ThrillerCrimeAction

Armored Car Robbery

- The stick-up that stunned the nation!

While executing an armored car heist in Los Angeles, icy crook Dave Purvis shoots policeman Lt. Phillips before he and his cronies make off with the loot. Thinking he got away scot-free, Purvis collects his money-crazy mistress, Yvonne, then disposes of his partners and heads out of town. What Purvis doesn't know is that Phillips' partner, tough-as-nails Lt. Cordell, is wise to the criminal's plans and is closing in on his prey.

Release Date : 1950-06-08

Language :English

Adult : false

Status : Released

Production Company : RKO Radio Pictures

Production Country : United States of America

Alternative Titles :

Cast

Character Name : Lt. Jim Cordell

Original Name : Charles McGraw

Gender : Male

Character Name : Yvonne LeDoux aka Mrs. Benny McBride

Original Name : Adele Jergens

Gender : Female

Character Name : Dave Purvis / Martin Bell

Original Name : William Talman

Gender : Male

Character Name : Benjamin 'Benny' McBride

Original Name : Douglas Fowley

Gender : Male

Character Name : Al Mapes

Original Name : Steve Brodie

Gender : Male

Character Name : Detective Danny Ryan

Original Name : Don McGuire

Gender : Male

Character Name : Detective Driving Final Pursuit Car

Original Name : Don Haggerty

Gender : Male

Character Name : Lt. Phillips

Original Name : James Flavin

Gender : Male

Character Name : William 'Ace' Foster

Original Name : Gene Evans

Gender : Male

Character Name : Theatrical Agent (uncredited)

Original Name : Eddie Borden

Gender : Male

Character Name : Cop at Roadblock (uncredited)

Original Name : Chet Brandenburg

Gender : Male

Character Name : Witmer - Armored Car Driver (uncredited)

Original Name : Barry Brooks

Gender : Male

Character Name : Burlesque Theatre Patron (uncredited)

Original Name : Morgan Brown

Gender : Male

Character Name : Car 6 Patrolman at Pier 5 (uncredited)

Original Name : Paul Bryar

Gender : Male

Character Name : Mr. Kelly - Valley Auto Court Manager (uncredited)

Original Name : Paul E. Burns

Gender : Male

Character Name : Control Tower Operator (uncredited)

Original Name : James Bush

Gender : Male

Character Name : Police Radio Operator (uncredited)

Original Name : Roger Creed

Gender : Male

Character Name : Newsboy (uncredited)

Original Name : Dick Dickinson

Gender : Male

Character Name : Stadium Cashier (uncredited)

Original Name : Art Dupuis

Gender : Male

Character Name : Dr. Leslie (uncredited)

Original Name : Fred Howard

Gender : Male

Character Name : Craig - Pilot (uncredited)

Original Name : Richard Irving

Gender : Male

Character Name : Policeman (uncredited)

Original Name : Paul Kruger

Gender : Male

Character Name : Police Dispatcher (uncredited)

Original Name : Linda Leighton

Gender : Female

Character Name : Duff (uncredited)

Original Name : Carey Loftin

Gender : Male

Character Name : Policeman (uncredited)

Original Name : George Magrill

Gender : Male

Character Name : 2nd Detective (uncredited)

Original Name : Allen Mathews

Gender : Male

Character Name : Mr. Bronson - Pacific States Insurance (uncredited)

Original Name : Max Mellinger

Gender : Male

Character Name : Mrs. Marsha Phillips (uncredited)

Original Name : Anne Nagel

Gender : Female

Character Name : Mrs. Page - Benny's Landlady (uncredited)

Original Name : Anne O'Neal

Gender : Female

Character Name : Nurse Paxton (uncredited)

Original Name : Mary Randall

Gender : Male

Character Name : Rhodes - Cop at Roadblock (uncredited)

Original Name : Carl Saxe

Gender : Male

Character Name : Mr. Kimball - Theatre Manager (uncredited)

Original Name : Frank J. Scannell

Gender : Male

Character Name : Officer Evans (uncredited)

Original Name : Jack Shea

Gender : Male

Character Name : Officer Johnson (uncredited)

Original Name : William Tannen

Gender : Male

Character Name : Police Radio Dispatcher (archive footage) (uncredited)

Original Name : Harlan Warde

Gender : Male

Character Name : Detective Marshall - Police Lab (uncredited)

Original Name : Mack Williams

Gender : Male

Character Name : Burlesque Theatre Patron (uncredited)

Original Name : Eric Wilton

Gender : Male

Character Name : Chandler - Police Sergeant at Roadblock (uncredited)

Original Name : Charles Flynn

Gender : Male

Reviews

John Chard

@John Chard

2024-05-16

Imagine a dish like this married to a mug like Benny McBride ... the naked and the dead. Armored Car Robbery is directed by Richard Fleischer and collectively written by Earl Felton, Gerald Adams, Robert Angus and Robert Leeds. It stars William Talman, Charles McGraw, Adele Jergens, Douglas Fowley, Steve Brodie and Don McGuire. Music is by Roy Webb and cinematography by Guy Roe. When a meticulously planned robbery goes wrong, Dave Purvis (Talman) and his gang find there's a particularly driven copper closing in on them. The caper premise has served film noir well over the years, and while Armored Car Robbery is not the hidden gem some have called it (it's no Asphalt Jungle for instance), it is still an effectively tough piece of film. The structure used by Fleischer and the writers is to show the robbery early in the piece and then unfurl the aftermath for the majority of the film. Characterisations are classic noir, the tough gang leader who consistently changes his identity to fool the cops, the foxy dame who is turning heads and is having relationships with two of the gang, the cannon fodder, the dope and the tough as nails copper who will stop at nothing to bring the bad guys down. The pace of the story is sedate, but this is no bad thing as we get attention to detail with the manhunt and the respective psychological make ups of the thieves. The two-timing aspect in the plot adds spice (this also allows Fleischer to throw in a number of shots of Jergens doing her burlesque routine), as does the deaths of men either side of the law. The look is terrific, with high contrast photography, deep focus shots and some expressionistic lighting, all putting a splendid noir sheen over the skillful blend of studio and location (Los Angeles) sequences. Cast are on good form, especially McGraw and Talman (though Brodie is sadly under used), and Webb's score is period and story reflective. From the smoke bomb cloaked robbery that thrills early in proceedings, to the breath holding finale played out on an airport runway, Armored Car Robbery is a sturdy and solid RKO noir that is comfortably recommended to fans of the noir cycle. 7.5/10