How to Steal a Million (1966)

Director:

William Wyler

Writers:

George Bradshaw (story)
Harry Kurnitz (screenplay)

Release Date:

19 August 1966 (UK)

Genre:

Comedy | Crime | Romance

Tagline:

S-S-S-H-H-H-H-H - Meet a couple of smart operators who give a lesson in love and larceny

Plot:

Romantic comedy about a woman who must steal a statue from a Paris museum to help conceal her father's art forgeries, and the man who helps her.

Plot Keywords:

Statue | Burglar | Insurance | Forgery | Police

Awards:

1 nomination

Cast

Audrey Hepburn	...	Nicole
Peter O'Toole	...	Simon Dermott
Eli Wallach	...	Davis Leland
Hugh Griffith	...	Bonnet
Charles Boyer	...	DeSolnay
Fernand Gravey	...	Grammont
Marcel Dalio	...	Senor Paravideo
Jacques Marin	...	Chief Guard
Moustache	...	Guard
Roger Tréville	...	Auctioneer (as Roger Treville)
Edward Malin	...	Insurance Clerk (as Eddie Malin)
Bert Bertram	...	Marcel
rest of cast listed alphabetically:
Georg Stanford Brown	...	Waiter (uncredited)
Louise Chevalier	...	Cleaning Woman (uncredited)
Rémy Longa	...	Young Man (uncredited)
Jacques Ramade	...	(uncredited)
Olga Valéry	...	(uncredited)

Directed by
William Wyler

Writing credits
George Bradshaw		(story)
Harry Kurnitz		(screenplay)

Produced by
Fred Kohlmar	....	producer

Original Music by
John Williams		(as Johnny Williams)

Cinematography by
Charles Lang

Film Editing by
Robert Swink

Production Design by
Alexandre Trauner		(as Alexander Trauner)

Costume Design by
Hubert de Givenchy		(clothes: Miss Hepburn) (as Givenchy)

Makeup Department
Alexandre	....	hair stylist
Alberto De Rossi	....	make-up (as Alberto de Rossi)
Grazia De Rossi	....	hairdresser (as Grazia de Rossi)
Freddie Williamson	....	make-up (as Frederick Williamson)

Production Management
William Kaplan	....	unit production manager

Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
Paul Feyder	....	assistant director
Robert Swink	....	second unit director

Sound Department
Joseph de Bretagne	....	sound
David Dockendorf	....	sound

Stunts
Gil Delamare	....	stunt double: Miss Hepburn (uncredited)

Camera and Electrical Department
Vincent Rossell	....	still photographer (uncredited)

Music Department
James Harbert	....	orchestrator

Other crew
François Moreuil	....	production assistant (as Francois Moreuil)
Phill Norman	....	main title designer: Cinefx
Frawley Becker	....	dialogue coach (uncredited)
Robert Wyler	....	production assistant (uncredited)

Production Companies

• World Wide Productions

Distributors

• Twentieth Century-Fox Film Corporation (1966) (USA) (theatrical)
• Fox Video (1995) (USA) (video) (laserdisc)
• 20th Century Fox Home Entertainment (2004) (Brazil) (DVD)
• Centfox (1966) (West Germany) (theatrical)
• 20th Century Fox Studios (????) (worldwide) (all media) (A News Corporation Company) (as 20th Century Fox)
• American Broadcasting Company (ABC) (1970) (USA) (TV) (original airing)
• Twentieth Century Fox Home Entertainment (2004) (USA) (DVD)

Other Companies

• Cinefx  main title design
• Cartier  Miss Hepburn's jewelry (as Cartier Paris)

Also Known As:

How to Steal a Million Dollars and Live Happily Ever After
William Wyler's How to Steal a Million (USA) (complete title)

Runtime:

123 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

2.35 : 1

Sound Mix:

Mono (Westrex Recording System)

Certification:

Hong Kong:I | USA:Approved (certificate #21174) | Canada:PG (video rating) | Australia:G | Finland:S | Singapore:PG | Sweden:Btl | UK:U | West Germany:12

Filming Locations:

Paris, France

Company:

World Wide Productions

Trivia:

George C. Scott was originally cast as Leland, but was fired by William Wyler when he showed up late on his first day of work. He was replaced by Eli Wallach.

Goofs:

Errors made by characters (possibly deliberate errors by the filmmakers): When stealing the Cellini Venus Simon Dermot exchanges the Venus with the empty bottle. However as a clever thief he should have worn gloves because his fingerprints were on the bottle.

Quotes:

Simon Dermott: There's the bathroom, take off your clothes.
Nicole Bonnet: Are we planning the same sort of crime?

Movie Connections:

Featured in Star Wars: Music by John Williams (1980) (TV)

Soundtrack:

La Marseillaise

AUDREY THE GREATEST!

Somehow Audrey Hepburn made fluffy romantic caper movies look

like high art. Take this adorable trifle directed by William Wyler

with Audrey looking glorious in her trademark Givenchy clothing.

Audrey could have phone in a performance, but she's totally

enchanting as always, making us overlook the seams in the script.

She's beautifully supported by Peter O'Toole, who never looked

handsomer or more Cary Grant-ish in his life as Simon, the art

expert who gets talked into stealing Audrey's father's statue of the

Cellini Venus back from the museum when it is learned the statue

has to be authenticated for insurance purposes.

Hugh Griffith, as Audrey's father, is a delightful rogue of an art

forger and Charles Boyer and Eli Wallach just add to the fun. The

actual theft of the statue is quite ingenious, if a little too drawn out.

Still, here's two hours of pure enchantment. That Ferrari still looks

good nearly forty years later, and if Audrey was walking down Fifth

Avenue, dressed in Givenchy's stunning creations today, she'd

cause a riot. Check out that lace cocktail dress with the matching

lace mask at the bar of the Ritz in Paris! It doesn't get any chicer

than this.