48-641: The First Great Train Robbery (known in the United States as The Great Train Robbery ) is a 1978 British heist comedy film directed by Michael Crichton , who also wrote the screenplay based on his 1975 novel The Great Train Robbery . The film stars Sean Connery , Donald Sutherland and Lesley-Anne Down . The story is based on an actual event, the Great Gold Robbery which took place on 15 May 1855 when 3 boxes of gold bullion and coins were stolen from
96-400: A clerk in the railway offices named Tester, and a skilled screwsman named Agar. The robbery was a year in the planning and involved making sets of duplicate keys from wax impressions for the locks on the safes, and bribing the train's guard, a man called Burgess. Crichton, the author of the book and the screenplay, was inspired by Kellow Chesney's 1970 book The Victorian Underworld , which
144-583: A Million (1966). In France Rififi spawned a number of lower-budget crime films which often used Rififi as part of their title. These include films such as Rififi in Tokyo (1963) and Du rififi à Paname (1966). As the decade continued, the French also began to produce more glossy heist films which served as star vehicles for big names of the time, such as Any Number Can Win (1963) starring Alain Delon and Greed in
192-554: A handful made in France were influenced by and responding to the American style. Two notable examples are Rififi (1955), which is known for its detailed 30 minute heist sequence, and Bob Le Flambeur (1956), known for an ending which plays with the conventions of the genre. The 1950s also marked the beginning of British heist film, including The Lavender Hill Mob (1951) and The Lady Killers (1955) , pictures which introduced comedy to
240-540: A key to his handcuffs from her mouth to his. Agar is also present, disguised as a police van driver. Before he can be put into the wagon, Pierce frees himself and escapes with Agar, to the jubilation of the crowd and the chagrin of the police. Film rights to the novel were bought in 1975 by Dino de Laurentiis . In 1977 it was announced the film would be made in Ireland by American International Pictures with Sean Connery and Jacqueline Bisset . Crichton deliberately varied
288-416: A large amount of time to the recruiting of variously skilled criminals to form a team. Two earlier films that some consider prior examples of the genre, and others just key to its development, are Criss Cross (1949) and The Killers (1946). While these do follow the planning, execution, and aftermath of a single heist from the criminals' perspective, some critics argue that they devote too much time to
336-403: A normal person, but is transformed into someone extraordinary by significant life events, often in response to social injustice, and sometimes in response to natural disasters. One major category of folk hero is the defender of the common people against the oppression or corruption of the established power structure. Members of this category of folk hero often, but not necessarily, live outside
384-464: A phony police raid to rescue Miriam, forcing Fowler to flee to avoid a scandal. The keys at the train station prove a much harder challenge. After a daytime diversionary tactic with a child pickpocket fails because Agar cannot wax them in the time available, Pierce decides to "crack the crib" at night. The operation is a matter of timing, because the officer guarding the railway office at night leaves his post only once, for seventy-five seconds, to go to
432-404: Is The Italian Job (1969), which shows the planning and execution of the heist but doesn't fully show the aftermath. Other tropes of the genre include the failure of the heist due to fate, or the traits of the criminals involved. Among them is one of the participants getting injured during the heist, or betraying the others during or after. This trend started as a result of the initial films in
480-421: Is "one last job", whereby a criminal looking to quit the life enlists the team to commit one last heist so they will have money for the rest of their days. This can be seen in early films such as The Asphalt Jungle (1950) as well as more recent like Heat (1995). While elements of the heist film can be seen in movies as early as The Great Train Robbery (1903), the genre didn't become fully fledged until
528-482: Is a comprehensive examination of the more sordid aspects of Victorian society. In his screenplay Crichton based his character "Clean Willy" Williams on another real-life character from Chesney's book, a housebreaker named Williams (or Whitehead) who, sentenced to death in Newgate Prison , escaped from prison by climbing the 15-metre (50-ft.) tall sheer granite walls, squeezing through the revolving iron spikes at
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#1732870041901576-515: Is a type of hero – real, fictional or mythological – with their name, personality and deeds embedded in the popular consciousness of a people , mentioned frequently in folk songs , folk tales and other folklore ; and with modern trope status in literature, art and films. Although some folk heroes are historical public figures, many are not. The lives of folk heroes are generally fictional, their characteristics and deeds often exaggerated to mythic proportions. The folk hero often begins life as
