The Great Casino Caper". This episode was shot in Venice. The story line was that Alistair had become estranged from Al because earlier in his career Al had been caught and was serving time in prison. This greatly disappointed Alistair. In the episode all is forgiven and they team up to rob a casino. This formula where father and son team up to pull off a heist was often repeated when Alistair Mundy appeared.
Susan Saint James appeared in five episodes. Charlene Holt appeared in three episodes. Ricardo Montalbán appeared in two episodes. Stefanie Powers (Robert Wagner's future costar in the later series "Hart to Hart)" appeared in one (third season) episode. Other guest stars included prominent veteran Hollywood movie stars such as Bette Davis, Gale Sondergaard, Joseph Cotten, Elsa Lanchester, Hermione Gingold, Paul Henreid, Fernando Lamas, and Ida Lupino.
Home media.
On November 15, 2011, Entertainment One released "It Takes a Thief: The Complete Series" on DVD in Region 1. The 18-disc set features all 66 episodes of the series, several bonus features, an interview with Robert Wagner, and a special feature-length cut of the pilot episode. The DVD set was promoted in commercials broadcast on Antenna TV, which featured Wagner publicizing the DVD set. Entertainment One would later release the complete first season as a standalone DVD set on October 2, 2012; this set also had the feature-length pilot episode.
In Region 2, March 2017 saw the complete series released under its German title "Ihr Auftritt Al Mundy", with both German and English soundtracks included.
In Region 4, Madman Entertainment has released the entire series on DVD in Australia and New Zealand as three season box sets.
Syndication.
As of early May 2012, "It Takes a Thief" could be seen in syndication on the Antenna TV network.
Unproduced film.
In 2013, Universal Pictures announced they were developing a film version of the series with John Davis producing through Davis Entertainment, along with Joseph Singer. Derek Dauchy would supervise the project for Davis and Scott Bernstein for Universal. Greg Russo would write the script. There have been no developments since that time.
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The Thief Who Came to Dinner
1973 film by Bud Yorkin
The Thief Who Came to Dinner is a 1973 American comedy film directed by Bud Yorkin. Based on the novel by Terrence Lore Smith, the film stars Ryan O'Neal and Jacqueline Bisset, with Charles Cioffi, Warren Oates, and in an early appearance, Jill Clayburgh.
Plot.
Webster McGee is a divorced computer programmer who abruptly quits his job and adopts a life of crime as a burglar and jewel thief in Houston, Texas. Leaving behind chess pieces and notes containing chess moves as a calling card, he becomes dubbed by the media as "The Chess Burglar".
For his first job, he robs rich businessman Henderling, stealing from him not only money but also files with information that could destroy Henderling's career. Webster uses these files to blackmail Henderling. Instead of money, he asks for introduction into high society — aiming to find a way to rob other rich houses.
Webster soon meets Laura at a society function hosted by Henderling. She and Webster fall in love, and she helps him to burglarize several other members of Houston society.
Texas Mutual Insurance investigator Dave Reilly becomes suspicious of, then certain that Webster is the jewel thief, but cannot find any actual proof. In the course of the investigation, Dave and Webster develop a mutual respect that grows into a sort of friendship. As Webster prepares for his biggest heist yet, Dave must decide whether to be loyal to his job or his new friend.
Production.
In November 1970 it was announced Yorkin and Lear's Tandem Productions had bought the rights to the novel and would make it in association with Warner Bros. Yorkin later said the wanted to make the film as a tribute to "that great Cary Grant escape period".
Oliver Hailey wrote the first draft of the script. The novel was published in March 1971 and the "New York Times" said "there is something engaging about all this nonsense."
Walter Hill was hired to write a number of subsequent drafts, and received sole credit.
The casting of Warren Oates and Ryan O'Neal was announced in December 1971. Charlotte Rampling was originally announced as the female lead. Rampling fell pregnant and was replaced by Jacqueline Bisset.
Filming took place on location in Houston. Locations included the Johnson Space Center, the Astrodome, the Museum of Fine Arts, Rice University, the Mecom Fountain, Jones Hall, the Alley Theatre, River Oaks, Buffalo Bayou, West University Place, Montrose, Fourth Ward, the Bob Lanier Public Works Building, the El Paso Energy Building, St. Vincent De Paul Catholic Church, the former Houston Independent School District (HISD) headquarters, the former Trail Drive-In, and an area by the Houston Ship Channel.
During filming, Yorkin and Lear had the number one, two and four show in the country ("All in the Family", "Sanford and Son" and "Maude"). "I don't think it's the greatest picture in the world but it is very entertaining," said Yorkin.
Bisset later admitted her role in the film was "undeveloped" and said she had some qualms about the morality of the movie. "I think stealing is dishonest. But it's only a movie." However, she enjoyed shooting in Houston saying "I thought it would be ghastly. But the people were so terribly nice to us. Their houses were just unreal."
Reception.
Walter Hill later said "Warren Oates was very good in the movie – better than the movie was. They cut a lot of things of his out of the movie they shouldn't have."
The "Los Angeles Times" wrote that the film was "as amusing to watch as it is disturbing to think about afterwards" and that O'Neal and Bisset made "a terrific team".
O'Neal later listed the film as among those he said he should not have done.
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Once a Thief (1935 film)
1935 film
Once a Thief is a 1935 British, black-and-white, crime film directed by George Pearson and starring John Stuart as Roger Drummond. It was produced by British & Dominions Film Corporation and Paramount British Pictures.
Synopsis.
The manager steals a chemist's paint formula while he is in gaol for gem theft.
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Terrence Lore Smith
American mystery author
Terrence Lore Smith (1942 – December 7, 1988) was an American mystery writer best known as the author of the best-selling novel "The Thief Who Came to Dinner" (1969), which was made into the 1973 film of the same name starring Ryan O’Neal and Jacqueline Bisset.
Life.
Born in 1942 in Freeport, Illinois, Smith grew up in Bloomington, Illinois and was the son of Methodist minister Charles Merrill Smith. He married journalist Harriet Hahn on March 20, 1971, in Middletown, New York. The couple, who raised two daughters, moved to Colorado in 1980, where Smith worked as a state-certified drug and alcohol counselor at the rehabilitation centers Brockhurst Ranch and the ARK. He later worked as a courier for the Pikes Peak Library District.
