Once a Thief *** (1965, Alain Delon, Ann-Margret, Van Heflin, Jack Palance) – Classic Movie Review 8,252

The hard-boiled 1965 black and white crime thriller Once a Thief stars Alain Delon as a San Francisco ex-thief who wants to go straight but is dragged back into crime by his brother Walter (Jack Palance),

‘ONCE A THIEF…ALWAYS A TARGET with the cops on one side – the killers on the other!’

Director Ralph Nelson’s hard-boiled 1965 black and white crime thriller film Once a Thief [Les Tueurs de San Francisco] stars French superstar Alain Delon, who tries to make it in Hollywood as San Francisco ex-convict Eddie Pedak, a former thief who wants to go straight but is dragged back into the criminal life by his estranged brother Walter (Jack Palance), who needs him for one last heist.

The strong line-up includes Ann-Margret as Delon’s distraught, loving wife Kristine, Van Heflin as the dogged local cop Inspector Mike Vido on Pedak’s trail (shades of Les Misérables), John Davis Chandler and Tony Musante as the bad guys Sargatanas and Shoenstein, Jeff Corey as Lieutenant Kebner SFPD, and Steve Mitchell as Frank Kane.

The bitter police Inspector believes that Eddie shot him six years earlier during a robbery that is still an unsolved case, even though he saw only the shooter’s eyes, and he is pursuing a personal vendetta.

All this is well plotted, decently acted and orchestrated with a lot of action, some style and a sparkling surface sheen by director Nelson. The black and white cinematography by Robert Burks is very smart and snazzy. It was the first film to use the Eastman 4-X film, which needed far less lighting equipment, especially valuable in night-time filming.

Zekial Marko writes the screenplay (his first) from his 1961 novel Scratch a Thief  (written as ‘John Trinian’), based on his own experiences, and gives himself a small part in the film too, as Luke, though he is dubbed by Paul Frees. Marko also wrote the novel The Big Grab, which was adapted as the 1963 French crime film Any Number Can Win, a big hit for Delon. Marko spent time in jail on criminal charges during the shoot.

The movie was shown in France as Les Tueurs de San Francisco. Delon did not stray too far from home; it is a French. US co=production.

Once a Thief [Les Tueurs de San Francisco] is directed by Ralph Nelson, runs 106 minutes, is made by Compagnie Internationale de Productions Cinématographiques (CIPRA), Renne and Nelson Productions, is released by MGM, is written by Zekial Marko, based on the novel by Scratch a Thief Zekial Marko [John Trinian], is shot in black and white by Robert Burks, is produced by Fred Engel, Jacques Bar and Ralph Nelson, and is scored by Lalo Schifrin.

Release date: September 8, 1965.

In the UK, it went out in a double bill with The Secret of My Success, with James Booth.

Ralph Nelson won the OCIC (International Catholic Organization for Cinema and Audiovisual) award at the 1965 San Sebastián International Film Festival.

Alain Fabien Maurice Marcel Delon (8 November 1935 – 18 August 2024).

© Derek Winnert 2019 Classic Movie Review 8,252

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