624-437: Is forced to borrow Agar's suit, which is much too small for him. The jacket splits across the back when he disembarks at Folkestone. The police become suspicious and arrest him before he can rejoin his accomplices. Pierce is put on trial for the robbery. While exiting the courthouse, he receives the adulation of the crowds, who consider him a folk hero for his daring act. In the commotion, a disguised Miriam kisses him, slipping
672-405: Is no unanimous agreement on what constitutes a heist film, there are some common characteristics that most films in the genre share. The most basic is that films in the genre tend to follow the planning, execution and aftermath of one large robbery. While there can be smaller crimes leading up to the major crime, this major crime is the centerpiece of the film and is the event which informs much of
720-443: Is riding the train to Folkestone to accompany the shipment. After arranging for Miriam to travel in the same compartment as Fowler to divert his attention, Pierce travels down the roof of the train and unlocks the baggage van's door from the outside. He and Agar replace the gold with lead bars and toss the bags of gold off the train at a prearranged point. However, soot from the engine's smoke has stained Pierce's skin and clothes, and he
768-434: Is the assembling of a team to complete the heist, with each member contributing a unique skill or trait needed to complete the job. Over time filmmakers have taken these characteristics and changed them to create interesting plays on the genre. For example, Reservoir Dogs (1992) skips the execution of the heist and most of its planning, choosing instead to focus almost exclusively on the aftermath. Another example of this
816-463: Is tuned a bit low. Perhaps his approach is too dry and cautious to produce an explosive, uninhibited mixture of thrills and humor." Heist film The heist film or caper film is a subgenre of crime films and the caper story , focused on the planning, execution, and aftermath of a significant robbery . One of the early defining heist films was The Asphalt Jungle (1950), which Film Genre 2000 wrote "almost single-handedly popularized
864-487: The Chicago Sun-Times gave the film three stars out of four and singled out Connery, writing that the actor "is one of the best light comedians in the movies, and has been ever since those long-ago days when he was James Bond." Vincent Canby of The New York Times praised director Crichton's "amplitude...in this visually dazzling period piece," and that "the climactic heist of the gold, with Mr. Connery climbing atop
912-405: The baggage car , each of which has two locks, requiring a total of four keys. Pierce recruits pickpocket and screwsman Robert Agar. Pierce's mistress Miriam and his chauffeur Barlow join the plot, and a train guard, Burgess, is bribed into participation. The executives of the bank who arrange the gold transport, the manager Mr. Henry Fowler and the president Mr. Edgar Trent, each possess a key;
960-519: The guard's van of the train service between London Bridge Station and Folkestone while it was being shipped to Paris. In 1855 Edward Pierce, a member of London 's high society, is secretly a master thief. He plans to steal a monthly shipment of gold from the London to Folkestone train which is meant as payment for British troops fighting in the Crimean War . The gold is guarded in two heavy safes in
1008-464: The "assembling the team" trope that later became a common characteristic of heist films. The period between 1955 and 1975 is considered by scholars to be the most productive for the heist genre. It began with American filmmakers continuing the noir heist trend in films like 5 Against the House (1955) and The Killing (1956). The ‘50s also saw the release of the first international heist films. Notably,
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#17328700419011056-490: The 2000s. These range from British efforts like Snatch (2000) and Sexy Beast (2000) to kids' films like Fantastic Mr. Fox (2009) to popular Hollywood films like Inside Man (2006) and remakes of heist classics like The Italian Job (2003). Some of the most popular heist films of this era are the remake of Ocean's 11 (2001) and its sequels Ocean's 12 (2004) and Ocean's 13 (2007), which remain so today. Folk hero A folk hero or national hero
1104-417: The American film Seven Thieves (1960). Despite having conventional heist plots about gathering together a group to commit a heist, both films balance comedy and drama, unlike the darkness of the earlier noir heist films. The mainstream shift as well as a growing cultural interest in travel led to a wave of glossy heist films involving exotic international locals, such as Topkapi (1964) and How to Steal
1152-483: The Sun (1964) starring Jean-Paul Belmondo . The most celebrated French heist films of this time where directed by Jean-Pierre Melville , whose heist film Le Cercle Rouge (1970) is often regarded as one of the greatest heist movies of all time. This expansion of the genre in the 1960s also led to remakes of older heist movies, with an early example being Cairo (1963) , which is a remake of The Asphalt Jungle . In 1968,
