The 1970s produced plenty of propulsive heist thrillers, helping to shape the crime genre for decades. Heist movies in the 1960s were typically classified by stylishness. Movies like Gambit, How to Steal a Million and Ocean’s 11 presented a version of crime that was painless and suave. The following decade shook things up, reintroducing an element of danger that had been largely absent in the heist genre for years.
Some of the best heist movies ever made were produced in the 1970s, including Dog Day Afternoon and The Sting. Although these movies are just as funny as earlier films like The Italian Job or Take the Money and Run, they also have plenty of tension. The 1970s was the decade when heist movies started to balance humor and excitement, paving the way for later classics of the genre. The practical effects, clever plotting and great performances mean that these heist classics have stood the test of time.
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10 The Hot Rock (1972)
Robert Redford Stars In A Twisty Crime Caper
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The Hot Rock
Director Peter Yates Release Date January 26, 1972 Cast Robert Redford , George Segal , Ron Leibman , Paul Sand , Moses Gunn
The Hot Rock was released in the UK with the alternative title How to Steal a Diamond in Four Uneasy Lessons. This obviously evokes the 1966 heist classic How to Steal a Million, and it’s clear that The Hot Rock is aiming for the same breezy humor and surprising intensity. Robert Redford stars as the leader of a gang who are contracted to steal a diamond from a New York museum which was looted from Africa long ago.
The Hot Rock follows the gang as they are forced to steal the diamond multiple times, first from the museum, and then from a police station and a bank, and there’s a prison break sequence along the way for good measure. Although The Hot Rock cranks up the absurdity with each heist, there are some surprisingly tense moments too. This makes the audience root for the unlucky crooks, even when all they seem to able to do is fail.
9 Charley Varrick (1973)
Walter Matthau Tries To Outrun The Mob After A Heist
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Two years before directing Charley Varrick, Don Siegel helped bring another big-screen tough guy to life in Dirty Harry. The role of Varrick was initially offered to Clint Eastwood, but Walter Matthau was cast instead after Eastwood turned it down. Matthau brings his famous hangdog persona to the crop duster pilot-turned-crook, portraying him as a character who seems to have no luck, even after he successfully robs a bank for nearly a million dollars.
Some of Walter Matthau’s most famous roles showed off his comedic instincts, but Charley Varrick is a neo-noir crime drama with very little to laugh at. As Varrick is pursued by the mafia, escape starts to seem impossible, so he decides instead to confront them for a dramatic final showdown. The ending delivers many of the film’s most eye-catching scenes, such as the plane chase. Most heist films build up to the big score, but Charley Varrick is all about the aftermath.
8 Harry & Walter Go To New York (1976)
James Caan And Elliott Gould Play Two Dim-Witted Thieves In This Period Heist Thriller
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James Caan will always be most famous for his roles in crime movies, particularly The Godfather, but he was also an accomplished comedic actor. Harry and Walter Go to New York pairs him with Elliot Gould for a heist caper set in the late nineteenth century. The main cast is rounded out by Diane Keaton and Michael Caine, who was already a heist movie legend after Gambit and The Italian Job in the 1960s.
Caan and Gould play two struggling vaudeville performers who decide that the fastest way to reach high society is to quit show business and turn to robbing banks. They find that they have to compete with the best bank robber in town. Caine’s character, Adam Worth, is based on a real-life criminal, although the movie’s plot is entirely fictional.Harry and Walter Go to New York is a joyful crime caper, and Caan and Gould’s fiery dynamic keeps things entertaining.
7 Thunderbolt & Lightfoot (1974)
Clint Eastwood And Jeff Bridges Make An Entertaining Odd Couple
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Thunderbolt and Lightfoot
Director Michael Cimino Release Date May 23, 1974 Cast Clint Eastwood , Jeff Bridges , Geoffrey Lewis , Catherine Bach , Gary Busey , George Kennedy , Roy Jenson , Eugene Elman
Michael Cimino went on to achieve widespread success with The Deer Hunter, but his directorial debut was much lighter. Thunderbolt and Lightfoot is a crime caper featuring two mismatched criminals who form an unlikely friendship. Clint Eastwood plays one of his stoic tough guy characters, while Jeff Bridges plays his goofy, laidback accomplice. This dynamic plays into the strengths of each actor beautifully.
Thunderbolt and Lightfoot is one of Jeff Bridges’ best movies, and certainly one of his most personable performances. His character is the comedic key that shows a new side to Clint Eastwood’s well-worn persona. Aside from providing some light humor, Thunderbolt and Lightfoot also delivers plenty of crowdpleasing action. The car stunts in particular are loaded with the kind of perilous intensity that can only be achieved by practical effects.
6 The Driver (1978)
Walter Hill’s Influential Thriller Holds Up Well
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Nicolas Winding Refn has cited The Driver as one of his major influences, so it’s no surprise to see some of the key building blocks of Drive also in Walter Hill’s 1978 thriller. The Driver‘s captivating atmosphere and shocking fits of action have left their mark on many other filmmakers too. Quentin Tarantino and Edgar Wright both count themselves as fans, and the relationship between the main characters also seems to have shaped Michael Mann’s heist classic Heat.
Any crime thriller with a title like The Driver needs to deliver great chase scenes. Fortunately, Walter Hill does just that. He usually keeps the camera low to the ground, emphasizing the speed and the hefty collisions of the chases. The Driver‘s biggest strength isn’t the action sequences though, it’s the way it constructs an absorbing game of cat-and-mouse between a detective and a criminal. Isabelle Adjani adds another layer of intrigue as the mysterious love interest with her own agenda.
