Thief (1981)

Director:

Michael Mann

Writers:

Frank Hohimer (novel)
Michael Mann (screen story)

Release Date:

27 March 1981 (USA)

Genre:

Action | Crime | Drama | Thriller

Tagline:

Tonight, his take home pay is $410,000...tax free.

Plot:

Becoming closer to his dream of leading a normal life, a professional safecracker agrees to do a job for the mafia, who have other plans for him.

Plot Keywords:

Safecracker | Heist | Thief | Gangster | Adoption

Awards:

2 nominations

Cast

James Caan	...	Frank
Tuesday Weld	...	Jessie
Willie Nelson	...	Okla
James Belushi	...	Barry
Robert Prosky	...	Leo
Tom Signorelli	...	Attaglia
Dennis Farina	...	Carl
Nick Nickeas	...	Nick
W.R. Brown	...	Mitch (as W.R. [Bill] Brown)
Norm Tobin	...	Guido
John Santucci	...	Urizzi
Gavin MacFadyen	...	Boreksco
Chuck Adamson	...	Ancell
Sam Cirone	...	Martello
Spero Anast	...	Bukowski

Also Known As:

Violent Streets (UK)

Runtime:

122 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Color (Technicolor)

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Sound Mix:

Dolby

Certification:

Finland:K-18 (cut) | USA:R (certificate #26144) | Iceland:12 | Brazil:14 | Australia:R | France:-12 | Germany:18 | New Zealand:R16 | Norway:16 (1981) | Sweden:15 | West Germany:16 | UK:X | UK:18 (video rating)

Filming Locations:

Chicago, Illinois, USA

Company:

Mann/Caan Productions

Trivia:

Many real-life Chicago criminals and police officers served as advisors to director Michael Mann, and Mann cast many of them on screen, often in contradictory roles (i.e. former Chicago police officers Dennis Farina and Nick Nickeas appear as criminal henchmen, while former professional thief John Santucci appears as a police officer).

Goofs:

Incorrectly regarded as goofs: As Frank reloads his pistol in the final sequence, the slide of the weapon is forward, not locked back, as would be normal in a Colt semi-automatic, magazine-fed pistol. But if you count the shots before the reload, he only fired five shots, not seven, so the slide would be forward, since there was at least one round left in the magazine.

Quotes:

Leo: Plus, I've got a major score for you in Palm Springs in six weeks.

Movie Connections:

Referenced in Free Enterprise (1998)

a real classic!

Even though this film was made only a little over two decades ago, I consider it a film-noir classic! James Caan said once that this was the film he was in that he was proudest of next to The Godfather. I remember that Roger Ebert and Gene Siskel said this was one of the finest films of 1981. Caan is wonderful in a role that he was born to play, a tough guy with his heart on his sleeve. Everything about this film is wonderful from the musical score by Tangerine Dream to the dark lighting effects to the authentic detail about the life of a thief ( I read that Michael Mann actually used real life thieves as technical advisors to this film!). Even though Caan's character is an anti-hero, you have to feel sorry for him because he is caught in a situation where there is no way out! The best scene in the film is where he tells Tuesday Weld about his prison experiences and shows here the picture cut out that he has made of his American dream. Jimmy Caan is truly awesome, he is the only actor that ever made me cry (in Brian's Song) I also wanted to mention another great character actor who is in the film. His name is Robert Prosky and he plays the mob boss who uses Caan. This was his film debut after many years as a stage actor and he is terrific. Watch the scene in the acid plant where he threatens Caan. He is really chilling! Michael Mann created Crime Story and Miami Vice and he also directed Manhunter, but lets not forget this film as well.