8/19/2023 0 Comments It takes a thief 1960![]() ![]() THE CHALLENGE has more money put into it and it shows, with plentiful action and lots of different locations, both indoor and out. What's immediately apparent is that THE CHALLENGE is a very good film of its type, certainly much better than the earlier efforts directed by Gilling which suffered from tiny budgets. The story picks up on his release, where he finds the gang are desperate to lay their hands on the loot and will do anything to facilitate that end. He escapes with the loot and manages to bury it, but somebody calls the police and he's sent off to jail for eight years. Quayle plays a mild-mannered family man who gets involved with an unlikely femme fatale and a gang of robbers and is involved in a violent heist. Top thrills from writer/director John Gilling come to us courtesy of this black and white British crime thriller, which features a nicely-tuned leading performance from character actor Anthony Quayle, a man who never disappoints with his mannered and focused acting style. The film has a lot of tension and the scenes involving the search for the kid late in the film were awfully good. It's really sad because apart from the weird casting strange plot about Jim being turned it, it's a very good noir sort of film. Finally, the DVD print is pretty bad-making the viewing experience less than stellar. Plus, the pairing of the distinguished actor, Anthony Quayle with Jayne Mansfield is just plain weird. The big one is the odd casting of Mansfield considering the film is set in England. With all this pressure on him, what is he to do? Aside from a main plot idea that makes little sense, "It Takes a Thief" has several other things working against it. At the same time, the police are keeping an eye on Jim because they, too, want the money as well. When he refuses to cooperate with them, the gang turns up the pressure by kidnapping Jim's son. He has no intention of returning to his life of crime-even though the old gang is pressuring him to do so because they want the loot. Regardless, several years pass and Jim has now done his time-and the money is still hidden. And for some time you aren't sure if Billy did this or perhaps Kristy-the brooding gang member who appears to have an extremely close relationship with Billy. Why turn Jim in to the police? Jim would either return the money to the authorities OR he'd sit on it until after he's out of prison-and that could be years. Now here is the part that makes no sense at all-Jim is responsible for hiding the money and then someone in the gang lets the cops know he was in on the crime and he's sent to prison. She convinces him to join in on a heist and he agrees. He doesn't realize that Billy is a cold and calculating sort-and she is setting him up. It begins with Jim (Anthony Quayle) falling for Billy (Jayne Mansfield). ![]() The setup for "It Takes A Thief" really doesn't make a lot of sense-and that is a huge problem. Will he survive? If you can excuse the incongruous casting this film is well worth a look. At the same time his little boy is running along the track towards the train, having been encouraged to play "chicken" by the sadistic Buddy. A pursuing Police car turns over and crashes spectacularly and, in the final chase Anthony Quayle races after a departing train in an MG before boarding it by running alongside on the track and swinging from a door handle. Jayne throws a big Jag around London's rain-soaked streets like a rally driver. A very violent film for its time, Mansfield stubs a cigarette out on a man's hand, an elderly lady is savagely beaten during a kidnapping and one of the gang is worked over by the Police. Anthony Quayle is also strangely cast as the patsy she seduces to assist with a bullion robbery, and then shops him! However, he's already hidden the loot so the gang have to wait five years before they can lean on him. Unbelievably cast as the gang boss, she apparently masterminds a number of heists which tend to rely on bludgeoning the victims before making a getaway in a fast car which leaves the Police helpless. Although she looks really weird with dark hair at the start of this film. Steamy Brit film-noir with Jayne Mansfield as the hook. ![]()
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