1200-484: The characters Elizabeth (Gabrielle Lloyd) and Emily Trent ( Pamela Salem ) is from the third movement of Mozart's Sonata for Two Pianos in D major, K. 448 Molto Allegro . The Great Train Robbery has a critical rating of 77% on Rotten Tomatoes based on 30 reviews. The site's critics praised the film's comedic tone, action sequences, and Victorian details. Variety wrote that "Crichton's film drags in dialog bouts, but triumphs when action takes over." Roger Ebert of
1248-415: The film from his book. He said "the book was straight, factual but the movie is going to be close to farce." Sean Connery originally turned down the film after reading the script, judging it "too heavy." He was asked to reconsider and read the original novel. After meeting Crichton, Connery changed his mind. Sean Connery performed most of his own stunts in the film, including the extended sequence on top of
1296-434: The film's plot. As a result of this, heist films tend to focus on the process of the crime, often planned in great detail, followed by extended exposition of the heist itself. The genre is also distinct for almost exclusively following those committing the crime rather than whoever is trying to stop them. This often leads to the viewer building some form of sympathy or respect for the criminals. Another common characteristic
1344-555: The genre being made in Hollywood during the Motion Picture Production Code , which prohibited criminals from getting away with their crime. While this has changed since the disappearance of the code, the trope of failed heists still remains. One of the most dynamic examples is Reservoir Dogs , which focuses solely on trying to figure out which of their group members betrayed them after a failed heist. Another popular trope
1392-400: The genre for mainstream cinema". It featured robbers whose personal failings ultimately led to the failure of their robbery. Similar films using this formula were Armored Car Robbery (1950), The Killing (1956), and The Getaway (1972). By the 1990s, heist films began to "experiment and play with these conventions," incorporating elements such as comedy into their stories. While there
1440-457: The genre. A notable Italian heist film from this period is Big Deal on Madonna Street (1958), a parody of the genre. In the 1960s heist stories became more mainstream, with glossier and higher-budget heist films which moved away from the fatalism and darkness present in the earlier noir heists. Two examples of this from the early 1960s are the British film The League of Gentlemen (1960) and
1488-427: The genre. The 1990s would see the return of the heist film, with a number creating new interest. While pictures like John Woo 's Once a Thief (1991) and Steven Soderbergh 's Out of Sight (1998) would bring some attention to the genre, the three returned the genre to prominence were Reservoir Dogs (1992), Heat (1995) and The Usual Suspects (1995). This led to a large output of heist films throughout
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1536-399: The key and make a wax impression before making a getaway. Pierce targets Fowler through his weakness for prostitutes . Miriam reluctantly poses as "Madame Lucienne", a courtesan in an exclusive bordello , meets with Fowler and asks him to undress, forcing him to remove the key worn round his neck. While Fowler is distracted by Miriam, Agar makes an impression of his key. Pierce then stages
1584-562: The keys or we won't be able to see the big robbery of the film's title." Charles Champlin of the Los Angeles Times called it "an intelligent and handsome work. It is just a little slow, dull and bloodless—pure Victorian, when a dash or two of Elizabethan vivacity couldn't have hurt." Gary Arnold of The Washington Post wrote that "While the movie boasts an undeniably exciting highlight, it lacks an undercurrent of excitement ... It's beginning to look as if Crichton's filmmaking carburetor
1632-411: The keys without detection. Clean Willy is subsequently arrested after being caught pick-pocketing and informs on Pierce. The police use Willy to lure Pierce into a trap, but the master cracksman eludes capture. Clean Willy escapes from his captors, but is murdered by Barlow on Pierce's orders. The authorities, now aware that a robbery is imminent, increase security by having the baggage car padlocked from
1680-409: The late 1940s and the early 1950s. The film widely agreed upon as the first to do so is John Huston's 1950 The Asphalt Jungle , starring Sterling Hayden and Sam Jaffee (with Marilyn Monroe in a supporting role). It contains many of the heist hallmarks, focusing from the criminal's perspective on the elaborate planning, flawed execution, and calamitous aftermath of a single heist. It also devotes
1728-468: The locomotive. Heuston Station in Dublin stood in for 'London Bridge Station' in the film. During the filming at the station, a diesel locomotive leaked a large quantity of fuel onto the tracks by the platform. When the production company's steam engine rolled onto the same tracks, embers dropping from the underside of the locomotive ignited the fuel soaked track, momentarily producing a very large fire within
