The Great Bank Robbery (1969 film)
| The Great Bank Robbery | |
|---|---|
Theatrical release poster
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| Directed by | Hy Averback |
| Produced by | Malcolm Stuart |
| Written by |
Novel: Frank O'Rourke Screenplay: William Peter Blatty |
| Starring |
Zero Mostel Kim Novak Clint Walker Claude Akins |
| Music by | Nelson Riddle |
| Cinematography | Fred J. Koenekamp |
| Edited by | Gene Milford |
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Production
company |
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| Distributed by | Warner Bros.-Seven Arts |
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Release date
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September 10, 1969 |
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Running time
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98 minutes |
| Country | United States |
| Language | English |
| Box office | $1.5 million (US/ Canada rentals) |
The Great Bank Robbery is a 1969 Western comedy film from Warner Bros. directed by Hy Averback and written by William Peter Blatty, based on the novel by Frank O'Rourke. The movie had a soundtrack with songs by Jimmy Van Heusen.
Gold stolen by outlaws is stashed in the impenetrable bank of Friendly, a small town in Texas. A preacher, Rev. Pious Blue, is actually a thief. He and his associates, including partner Lyda Kebanov, plan to tunnel into the vault and blow it up with TNT, just as a Fourth of July celebration drowns out the noise.
There are complications. A number of rival gangs also are after the loot. Then there is Ben Quick of the Texas Rangers, a lawman out to find evidence confirming the corruption of banker and mayor Kincaid that is also inside the vault.
The reverend's band is successful, distracting the bank's guards by having Lyda pretend to be Lady Godiva, riding nude on a white horse. They intend to escape by hot-air balloon. The gold is too heavy for liftoff, however. Lyda volunteers to abandon ship, in part because she has fallen for Quick, who finds the proof he needs to convict Kincaid while the reverend and the gold fly safely away.
Vincent Canby of The New York Times had nothing but disdain for the film:
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