While driving the library van on an icy road, Smith lost control of the vehicle and was hit by another car. He died of injuries related to the accident on December 7, 1988, at the age of 46.
Literary career.
The Thief Who Came to Dinner.
Smith's best-known novel, "The Thief Who Came to Dinner" (1969) peaked at number seven on the list of national best-sellers. The novel tells the story of a computer programmer, Webster McGee, who quits his job to become a jewel thief.
In 1973, the novel was adapted into a movie by Director Bud Yorkin, starring Ryan O'Neal as McGee, and Jacqueline Bisset as McGee's accomplice and love interest, Laura Keane. Warren Oats played David Reilly, an insurance investigator.
Smith published "The Devil and Webster Daniels", the sequel to "The Thief Who Came to Dinner", in 1975.
Other works.
In addition to "The Thief Who Came to Dinner", Smith also co-wrote the three-book "Leo Roi" with his father under the pseudonym Phillips Lore, as well as several other standalone novels.
Smith's novel "Yours Truly, from Hell" follows a retired military general with psychic powers who travels to London in order to solve the mystery of Jack the Ripper.
Smith was a member of the Mystery Writers Guild of America.
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The Thief (1914 film)
The Thief is a 1914 American silent drama film directed by Edgar Lewis and starring Richard Buhler, Edgar L. Davenport, George De Carlton, and Dorothy Donnelly. It is based on the 1907 play "The Thief" by Henri Bernstein. The film was released by Box Office Attractions Company on November 19, 1914.
The film was remade as a short film in 1920.
Preservation.
The film is now considered lost.
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Thick as Thieves (1999 film)
Thick as Thieves is a 1999 American crime film based on the novel of the same name by Patrick Quinn and adapted for the screen by Scott Sanders and Arthur Krystal, with Sanders directing. The film stars Alec Baldwin, Andre Braugher, Michael Jai White, Bruce Greenwood and Rebecca De Mornay.
Premise.
The film follows an escalating vendetta between professional Chicago thief Mackin (Alec Baldwin) and rising Detroit kingpin Pointy Williams (Michael Jai White) after an attempted double cross.
Casting.
Actress Julia Sweeney is billed for a part that was cut from the film but remains credited.
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A Good Thief
A Good Thief is a British television crime drama film, written by and starring Kay Mellor, that first broadcast on ITV on 22 July 2002. The film, directed by Douglas Mackinnon, stars Mellor as Rita Pickering, a working class mother who witnesses a brutal drugs killing. After she testifies in court, she is threatened by a number of gang members, and fearing for her life, goes on the run and is forced to turn to shoplifting to survive.
Liz Smith stars as Rita's elderly neighbour Lizzie, while Angel Coulby takes on the role of Rita's daughter Leah. The film was Mellor's first acting role in several years after initially giving up acting and turning her hand to scriptwriting. The film drew 6.06 million viewers on its debut broadcast. Notably, the film has never been released on VHS or DVD.
Casting.
The film was shelved for several years after the initial casting fell through. Mellor stated; ""A Good Thief" was the only script that ended up in my trunk unproduced. I wrote it for Pippa Cross and Granada Television and when the original casting fell through it was something I put to one side while I concentrated on other projects." Mellor stated she originally wrote the role of Rita for Julie Walters, although she was unable to commit to the role due to other work commitments.
Reception.
"The Northern Echo" reviewed the film following its debut broadcast, commenting: "This was one of those TV movies that couldn't decide whether to be funny or serious. Mixing killings and beatings up with almost slapstick comic capers is difficult. And A Good Thief lurched uncertainly from comedy to drama, leaving the poor viewer uncertain if to laugh or cry. Or just switch off."
Cast.
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Roy Scheider
American actor (1932–2008)
Roy Richard Scheider (; November 10, 1932 – February 10, 2008) was an American actor and amateur boxer who achieved fame with his leading and supporting roles in celebrated films from the 1970s through to the mid-1980s. He was nominated for two Academy Awards, one Golden Globe, and one BAFTA.
Scheider's best-known roles include Frank Ligourin in "Klute" (1971), Martin Brody in "Jaws" (1975) and its 1978 sequel, "Cloudy" Russo in "The French Connection" (1971), "Buddy" in "The Seven-Ups" (1973), Doc Levy in "Marathon Man" (1976), Scanlon / Dominguez in "Sorcerer" (1977), Joe Gideon in "All That Jazz" (1979), Murphy in "Blue Thunder" (1983), and Dr. Heywood Floyd in the "" sequel, "2010: The Year We Make Contact" (1984). Subsequent credits included "Naked Lunch" (1991), "Romeo Is Bleeding" (1993), "The Myth of Fingerprints" (1997), "The Rainmaker" (1997), and "The Punisher" (2004). He also portrayed Captain Nathan Bridger on NBC's "seaQuest DSV" from 1993–1996.
Early life.
Scheider was born in Orange, New Jersey, the son of Anna ("née" Crosson) and auto mechanic Roy Bernhard Scheider. Scheider's mother was of Irish descent with an Irish Catholic background, while his father was a Protestant German American. As a child, Scheider was an athlete, participating in organized baseball and boxing competitions, for which he was classed as a welterweight, weighing in at 140 lb (63.5 kg). Scheider competed in the Diamond Gloves Boxing Tournament in Elizabeth, New Jersey. He attended Columbia High School in Maplewood, New Jersey, graduating in 1950, and was inducted into the school's hall of fame in 1985. He traded his boxing gloves for the stage, studying drama at both Rutgers University and Franklin and Marshall College, where he was a member of Phi Kappa Psi fraternity.
Amateur boxing.
Between 1946 and 1949, Scheider boxed as an amateur in New Jersey. Scheider said in a television interview in the 1980s that he took up boxing to lose weight. He said he had no desire to fight, but that his trainer, Georgie Ward, encouraged him to compete. In his second bout, at the 1946 Diamond Gloves Tournament (Golden Gloves), Scheider suffered a broken nose and lost by technical knockout in two rounds to Myron Greenberg. He went on to post an 11–1 (six knockouts) record, reversing his defeat by Greenberg in the process.