1776-521: The motion picture production code was abolished, paving the way for a number of heist films that didn't shy away from portraying graphic violence. This included films like Charley Varrick (1973) and The Getaway (1972). The period between 1975 and the early 1990s is considered a low point for productivity in the heist genre. While some were made, such as Thief (1981) and a remake of Big Deal on Madonna Street called Crackers (1984), some critics do not consider them as meaningful developments of
1824-494: The moving railroad cars, ducking under bridges just before a possible decapitation, is marvelous action footage that manages to be very funny as it takes your breath away." Gene Siskel of the Chicago Tribune gave the film two-and-a-half stars out of four and wrote that it "takes too much time to get to the robbery itself." He found very little suspense in the first half of the movie "because we know that Connery's gang must get
1872-409: The moving train. The train was composed of J-15 class 0-6-0 No 184 of 1880, with its wheels and side rods covered and roof removed, leaving only spectacle plate for protection to give it a look more akin to the 1850s, and coaches that were made for the film from modern railway flat wagons. Connery was told that the train would travel at only 20 miles per hour during his time on top of the cars. However,
1920-574: The other two are locked in a cabinet at the offices of the South Eastern Railway at the London Bridge railway station . To hide the robbers' intentions, wax impressions are to be made of each of the keys. Pierce ingratiates himself with Trent by feigning a shared interest in ratting . He also begins courting Trent's daughter, Elizabeth, and learns from her the location of her father's key. Pierce and Agar break into Trent's home at night, locate
1968-426: The outside until the train arrives at its destination and forbidding anyone but the guard to travel in the baggage van. Any container large enough to hold a man must be opened and inspected before it is loaded on the train. Pierce smuggles Agar into the baggage car disguised as a corpse in a coffin. Pierce plans to reach the car across the coach roofs while the train is under way, but he and Miriam encounter Fowler, who
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2016-483: The planning and aftermath of the crime and too little to the actual job. All of these films are also notable for having elements which are indebted to film noir , including their moody, expressionistic black and white cinematography and dark fatalistic tone. As a result, scholars such as Daryl Lee refer to such examples as “noir heists”. Anne Billson of the BBC cites Akira Kurosawa 's Seven Samurai (1954) as an influence on
2064-512: The station. The film's plot is loosely based on the Great Gold Robbery of 1855 , in which a cracksman named William Pierce engineered the theft of a trainload of gold being shipped to the British Army during the Crimean War . The gold shipment of £12,000 (equal to £1,416,472 today) in gold coin and ingots from the London -to- Folkestone passenger train was stolen by Pierce and his accomplices,
2112-439: The toilet. Pierce plans to use "snakesman" (cat burglar) Clean Willy to climb the station's wall, climb down into the station, enter the office via a skylight in the ceiling, and open the key cabinet from within. Because Clean Willy is incarcerated at Newgate Prison , Pierce and Agar first have to arrange for him to break out, using a public execution as a distraction. With Willy's help, the criminals succeed in making impressions of
2160-405: The top, and climbing over the inward projecting sharp spikes above them before making his escape over the roofs. The only completely fictional character in the film is Miriam ( Lesley-Anne Down ). The film also draws loose parallels to the 1903 film of the same name . The 1903 film has just 18 shots, but the film borrows two scenes, one in which Pierce (the 1903 characters are unnamed) is on top of
2208-405: The train crew used an inaccurate means of judging the train's speed. The train was actually doing speeds of 40 to 50 miles per hour. Connery wore soft rubber soled shoes and the roofs of the carriages were covered with a sandy, gritty surface. Connery actually slipped and nearly fell off the train during one jump between two carriages, and had difficulty keeping his eyes free of smoke and cinders from
2256-695: The train, and another when a person is thrown off the moving train. Although set in London and Kent , most of the filming took place in Ireland . In particular, the final scenes were filmed in Trinity College, Dublin and Kent railway station in Cork . Heuston Station in Dublin stood in for London Bridge railway station . The scenes on the moving train were filmed on the Mullingar to Athlone railway line (now closed) at Castletown Geoghegan Station. The train driver
2304-441: Was John Byrne from Mullingar, now deceased. Moate railway station is the location for Ashford station. The two locomotives featured were both J-15 0-6-0s, No 184 of 1880, and No 186 of 1879. The film's soundtrack was written by Oscar -winning composer Jerry Goldsmith . The score was his third collaboration with writer/director Michael Crichton following Pursuit (1972) and Coma (1978). The music for two pianos played by
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