Topkapi (1964)

A larcenous woman (Melina Mercouri) recruits her former lover (Maximilian Schell) to help her steal a priceless emerald encrusted dagger from the Topkapi palace. His team includes a mechanical wizard (Robert Morley), an acrobat (Gilles Segal) and a strongman (Jess Hahn). But they also need a dupe and to this end, they approach a small time con man (Peter Ustinov) whose inclusion leads to a myriad of problems. Based on Eric Ambler's novel LIGHT OF DAY, this heist film was quite popular when first released but its charms have dimmed considerably in the ensuing years. As a crime caper, it's too far fetched to be much fun and the cast works overtime to make something of their characters but to no avail. Mercouri's femme fatale for example, we never get to know anything about her except she's a nymphomaniac but we never get to know her or her back story. She remains as enigmatic at the film's conclusion as she was at the film's opening. Pretty much the same for all the others. I don't want to be too hard on it. It goes through its paces diligently and with a certain style. Directed by Jules Dassin with an overactive underscore by Manos Hadjidakis. Inexplicably, Ustinov won an Oscar for his work here which is merely adequate. With Akim Tamiroff, Titos Vandis and Despo Diamantidou.