Military service.
Scheider served three years in the United States Air Force as a first lieutenant in air operations from 1955 to 1958. He then became a captain in the Air Force Reserve Command until 1964.
Acting career.
Scheider's first film role was in the horror film "The Curse of the Living Corpse" (1964). On television, he played running roles on two CBS soap operas, "Love of Life" and "The Secret Storm", and also played character roles in episodes of "Camera Three", "N.Y.P.D.", and "Coronet Blue". He was in the TV movie "Lamp at Midnight" (1966). In 1968, Scheider appeared with the New York Shakespeare Festival, and also won an Obie Award for Distinguished Performance in James Joyce's play "Stephen D," appearing in it 68 times at the East 74th Street Theater. He appeared in the films "Stiletto" (1969), "Loving" (1970), and "Puzzle of a Downfall Child" (1970), and on television in "Where the Heart Is" and "Cannon".
In 1971, he appeared in two highly popular films, "Klute", directed by Alan Pakula, and "The French Connection", directed by William Friedkin. The latter, in which he played a fictionalized version of New York City detective Sonny Grosso, gained him an Oscar nomination for Best Supporting Actor. Scheider became much in demand. He went to Europe to have key supporting roles in "The French Conspiracy" (1972) and "The Outside Man" (1972).
Scheider's first starring role came in "The Seven-Ups" (1973), a quasi follow-up to "The French Connection", in which Scheider's character is once again based on Grosso. He was second-billed in "Sheila Levine Is Dead and Living in New York" (1975). Scheider portrayed Chief Martin Brody in the Hollywood blockbuster "Jaws" (1975), which also starred Robert Shaw and Richard Dreyfuss. Scheider's ad-libbed line, "You're gonna need a bigger boat," was voted 35th on the American Film Institute's list of best movie quotes. He appeared as secret agent Doc Levy in "Marathon Man" (1976), with Dustin Hoffman and Laurence Olivier.
Scheider was initially set to appear in the lead role in Michael Cimino's never-filmed romantic thriller "Perfect Strangers", but the film was canceled due to "political machinations" at Paramount. Ironically, Scheider was later offered the role portrayed by Robert De Niro in Cimino's "The Deer Hunter" (1978), which was the second film of a three-picture deal with Universal Studios. He reunited with "French Connection" director William Friedkin in "Sorcerer" (1977), the second adaptation of the 1950 French novel "The Wages of Fear". Although the film didn't do well at the box office, it has since acquired a large cult following.
Still under contract after dropping out two weeks before "The Deer Hunter" started filming, Universal offered him the option of reprising his role as Martin Brody for a "Jaws" sequel, and would consider his contractual obligations fulfilled if he accepted. Scheider accepted, and "Jaws 2" was released in 1978. It was a huge hit. Scheider starred in "Last Embrace" (1979), a thriller directed by Jonathan Demme. He received his second Academy Award nomination, this time as Best Actor in "All That Jazz" (1979), in which he played a fictionalized version of the film's director and co-writer Bob Fosse. Some of the film's production was portrayed in the FX miniseries "Fosse/Verdon", in which Scheider was played by Lin-Manuel Miranda.
He made a thriller with Meryl Streep for Robert Benton, "Still of the Night" (1982), which was a box-office disappointment. The following year, however, his box office performance improved with "Blue Thunder" (1983), a John Badham film about a prototype attack helicopter that provided security over the city of Los Angeles during the 1984 Summer Olympic Games. He made two TV movies, ' (1983) and "Tiger Town" (1984). This was followed by a role as Dr. Heywood Floyd in Peter Hyams' "2010", a 1984 sequel to Stanley Kubrick's 1968 science-fiction classic ', in which William Sylvester originated the role of Floyd. He provided narration for "" (1985).
Scheider was in "The Men's Club" (1986), "52 Pick-Up" (1986) for John Frankenheimer, "Cohen and Tate" (1988), "Listen to Me" (1989), "Night Game" (1989), "The Fourth War" (1990) again for Frankenheimer, "Somebody Has to Shoot the Picture" (1990), and "The Russia House" (1990). One of his later parts was that of Dr. Benway in the long-in-production 1991 film adaptation of William S. Burroughs' novel "Naked Lunch". Scheider played a mob boss who meets a horrific fate in the Gary Oldman crime film "Romeo Is Bleeding" (1994) and a chief executive of a corrupt insurance company cross-examined by Matt Damon's character in 1997's "John Grisham's The Rainmaker", directed by Francis Ford Coppola.
Scheider appeared among an ensemble cast in "The Myth of Fingerprints" (1997), for which he was nominated for an Independent Spirit Award. He appeared as the crusty father of hero Frank Castle in "The Punisher" (2004), and in 2007, starred in "The Poet" and "If I Didn't Care". When Scheider died in February 2008, he had two movies upcoming: "Dark Honeymoon", which had been completed, and the thriller "Iron Cross". In "Iron Cross", Scheider plays the leading role of Joseph, a holocaust survivor with a propensity for justice, which was inspired by director Joshua Newton's late father Bruno Newton. "Iron Cross" was ultimately released in 2011.
Scheider was lead star in the Steven Spielberg-produced television series "seaQuest DSV" as Captain Nathan Bridger. During the second season, Scheider voiced disdain for the direction in which the series was heading. His comments were highly publicized, and the media criticized him for panning his own show. NBC made additional casting and writing changes in the third season, and Scheider decided to leave the show. His contract, however, required that he make several guest appearances that season. Scheider hosted an episode of "Saturday Night Live" in the 10th (1984–1985) season and appeared on the "Family Guy" episode "Bill & Peter's Bogus Journey", voicing himself as the host of a toilet-training video, portions of which were censored on FOX and syndicated broadcasts. He provided voiceover on the "Family Guy" episode "Three Kings" (which was recorded in September 2007 but aired in May 2009, a year and three months after his death in February 2008), which also featured his "Jaws" co-star Richard Dreyfuss.
