JohnHowardReid Photographed in black-and-white CinemaScope. Lenses supplied by Bausch & Lomb. Westrex Sound System. Producer: Sydney Boehm. Copyright 1960 by 20th Century-Fox Film Corp. New York opening at the Paramount: 11 March 1960. U.S. release: January 1960. U.K. release: March 1960. Australian release: 7 April 1960. 9,178 feet. 102 minutes.SYNOPSIS: An aging American gangster, Theo Wilkins, hoping to pull off one last grand coup before he dies, masterminds a sensational plot to rob the Monte Carlo gambling casino of $4 million. He enlists the aid of six others, including Melanie, a stripper, and Raymond Le May, the casino director's secretary, who will arrange for the other four's admittance on the night of the Governor's Ball. While Paul Mason, Wilkins's "right arm" and Louis, a safe cracker, break into the vaults, Theo poses as the personal physician of an eccentric crippled millionaire in a wheelchair, impersonated by Melanie's partner, Poncho.NOTES: Bill Thomas was nominated for an Academy Award for his Costumes, losing to "The Facts of Life" (black-and-white category).COMMENT: Alas it's very obvious that this film was made entirely in the studio with unconvincingly obvious stand-ins doing an occasional walk through the real French locations then a jump-cut to Steiger, Robinson, Collins etc. against a process screen. The film also tends to be a bit long-winded and dialogue bound and one of the original centers of interest suffers by being originally conceived for Mai Britt who was actually cast in the film when shooting commenced. Although the part was re-written for Joan Collins, she was obviously a second choice and suffers from poor camera angles and Hathaway's characteristically nonchalant direction of his players. The other players are as good as their material with the exceptions of Alexander Scourby and Eli Wallach who are even better.Once the film gets into stride with the robbery sequence itself — and in fact all the casino scenes — it becomes quite engrossing and there is some good dialogue for Robinson and Sebastian Cabot. But then the interest tends to peter out again, but fortunately the film concludes — somewhat unconvincingly it is true — before too much damage is done.Photography is rather flat especially in the exterior scenes where the process screen is used. Production values are little more than adequate, whilst Hathaway's direction is little more than safely and commercially routine. Even his well-known penchant for violence is noticeably absent here giving one the impression of a flaccid yarn, flaccidly told. Tighter film editing would help.

MartinHafer The crime caper was a very popular genre back in the 1950s and 60s and a ton of these films were made. There were some wonderful examples, such as "Rififi", "Bob le Flambeur", "The Killing" and "Grand Slam", and some weaker ones and "Seven Thieves" is, at times, a poor one--and could have been so much better. Sure, it's got all the needed things for a caper film--an exotic location on the French Riviera, a complicated and interesting plan and some decent acting (at least in some cases). However, it fails because of one major problem--the dialog was, at times, simply dreadful and full of clichés. Now this did not occur to a the characters but was a severe handicap with the movie's lone lady, Joan Collins. While I am sure she could act, here she isn't given a lot and her character is stupid. She plays a stripper. Yet, she plays a 'stripper with a heart of gold'--a giant cliché if I've ever seen one. What bothered me much more was during her angry exchange with 'method burglar' (Rod Steiger)--it made no sense and having her being caught in many outright lies and his reaction just made no sense at all--nor did her faux petulance. You see, in this dumb scene, despite agreeing to take part in a HUGE robbery, she insists that she's a nice girl from a nice family! What the heck!? Was the writer on pot?! You really have to see it--it's REALLY bad...so bad that I felt sorry for Collins, because she is more a pretty piece of furniture than a person in much of the film. None of the men were given such silly and weak characters to play. As I also said, Steiger plays a method actor playing a method burglar--and he came off a bit silly just because this scene with Collins completely undid this characterization--when all his believability and consistency as a character went out the window. Too bad...otherwise, it was a pretty decent film.

moonspinner55 Professor Edward G. Robinson assembles six cohorts for a heist on a Monte Carlo casino--but when penniless strong-arm Rod Steiger takes command of the robbery, the disparate personalities of the team come to the fore. Sydney Boehm, adapting Max Catto's novel, can't seem to decide whether to slant this derivative tale towards criminal melodrama or play it up as a lightweight diversion; bits and pieces of both emerge. The indifferent tone set by the writing may be one reason why director Henry Hathaway has staged it in a poker-faced, workmanlike manner. Talky, humorless, and oddly indifferent. Robinson coasts through on his built-in good will, Joan Collins provides the eye-candy as a cheesecake dancer (with two gratuitous numbers). *1/2 from ****

blanche-2 Edward G. Robinson has planned the perfect crime in "Seven Thieves," a 1960 black and white film also starring Rod Steiger, Joan Collins, Eli Wallach, Alexander Scourby, Michael Dante, Marcel Hillaire, and Sebastian Cabot. The film is set in Monte Carlo where Theo Wilkins (Robinson) has arranged to meet Paul Mason (Rod Steiger) to ask him to join in the plot. Wilkins is a former scientist who lost his credibility after commission of some sort of crime, but we don't know what it is; Mason has just finished three years in jail. The crime concerns the theft of 4 million francs from a casino and will involve a total of 7 people - a dancer (Collins), her friend (Wallach), her married boyfriend (Scourby), and a safe cracker (Dante).Directed by Henry Hathaway, this is an interesting drama that moves somewhat slowly and might have been better. It has a couple of twists at the end that are interesting, and there is quite a bit of tension and suspense for the audience throughout.The performances are excellent. Robinson gives a sympathetic portrayal of an old man looking for his last shot; Steiger gives a subdued (!) performance, his character being quietly threatening instead of screaming his guts out - good choice. Someone commented on this site that Joan Collins looks the same today as she did in this film 45 years ago - actually, it's kind of true. The only difference is that she wore less makeup then. Her figure is amazing, and she gives a wonderful performance as an unhappy, hard woman who has much compassion underneath. Eli Wallach does a great job as a nervous wreck."Seven Thieves" holds your attention. Strangely this is around the time of "Ocean's 11" where the touch is much lighter. This is a very dramatic story. It's not the greatest but worth checking out.