I just love this film! A gang of thieves decide to rob a Turkish museum of a dagger encrusted with precious jewels. Maximilian Schell and Melina Mercouri are the sexy, funny pair that ensemble a crack (?!) team to tackle this seemingly impossible task. They also rope in Peter Ustinov - a British rogue who earns a living by fleecing tourists - as their patsy. When he is arrested by the police and turns nark the story starts to hot up nicely. Robert Morley is great as the gadget genius and Gilles Ségal does all the acrobatics with a cheeky style. The script has dated quite a bit in 65 years - and many of the jokes are pretty predictable, by current standards - but the look and feel of the whole thing is great - it's pacy, classy and original with a cast that gel particularly well. The music is instantly recognisable too - immediately conjures up dancers with diamonds in their navels!
2024-12-02