Scheider guest-starred in the " episode " as serial killer Mark Ford Brady, who is identified at the episode's end as being the biological father of Detective Goren (played by Vincent D'Onofrio). He narrated and was associate producer of the 2006 "Jaws" documentary "The Shark is Still Working". In 2007, Scheider received one of two annual Lifetime Achievement Awards at the SunDeis Film Festival in Waltham, Massachusetts. After Scheider's death, a biography entitled "Roy Scheider: A Life" was released as a tribute, compiling reviews, essays, and narration on his life and career.
Personal life.
Scheider married Cynthia Bebout on November 8, 1962. The couple had one daughter, Maximillia (1963–2006), before divorcing in 1986. On February 11, 1989, he married actress Brenda Siemer, with whom he had a son, Christian Scheider, and adopted a daughter, Molly. They remained married until his death.
Death.
In 2004, Scheider was diagnosed with multiple myeloma. In June 2005, he received a bone marrow transplant to treat the cancer. He died of a staph infection after a nearly 3 year battle with the cancer on February 10, 2008, in Little Rock, Arkansas, at the University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences Medical Center. He was 75 years old.
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Run Like a Thief
1967 film directed by Bernard Glasser
Run Like a Thief (Spanish: Robo de diamantes) is a 1967 American-Spanish comedy crime film directed by Bernard Glasser and starring Kieron Moore, Ina Balin and Keenan Wynn. A soldier of fortune makes off with a fortune in diamonds, but has to go to great lengths to evade his pursuers.
The film's sets were designed by the art director Santiago Ontañón. Location shooting took place in Spain at Madrid and Guadalajara
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Rudy Sooter
Canadian-American film and television actor
Rudy Sooter (June 17, 1905 – June 9, 1991) was a Canadian-American film and television actor. He was known for playing the recurring role of bartender Rudy in the American western television series "Gunsmoke".
Life and career.
Sooter was born in British Columbia. He began his career in 1930, appearing in the film "Trailing Trouble", starring Hoot Gibson and Margaret Quimby.
Later in his career, Sooter appeared in numerous films such as "The Unknown Ranger" (1936), "Rhythm of the Saddle" (1938), "Destry Rides Again" (1939), "Bad Man from Red Butte" (1940), "Texas Trouble Shooters" (1942), "Gunning for Vengeance" (1946), "Short Grass" (1950), "Top Gun" (1955), "The Oklahoman" (1957), "One Foot in Hell" (1960) and "Apache Uprising" (1965). He also appeared in numerous television programs including "Bonanza", "Wanted Dead or Alive", "Rawhide", "Bat Masterson", "Wagon Train", "Have Gun – Will Travel" and "Death Valley Days".
Sooter died on June 9, 1991, at the age of 85.
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List of It Takes a Thief (1968 TV series) episodes
"It Takes a Thief" is an American action-adventure television series that aired on ABC for three seasons between 1968 and 1970. It stars Robert Wagner in his television debut as sophisticated thief Alexander Mundy, who works for the U.S. government in return for his release from prison. The program features the adventures of Mundy, a cat burglar, pickpocket, and thief who steals to finance his life as a polished playboy and sophisticate. He is serving time in San Jobel prison when the U.S. government's SIA (the fictional Secret Intelligence Agency) proposes a deal to Mundy: steal for the government in exchange for his freedom. Mundy is puzzled and asks, "Let me get this straight. You "want" me to steal?" In the main opening titles, his new SIA boss, Noah Bain, uses the catch phrase, "Oh, look, Al, I'm not asking you to "spy". I'm just asking you to "steal"."
This is a list of episodes for the television series.
Episodes.
Season 3 (1969–70).
Malachi Throne was no longer a regular cast member by this time, and his Noah Bain was no longer a regular character; Edward Binns's Wallie Powers had become Alexander Mundy's boss.
References.
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The King's Thief
1955 adventure film by Robert Z. Leonard
The King's Thief is a 1955 swashbuckling CinemaScope adventure film directed by Robert Z. Leonard, who replaced Hugo Fregonese during filming. Released on August 5, 1955, the film takes place in London at the time of Charles II and stars Ann Blyth, Edmund Purdom, David Niven, George Sanders and Roger Moore.
Plot.
James (Niven), the Duke of Brampton and the richest man in England, is so trusted by King Charles II (Sanders), he is able to have two of the King's loyal friends executed for treason. The second is the father of Lady Mary (Blyth). She travels from France to London to seek justice. While there, she meets Michael Dermott (Purdom), a soldier who fought to restore Charles to the throne.
He and many others were never paid for their services, unbeknownst to the King. He therefore turned highwayman. He and his comrades rob the Duke and come into possession of the Duke's notebook. In it are listed twelve rich and powerful people, as well as details of their possessions. Two names are crossed out; it does not take long for Michael to realize that the other ten are in peril for their lives. Michael first tries to blackmail the Duke, but without much success. A fence named Simon betrays his hiding place. Michael and his comrade Jack (Moore) escape from the Duke's soldiers, though Michael is wounded in the shoulder. Adventure abounds as the Duke tries to retrieve his property before it can be used against him.
Cast.
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Production notes.
MGM had a big hit at the box office with "Ivanhoe" (1952), a swashbuckling adventure film, leading to them making a cycle of such films. In October 1952 they announced they would make "The King's Thief" based on an original story by Robert Hardy Andrews about an Irish patriot during the reign of Charles II (likely based on Thomas Blood). Edwin Knopf was to produce and Knopf's son Christopher wrote the script. It was originally envisioned as a vehicle for Stewart Granger, who had recently made a swashbuckler for the studio, "The Prisoner of Zenda" 1952).
MGM then announced Robert Taylor would play the lead. Then by April 1953 Granger was back as star. Eventually the lead was given to Edmund Purdom who MGM were building into a star at the time.
In February 1954 MGM announced the film would be part of its schedule for the following year and would be directed by Gottfried Reinhardt.
The female lead went to Ann Blyth. Michael Wilding was going to play the villain before being replaced by David Niven in early December. It was a rare villain part for Niven.
Filming started 15 December 1954 under the direction of Hugo Fregonese. By early January, Fregonese had been replaced by MGM veteran Robert Z. Leonard who had been in semi-retirement since completing "Her Twelve Men" (1954) about twelve months previously. The "Los Angeles Times" reported that Fregonese and Edward Knopf "did not see eye to eye during production."