5 Le Cercle Rouge (1970)
Le Cercle Rouge Is The Culmination Of Stylish 1960s Heist Movies
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Le Cercle Rouge
Director Jean-Pierre Melville Cast Alain Delon , Bourvil , Gian Maria Volonte , Yves Montand , François Perier , Paul Crauchet , André Ekyan , Paul Amiot , Pierre Collet , Jean-Pierre Posier , Yves Arcanel , René Berthier , Anna Douking , Jean-Marc Boris , Robert Favart , Jean Franval , Jean Champion , Yvan Chiffre , Roger Fradet , Jean-Pierre Janic , Édouard Francomme , Jacques Galland , Jacques Léonard , Jacques Leroy , Jean Pignol , Robert Rondo , Stéphanie Fugain , Guy Henry Expand
Le Cercle Rouge translates to The Red Circle, but it is mostly known by its original French title. Le Cercle Rouge is one of the cornerstones of the heist genre, continuing the tradition of other French classics such as Rififi and Bob le Flambeur, which was also directed by Jean-Pierre Melville. In contrast to the narration of Bob le Flambeur, Le Cercle Rouge is extremely economical with its language and movements.
The final heist sequence in Le Cercle Rouge is one of the best ever filmed, and it has been mimicked many times. The heist plays out with barely any dialogue, music, or noise whatsoever. With the criminals wearing black masks, Melville shows just how much he can do with the language of film and the most minute eye and hand movements. It’s an even more refined version of Grand Slam‘s heist from three years earlier, but Le Cercle Rouge does a better job of building the stakes and the characters.
4 Lupin III: The Castle Of Cagliostro (1979)
Hayao Miyazaki’s Debut Feature Is An Exceptional Outing For The Famous Thief
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Although it was his directorial debut, Lupin III: The Castle of Cagliostro stands out as one of Hayao Miyazaki’s best movies. Since it was produced long before Miyazaki founded Studio Ghibli, The Castle of Cagliostro is often separated from his later works, but it’s just as entertaining and sweet. It’s a great showcase for Lupin III, the charming thief who made his debut in a manga series before appearing in several movies and TV shows.
The Castle of Cagliostro gives Miyazaki the chance to show off his flair for animated action sequences. The car chase is particularly eye-catching, but there are also some creative fights to keep things lively. The Castle of Cagliostro is a great family-friendly heist movie. It incorporates elements of fantasy and adventure into the narrative, as Lupin III tracks some counterfeit money to a foreboding castle, where he finds a mysterious army being ruled by a corrupt Count.
3 Dog Day Afternoon (1975)
Al Pacino Shines In A Real-Life Heist Story
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Dog Day Afternoon
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*Availability in US Director Sidney Lumet Release Date December 25, 1975 Cast Al Pacino , John Cazale , Penelope Allen , Carol Kane , Marcia Jean Kurtz
Dog Day Afternoon is one of Al Pacino’s best movies, and his performance earned him his fourth Oscar nomination in four years. It reunites him with his Godfather co-star John Cazale as a pair of bank robbers whose plan goes south once the police show up outside, leading to a protracted hostage situation in the New York summer heat. Dog Day Afternoon is one of relatively few heist movies based on real life. The real heist took place in Brooklyn in 1972.
Sidney Lumet’s direction ensures that Dog Day Afternoon remains tense and captivating throughout, but it’s also a hilarious crime movie about two increasingly stressed-out thieves. While it isn’t an out-and-out comedy by any means, Pacino’s performance is so relatable that it’s easy to see the dark humor of his character’s rotten luck. Dog Day Afternoon also shows the sensationalist swirl of news media, and the way that large crowds treat violence and drama like a spectator sport.
2 The Taking Of Pelham One Two Three (1974)
The Original Adaptation Is Still The Best
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1974’s The Taking of Pelham One Two Three is the first of three adaptations of Morton Freedgood’s novel of the same name. While the 2009 version starring Denzel Washington has some exciting moments, it doesn’t come close to the quality of the original. The Taking of Pelham One Two Three follows a group of criminals who hijack a busy New York City subway car and demand a huge ransom to set the hostages free.
The Taking of Pelham One Two Three follows the action from above and below ground, going inside the subway car and the police station as they coordinate a response. It’s a nail-biting thrill ride with a simple but effective ticking clock. The Taking of Pelham One Two Three manages to balance its nerve-shredding tension with some spontaneously funny moments. Through it all, it’s relentlessly entertaining. The color-coded names of the thieves have been echoed in plenty of heist movies, including Reservoir Dogs.
1 The Sting (1973)
Paul Newman And Robert Redford Team Up For The Big Con
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The Sting
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*Availability in US Director George Roy Hill Release Date December 25, 1973 Cast Paul Newman , Robert Redford , Robert Shaw , Charles Durning , Ray Walston , Eileen Brennan
The Sting stars Paul Newman and Robert Redford as two con artists who team up in Chicago during the Great Depression. The Sting uses ragtime music, title cards, and even the period-appropriate logo for Universal Pictures to paint a charmingly detailed portrait of the 1930s. In doing so, it draws parallels between the elusive idea of the “American dream” which took hold during the Great Depression and the subversive joy of heist movies. In The Sting‘s view of America, everyone is a con artist.
Although The Sting sticks to some of the time-honored conventions of the heist genre, like the notion of brains outweighing brawn, and the little guy knocking off the rich mark, it’s a unique film. The complexity of the con is what makes The Sting so satisfying, paired with the good humor and the affable underdog characters. Even though The Sting is a carefully constructed fantasy, it still has a level of jeopardy, because it shows what Lonnegan is capable of early on.
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