The Split **** (1968, Jim Brown, Diahann Carroll, Ernest Borgnine, Julie Harris, Gene Hackman, Jack Klugman, Warren Oates, James Whitmore, Donald Sutherland) – Classic Movie Review 11,971

The 1968 film The Split stars Gene Hackman.

The 1968 American neo-noir crime thriller film The Split stars Jim Brown, Diahann Carroll, Ernest Borgnine, Julie Harris, Gene Hackman, Jack Klugman, Warren Oates, James Whitmore, and Donald Sutherland. It’s the follow-up to Point Blank. 

Director Gordon Flemyng’s 1968 American neo-noir crime thriller film The Split stars Jim Brown, Diahann Carroll, Ernest Borgnine, Julie Harris, Gene Hackman, Jack Klugman, Warren Oates, James Whitmore, and Donald Sutherland.

It is written by Robert Sabaroff, based on the Parker novel The Seventh by Richard Stark (a pseudonym of Donald E Westlake). Jim Brown stars as Westlake’s famous professional robber Parker character, changed here to McClain.

McClain and his partner Gladys (Jim Brown and Julie Harris) meticulously plan an LA football stadium robbery of the Los Angeles Coliseum during a football game, in this gorily tough, tightly made, carefully plotted thriller based on Richard Stark’s thriller The Seventh. But the thieves fall out when more than a half-million dollars goes missing after the daring robbery, each accusing the other of having the money.

The 1968 film The Split stars Ernest Borgnine.

There is strong direction by surprise choice Scottish director Gordon Flemyng and an even stronger script (Robert Sabaroff), and the special cast and Quincy Jones’s music score are further bonuses. It is short and punchy.

Producers Robert Chartoff and Irwin Winkler had just made Stark’s Point Blank, with a British director, John Boorman, so they chose another, Gordon Flemyng, who had impressed them making Great Catherine.

Winkler offered the lead role to Steve McQueen, who was interested but decided to make Bullitt instead. So Jim Brown was cast under his long-term contract with MGM, who financed the movie as they did Point Blank, initially titled Run the Man Down.

Winkler said it was a ‘solid thriller, no more, no less. Nothing to be ashamed of, nothing to be proud of. The film just wasn’t good enough to capture an audience.’

Release date: November 4, 1968.

Running time: 91 minutes.

Richard Stark

Richard Stark is also known under his real name as American novelist Donald E Westlake (July 12, 1933 – December 31, 2008), who wrote more than 100 novels and non-fiction books.

The fictional character created by Donald E Westlake is professional robber specialising in large-scale, high-profit crimes. He is the main character of 24 of the 28 novels Westlake wrote under the pseudonym Richard Stark.

The cast

The cast are Jim Brown as McClain, Diahann Carroll as Ellie Kennedy, Ernest Borgnine as Bert Clinger, Julie Harris as Gladys, Gene Hackman as Lieutenant Walter Brill, Jack Klugman as Harry Kifka, Warren Oates as Marty Gough, James Whitmore as Herb Sutro, Donald Sutherland as Dave Negli, Joyce Jameson as Jenifer, Harry Hickox as Detective, Jackie Joseph as Jackie, and Warren Vanders as Mason.

Donald E Westlake films

Many of Westlake’s novels have been made into films: 1967’s Point Blank (based on The Hunter) with Lee Marvin as Parker (changed to Walker); Pillaged [Mise à sac] (1967) (based on The Score) with Michel Constantin as Parker (changed to Georges); 1968’s The Split (from the book The Seventh) with Jim Brown as Parker (changed to McClain); The Hot Rock in 1972 with Robert Redford; Cops and Robbers in 1973; The Outfit with Robert Duvall as Parker (changed to Macklin), also in 1973; Bank Shot in 1974 with George C Scott; The Busy Body in 1967; Slayground with Peter Coyote as Parker (changed to Stone) in 1983; Why Me? with Christopher Lambert  Christopher Lloyd, and J T Walsh in 1990; Payback in 1999, the second film made from The Hunter, with Mel Gibson as Parker (changed to Porter); What’s the Worst That Could Happen? in 2001 with Martin Lawrence as Dortmunder (changed to Kevin Caffery); Constantin Costa-Gavras adapted The Ax in 2005 as Le Couperet; Parker in 2013, based on Flashfire, with Jason Statham as Parker.

© Derek Winnert 2022 Classic Movie Review 11,971

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The 1968 film The Split stars Donald Sutherland.