The cast included wrestler Lord Layton who played guard Jacob Hall who fought Edmund Purdom.
Reception.
Box Office.
According to MGM records the film earned only $478,000 in the US and Canada and $1,071,000 elsewhere, resulting in a loss to the studio of $707,000.
Critical.
The "Los Angeles Times" called it "glittering and excellently made."
References.
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The Rainbow Thief
The Rainbow Thief is a 1990 British fantasy drama film directed by Alejandro Jodorowsky and written by Berta Domínguez D. It reunites "Lawrence of Arabia" co-stars Peter O'Toole and Omar Sharif in a fable of friendship. Christopher Lee also plays a brief role.
Synopsis.
Rudolf von Tannen (Christopher Lee) is an eccentric millionaire who cares for no one but his dalmatians. One evening, he gives a dinner party for a number of guests, all of them related to him and hoping to inherit his fortune when he dies. The dogs are fed caviar, while the people are given bones to eat, which sends them away in anger. Then Rudolf's predilect brothel service arrives, the Rainbow Girls, big-breasted women dressed with the colors of the rainbow. After dancing and partying with them, Rudolf has a heart attack that leaves him comatose.
The relatives gather to argue over the will, but since Rudolf is alive but in a coma, nothing can be done. The relatives suspect that Rudolf will leave all of his fortune to his equally eccentric nephew, Meleagre (Peter O'Toole). Meleagre arrives in time to overhear the back-talk, and walks away unnoticed with his dog Chronos.
Five years later, Rudolf is still alive and in a coma, while Meleagre is living in the sewers with a petty thief named Dima (Omar Sharif). Chronos is thought to have died. Together, they wait for Rudolf's demise and a subsequent inheritance. Dima has set to stealing in order to make a living for the two of them and takes advantage of carnivals and traveling circuses in order to do so. He has frequent run-ins with a bartender (Ian Dury), to whom he owes large amounts of money, as well as Ambrosia, a large woman whose love he exploits for money, and several low-life individuals, including a midget, a giant, phony blind beggars.
One night, as he escapes one of his many persecutors, he reads about Rudolf's demise, and sets out to spend his savings in a dinner with Ambrosia. However, upon close inspection of the newspaper, he finds out that Rudolf has left his entire fortune to the Rainbow Girls, as long as they take care of his dogs. Upset, Dima confronts Meleagre, feeling betrayed by him, although Meleagre argues that the fortune he once promised was not money or gold, but paradise and eternity. Outraged, Dima forsakes Meleagre and decides to leave him and the sewers for good by taking a ship to Singapore. But feeling guilty about leaving Meleagre behind, he jumps off the train and hurries back to the sewers, where his friend awaits death with his dog's corpse.
The couple try to find a way out of the flooding sewerlines, but to no avail. They eventually reach a ladder leading upwards, and Dima manages to climb up to safety. Meleagre happily accepts his fate and hurls himself into a strong current that sweeps him away. Dima climbs up and sits catatonic in the middle of the street for hours, shocked.
At the very end, as Dima walks by the docks, he spots a very much alive Chronos swimming in the water. The dog and the thief reunite and walk happily away by the pier, under a rainbow.
Production notes.
This was Jodorowsky's sixth feature-length film, and his first British film. Filming was carried out in Gdańsk, Poland. He was frequently threatened by the producers not to change anything in the script, effectively restraining further artistic involvement on his part. Jodorowsky has since disowned the movie.
It was released in cinemas in London (May 1990), Italy ("Il Ladro dell'arcobaleno", 1990), France ("Le voleur d'arc-en-ciel", Paris, 1994) and, after, Spain ("El ladrón del Arco iris", Cine Doré, Madrid, 2011); but it was never released in American cinemas.
This movie, along with his previous "Tusk" in 1980, mark his most impersonal work, set far apart from his earlier films. It was discussed along with his other films in the documentary "La Constellation Jodorowsky" (1994).

The Thief (novella)
2006 novella by Ruth Rendell
The Thief is a 2006 novella by British author Ruth Rendell, published in the Quick Reads series. As an entry in said series, it is of novella length.
References.
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Once a Thief (1950 film)
1950 film by W. Lee Wilder
Once a Thief is a 1950 American crime film noir directed by W. Lee Wilder starring Cesar Romero, June Havoc, Marie McDonald and Lon Chaney Jr.
Plot.
Margie Moore, a miserable San Francisco woman, turns in desperation to jewel robbery. She narrowly escapes apprehension in a heist and moves to Los Angeles, where she takes an honest job as a waitress. Her troubles resume when she falls in love with smooth-talking Mitch Foster, who reveals his true colors by stealing all of her money and then informing the authorities about her.
In prison with her partner-in-crime Pearl, Margie is visited by Mitch and waitress friend Flo. Mitch continues to try to extract money from her. Margie overpowers a doctor and slips away from prison disguised in the doctor's clothes. Law-enforcement authorities look for her at Mitch's and discover his illegal activities there. Mitch tries to escape, but Margie lures him to a deserted spot and shoots him.
References.
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Neil Summers
English-American actor and stuntman
Neil Summers (born 1944) is an English-American actor and stuntman. He is perhaps best known for playing the Rodent in the 1990 film "Dick Tracy".
Life and career.
Summers was born in London, England. He began his career in 1963, traveling to Tucson, Arizona to appear in the film "McLintock!" as a stunt extra.
Summers stunt doubled for actors, Warren Oates, Roddy McDowall, Michael Anderson Jr. and Michael J. Pollard.
Summers appeared in numerous television programs including "Gunsmoke", "Bonanza", "Barnaby Jones", "Death Valley Days", "The High Chaparral", "The Fall Guy", "Petrocelli" and "Daniel Boone". He also appeared in numerous films including "Duel at Diablo", "Heaven with a Gun", "El Dorado", "True Grit", "The Greatest Story Ever Told", "Rio Lobo", "RoboCop", "Rough Night in Jericho", "The Shawshank Redemption" and "Guns of a Stranger".
References.
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Thief of Hearts
Thief of Hearts is a 1984 American erotic drama film produced by Don Simpson and Jerry Bruckheimer. It was written and directed by Douglas Day Stewart.
It stars Steven Bauer, Barbara Williams, John Getz and David Caruso.
Plot.
A burglar, Scott Muller (Steven Bauer), teams up with his friend Buddy Calamara (David Caruso), a valet at a high-society restaurant. Buddy keeps an eye on Mickey and Ray Davis, a rich married couple, while Scott robs their home.
One night, one of the items Scott takes is a diary belonging to the wife (Barbara Williams). Scott reads the diary and discovers that the wife, Mickey, an interior designer, yearns for a more interesting life. He quickly becomes infatuated with her. The diary is full of her fantasies and dreams, so Scott plans to turn these into reality.
Mickey's husband, children's book author Ray Davis (John Getz), gets too involved in his work and neglects his wife's needs. Scott uses his inside knowledge to seduce her, using the pretext of needing someone to re-design his apartment, and posing as a school supply company CEO. The forbidden romance soon blossoms into a passionate sexual relationship, as Ray becomes suspicious.
During another robbery, Buddy kills a policeman who spotted them. Scott becomes more and more tense when Mickey starts asking questions about him and his past. Ray decides to follow Scott with his friend and publisher Marty Morrison (George Wendt). They snoop around the building used by the robbers and find out Scott is the thief who stole his belongings.
Buddy sees Ray there. He tells Scott, who, visibly agitated, goes to see Mickey, asking her to leave the city with him, revealing he was the one who stole her diary. Her husband arrives and fights with Scott, and when Mickey comes to her husband's aid, Scott leaves.
When the Davises go to a restaurant, Scott breaks into their home and reads Mickey's latest diary entry. Buddy intends to rob them again and Scott tries to stop him. They fight and one gets stabbed with Buddy's knife. The married couple come home to find the last standing intruder still in the house.
Mickey gets out her pistol and aims at the masked man. A gunshot is heard and the man stumbles down. The police arrives and it is revealed that the man shot was Buddy. Mickey goes to the bedroom and finds out that Scott is there, alive but wounded. Rather than be arrested for having shot Buddy, he escapes from the police through the window as Mickey watches him running in the dark.
Production.
Douglas Day Stewart wrote and directed the film off the back of his successful scripts for "The Blue Lagoon" and especially "An Officer and a Gentleman". The latter was produced by Jerry Bruckheimer who produced "Thief of Hearts". Stewart called the film "an unusual romantic drama best described as an American "Last Tango in Paris"... I never try to write to the market. I just write love-themed material. I think my last project shows there has been terrible starvation for love themed projects in the movies."
Stewart said "The story started for me about 12 years ago, when I was robbed. You start to try to put faces to the people that came in and walked around and lifted your personal possessions. They might have touched the bed where you slept, or looked at that intimate photo in that drawer. That was the beginning of the story, but I didn't quite have a handle on it for many years until I added the element of the journals."
Stewart says "read all those books about women's sexual fantasies. I talked to women about their fantasies. I read journal entries. It proved to me that women lived so much inside their fantasies that men didn't realize it."
Stewart estimated he did 23 drafts. Filming started 13 February 1984 in San Francisco. It was made by the team of Simpson-Bruckheimer who were coming off a big success with "Flashdance".
Reception.
On Rotten Tomatoes the film has a score of 0% based on reviews from 6 critics.
Vincent Canby of The New York Times called it "a good, romantic suspense film that, at its best, has some of the steaminess of Lawrence Kasdan's "Body Heat," although a few important plot twists don't stand careful scrutiny."
The film was the only flop from Simpson and Bruckheimer in their early days. Simpson later dismissed Stewart in an interview as "a man with nice hair. He should probably stick to writing."
Home media.
"Thief of Hearts" was released on DVD on April 16, 2002. The DVD release is heavily edited, especially the gun range scene.

Thieves Like Us (novel)
1937 novel by Edward Anderson
Thieves Like Us is the second and last published novel written by Edward Anderson (1905–1969). It was published in 1937 by Frederick A. Stokes.
Reviews.
In a 1974 review of a paperback reissue, "The New York Times" wrote that "nothing in the book has been diminished by time, including the sentiment of a bank robber named T-Dub Masefeld that bankers are 'thieves just like us.'" See: "Crime Novels: American Noir of the 1930s and 40s" by Robert Polito (editor), The Library of America (1997).
TV and theater adaptations.
Anderson sold the movie rights for $500. The first film version, a black-and-white production by RKO Radio Pictures, was called "They Live by Night". It had a delayed premiere in 1950. Directed by Nicholas Ray (his first major directorial effort) and starring Farley Granger and Cathy O'Donnell, it is a classic noir crime film.
A second film version was later made by Robert Altman in 1974 and released by United Artists studios under the same title as the book, "Thieves Like Us".
In September 2010, The House Theatre of Chicago produced an original live theater adaptation of the script. The production, at Chopin Theatre, ran for four weeks.
References.
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Thief (TV series)
Thief is a 2006 American thriller crime drama miniseries starring Andre Braugher as Nick Atwater, a master thief and leader of a heist crew, balancing his personal life with the planning of a major heist. It aired on FX from March 28 to May 2.
The pilot was originally ordered by Fox back in 2002, but didn't move forward until Braugher signed on. Despite critical acclaim, the show failed to garner significant ratings and FX declined to extend the series.
Each episode features a different song performed by multiple Grammy Award nominee Anthony Hamilton.
Awards and nominations.
On August 27, 2006, at the 58th Primetime Emmy Awards, Andre Braugher won the Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Lead Actor in a Miniseries or Movie for his portrayal of Nick Atwater, the second career Emmy for Braugher. Clifton Collins, Jr. was also nominated for his portrayal of Jack Hill for Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Miniseries or Movie.
Braugher also received a nomination for the Golden Globe Award for Best Actor – Miniseries or Television Film.
References.
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The Phantom Thief
1946 film
The Phantom Thief is a 1946 American mystery crime film directed by D. Ross Lederman and starring Chester Morris, Jeff Donnell and Richard Lane. It was produced and distributed by Columbia Pictures as part of the Boston Blackie series.
Plot.
Detective Boston Blackie tries to track down a blackmailer-murderer. As the investigation goes on, a supernatural element becomes clear.
References.
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Thief (film)
1981 film by Michael Mann
Thief is a 1981 American independent neo-noir heist film written and directed by Michael Mann in his feature film debut. It stars James Caan as a professional safecracker trying to escape his life of crime, and Tuesday Weld as his wife. The supporting cast includes Jim Belushi, Robert Prosky, Dennis Farina, and Willie Nelson. The screenplay is inspired by the memoir "The Home Invaders: Confessions of a Cat Burglar", by former cat burglar Frank Hohimer. The original musical score was composed and performed by Tangerine Dream.
Produced by Jerry Bruckheimer and James Caan's brother Ronnie, "Thief" was screened at the 1981 Cannes Film Festival, where it competed for the Palme d'Or. It was released in the United States on March 27, 1981, to widespread critical acclaim. "Thief" earned $11.5 million at the box office, on a $5.5 million budget.
Plot.
Frank is a jewel thief and ex-convict who has a set structure to his life since being released from Joliet Correctional Center in Joliet, Illinois. With a pair of successful Chicago businesses (a bar and a car dealership) as fronts for his criminal enterprise, Frank sets out to fulfill the missing part of his life vision: a family with Jessie, a cashier he has begun dating.
After taking down a major diamond score, Frank gives the diamonds to his fence, Joe Gags. However, before Frank can collect his $185,000 share, Gags is thrown from a twelve-story window for skimming from the payments he had been collecting from loan shark clients. Barry, Frank's friend and associate making the pick-up, discovers that Attaglia, a plating company executive Gags was working for, is responsible for Gags' murder and stealing Frank's payoff. In a confrontation at the plating company, Frank demands his money back.
This leads to a meeting with Attaglia's employer Leo, a high-level fence and Chicago Outfit boss. Unknown to Frank, Leo has been receiving Frank's goods from Gags for some time. Leo returns the money and says he admires Frank's eye for quality stolen goods and professionalism. He wants Frank working directly for him, offering large profits. Their meeting is monitored from a distance by police surveillance.
Frank is initially reluctant, not wanting the added exposure or complications, but later that night, a conversation with Jessie changes his mind when she agrees to be part of his life, after he relates a tale of prison survival via a toughened mental attitude. Frank now agrees to do just one big score for Leo, telling Barry that this will be their last job. After being rejected at the state adoption agency, with Leo's help Frank is able to acquire a baby boy on the black market, whom he names David after his late mentor, nicknamed Okla.
After resisting a shakedown from a group of corrupt police detectives, and then subsequently ditching their surveillance, Frank and his crew are involved in a large-scale Los Angeles diamond heist organized by Leo. All goes well with Frank's "burn job" and he is expecting the agreed-upon sum of $830,000 for the unmounted stones with a wholesale value $4 million. But when Frank returns from the job, Leo gives him less than $100,000. This is all that Frank will receive in cash according to Leo, who says he invested the rest of Frank's cut in shopping centers in Fort Worth and Dallas, Texas, an idea Frank had previously rejected. In addition, Leo has set up a Palm Beach score for Frank in six weeks without consulting him. Frank tells Leo that their deal is over and takes the cash as he leaves, demanding the rest of his money in 24 hours.
Frank drives to his car lot, unaware that Leo's henchmen have already beaten and captured Barry and are waiting to ambush him. Frank is knocked out and Barry is killed by the enforcers. Frank awakens with Leo staring down at him, surrounded by his henchmen. Leo informs him that he, Jessie, their child, and everything he owns are Leo's property. He threatens Frank's family if he does not continue working for him. Leo warns Frank to focus on his responsibilities. When Frank returns home, he orders an uncomprehending Jessie out of their house, telling her their marriage is over, that she must immediately leave, and that he will not be joining her. Frank instructs an associate to drive her, the baby, and $410,000 in cash to somewhere where they cannot be located.
With nothing to lose, Frank blows up their home using high-explosive charges. He then drives to his business establishments and does likewise. Armed with a pistol, he quietly breaks into Leo's house in a peaceful neighborhood and pistol whips Attaglia in the kitchen. Frank hunts for Leo, killing him in the living room. Frank then pursues Attaglia as he tries to escape from the house, but is confronted in the front yard by Leo’s bodyguards. In the ensuing gunfight, Frank is shot, but manages to kill the trio. Frank loosens what appears to be a bulletproof vest he was wearing beneath his jacket, and walks away into the night.
Cast.
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Background.
"Thief" marked the feature film debut of Michael Mann as director, screenwriter and executive producer, after five years in television drama.
Mann made his directorial debut with the TV film "The Jericho Mile". This was partly shot in Folsom Prison. Mann says that influenced the writing of "Thief":
It probably informed my ability to imagine what Frank's life was like, where he was from, and what those 12 or 13 years in prison were like for him. The idea of creating his character, was to have somebody who has been outside of society. An outsider who has been removed from the evolution of everything from technology to the music that people listen to, to how you talk to a girl, to what do you want with your life and how do you go about getting it. Everything that's normal development, that we experience, he was excluded from, by design. In the design of the character and the engineering of the character, that was the idea.
Also notable is the scene where Leo disposes of bodies at an auto body shop, placing them in a plating solution in the exact same manner as used in the Charles Bronson movie The Mechanic.
Production.
Development.
Mann made James Caan do research as a thief for his role, and said:
I always find it interesting, people who are aware, alert, conscious of what they do and are pretty good at it… People who want to put in 50-60 hours a week and go home and are not really conscious of life moving by, don't really interest me very much... As part of the curriculum designed for an actor getting into character, I try to imagine what's going to really help bring this actor more fully into character. And so I try to imagine what experiences are going to make more dimensional his intake of Frank, so that he is Frank spontaneously when I'm shooting. So one of the most obvious things is it'd be pretty good if [James Caan] was as good at doing what Frank does as is Frank.The character Leo was patterned after Chicago Outfit bosses Felix Alderisio and Leo Rugendorf.
Casting.
"Thief" marks the first film appearance of actors Dennis Farina, William Petersen, James Belushi and Robert Prosky. At the time a Chicago police officer, Farina appears as a mob henchman. Conversely, John Santucci (real name: John Schiavone), who plays the role of corrupt cop Urizzi, was a recently paroled thief on whom the character Frank was partly based, and acted as a technical adviser on the film. Another actor in the film, W.R. ‘Bill’ Brown, was also a former safecracker and associate of Joseph Scalise. Chuck Adamson (Detective Ancell) and Nick Nickeas (Nick) were also Chicago police officers, while Gavin MacFadyen, who plays Detective Boresko, was a journalist who later served as adviser to Mann’s 1999 film "The Insider".
In 1986, Farina and Santucci both were cast in Mann and Adamson's TV series "Crime Story", Farina as a Chicago police lieutenant and Santucci as a jewel thief. Petersen, who later would star (along with Farina) in the Mann film "Manhunter", appears briefly as a barman at a club. The influential Chicago improv teacher Del Close has a brief appearance as a mechanic, in a scene that was improvised with the other mechanic actors.
Filming.
"Thief" was filmed on-location in Chicago and Los Angeles. Jerry Bruckheimer and Ronnie Caan served as the film's producers.
Being Michael Mann's feature film directorial debut, "Thief" showcases many of the cinematic techniques that would later become his trademarks. Chief among these is the cinematography (by Donald E. Thorin), utilizing light and shadow to give the proceedings, especially those taking place in the darkness of night, a sense of danger. The film also earns plaudits for its meticulous attention to detail: the tools and techniques of the trade, right down to the oxy lance used to penetrate a safe, are authentic, the result of Mann's decision to hire real-life thieves to serve as technical advisers.
The still of Frank holding a gun on Attaglia as he attempts to recover his money in an early scene was used for one of the movie's posters.
Near the end of the film, Frank destroys his house. The film company built a false front onto a real house and attempted to destroy it with explosives. The explosions severely damaged the real house, however, leading to its demolition.
James Caan's emotional several-minute monologue with Weld in a coffee shop is often cited as the film's high point, and Caan has long considered the scene his favorite of his career. The actor liked the movie although he found the part challenging to play. "I like to be emotionally available but this guy is available to nothing."
Music.
Mann has gained a reputation as a director who uses cutting-edge music for his films.
"Thief"'s moody soundscapes were composed and performed by Tangerine Dream, and was their second of many notable film scores composed by the group throughout the 1980s. The film was nominated for a Razzie Award for Worst Musical Score, but that didn't deter Mann from choosing them a second time to compose the music for his next feature film, the ill-fated 1983 WWII fantasy horror "The Keep".
He originally intended to score the music with Chicago blues music. He said, "However, I felt that what the film was saying, thematically, and the facility with which the film might be able to have resonance with audience. I felt that to be so regionally specific in the music choice would make Frank's experience specific only to Frank. So I wanted the kind of transparency, if you like, the formality of electronic music, and hence Tangerine Dream." He utilizes jazz/blues in one scene when Frank races to meet Jessie after the offer from Leo, transitioning from the meetup, all the way to the jazz club.
Additional music cues were composed by Craig Safan.
Reception.
Under the working title "Violent Streets", the film debuted at the 34th Cannes Film Festival. It went on to open in theaters in the United States on March 27, 1981, earning a modest $4.3 million. While not a financial success in its initial release, the film has become a reference point in Mann's career, especially with the release of his crime epic, "Heat", with which this movie has many similarities.
Critical response.
On the review aggregator website Rotten Tomatoes, of 85 critics' reviews are positive, with an average rating of 7.7/10. The website's consensus reads: ""Thief"'s enigmatic conclusion will rob some audiences of satisfaction, but it's an authentic and sleekly rendered neo-noir, powered by a swaggering James Caan at the peak of his charisma." Metacritic, which uses a weighted average, assigned the a score of 78 out of 100, based on eight critics, indicating .
Roger Ebert described "Thief" as "one of the most intelligent thrillers I've seen" and gave the film <templatestyles src="Fraction/styles.css" />3+1⁄2 out of 4 stars, writing that "If "Thief" has a weak point, it is probably in the handling of the Willie Nelson character" and went further, stating "Willie has played the character so well that we wanted more. But, then, I suppose it is a good thing when a movie creates characters we feel that strongly about, and "Thief" is populated with them. It's a thriller with plausible people in it. How rare."
References.
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Thayer David
American actor (1927–1978)
Thayer David (born David Thayer Hersey; March 4, 1927 – July 17, 1978) was an American film, stage, and television actor. He was best known for his work on the ABC serial "Dark Shadows" (1966–1971), as Dragon, the Albino ex-Nazi Director of C-2 in "The Eiger Sanction" (1975) and as the fight promoter Miles Jergens in "Rocky" (1976). He also appeared as Count Saknussemm in the film "Journey to the Center of the Earth" (1959), as the Reverend Silas Pendrake in "Little Big Man" (1970), as Charlie Robbins in "Save the Tiger" (1973) and as Deacon in "Fun with Dick and Jane" (1977). His raspy, distinctive voice lent itself to voice-over work in commercials and instructional films.
Early life.
Thayer David was born March 4, 1927, in Medford, Massachusetts. His father, Thayer Frye Hersey, was an executive in the paper pulp industry. David attended Harvard University in the 1940s but did not graduate, concentrating instead upon a career on the stage. With financial support from his father, he co-founded the Brattle Theater Company (1948–1952) in Cambridge, Massachusetts, and established himself in the professional theatre.
Stage career.
He went on to act in "The Relapse" 1950 (Sir Tunbelly Clumsey); "The Taming of the Shrew" 1951 (Grumio); "The Way of the World" 1954 (Petulant); " The Carefree Tree " 1955 (The Sixth Son); "King Lear" 1956 (Duke of Cornwall); "Mister Johnson" 1956 (Gollup); "Saint Joan" 1956 (The Inquisitor); "Protective Custody" 1956 (Dr. Steidl); "Oscar Wilde" 1957 (Oscar Wilde); "The Golden Six" 1958 (Tiberius); "A Man for All Seasons" 1961 (Cardinal Wolsey); "La Belle" 1962; "Andorra" 1963 (pub keeper); "The Seagull" 1964 (Sorin); "The Crucible" 1964 (Danforth); "Baker Street" 1965 (Moriarty); "The Royal Hunt of the Sun" 1965 (Miguel Estete); "Ring Round the Moon" 1966 (Messerchann); "