Once a Thief (MGM) (1965)

BOX-OFFICE LURE Glamorous Ann-Margret, voted one of the year’s top box-office stars, plays her latest role opposite French movie idol, Alain Delon, in Metro-GoldwynMayer’s *“‘Once a Thief.”? This new romantic team sets off explosive fireworks in the taut drama of an ex-crook forced back into a life of crime. The picture was filmed entirely on locations in San Francisco. Once a Thief Still Ann-Margret 1422-E Mat 1-E New Leading Man Gives Ann-Margret Black Eye! Ann-Margret was given three days off from working in MetroGoldwyn-Mayer’s crime _ thriller, “Once a Thief,” because her co-star, Alain Delon, didn’t know his own strength. A dramatic highlight of the film has Delon, cast as Ann-Margret’s husband, slapping and punching her around in a night club sequence because of jealousy. When Delon acts he really acts, and Ann-Margret ended up the scene with a black eye and several bruises on her arms and hands. Because she proved so valiant in “taking it,” director Ralph Nelson rewarded her with an unexpected three-day holiday. And as for a remorseful Delon, he apologized for his screen realism by filling AnnMargret’s apartment with a daily deluge of flowers. FILM’S CAST FULL OF AWARD WINNERS Alain Delon and Ann-Margret, costarring in Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer’s exciting drama, “Once a Thief,” are both recipients of important film awards. Ann-Margret was named “Top Actress of the Year” by the Theatre Owners of America, while Delon was recently presented France’s top award for actors, the “Victoire Du Cinema FranCaisie Other award-winning stars in the picture are Van Heflin and Jack Palance. Heflin won an Academy Award for his performance in “Johnny Eager.” Palance was nominated for the “Oscar” first for his portrayal in “Shane,” and a second time for “Sudden Fear,” and won an Emmy Award for “Requiem for a Heavyweight.” And, finally, Ralph Nelson, the director of “Once a Thief,” is an “Emmy” winner as Best Director for “Requiem for a Heavyweight.” 2 Bodie Pedak2=.2. es Alain Delon Kristine Pedak..2 2. Ann-Margret Mikes Vido=-..4..2 2S ee Van Heflin Walter Redak:-2 2-22 Jack Palance James Sargatanas........ John Davis Chandler LitssKebrietrsc3 ee eee es Jeff Corey Cleve Shoenstein-.............-----Tony Musante Frank. Kane: ......2-22c-.seeeeee es Steve Mitchell Luke 2252. Zekial Marko Kathy Pedak.2.22...:ae Tammy Locke Drummers... ee Russell Lee JoRnelings se ee Yuki Shimoda A Jacques Bar Production. Produced by CIPRA in association with Ralph Nelson and Fred Engel. Directed by Ralph Nelson. Screen play by Zekial Marko. From his novel. Music composed and conducted by Lalo Schifrin. Director of Photography: Robert Burks, A.S.C. In Panavision. Art Direction: George W. Davis and Paul Groesse. Set Decoration: Henry Grace, Jack Mills. Dialogue Coach: Walter Kelley. Film Editor: Fredric Steinkamp. Assistant Director: Erich von Stroheim, Jr. Make-Up Supervision: William Tuttle. Hair Styles by Sydney Guilaroff. Production Supervisor: J. Paul Franklin Popkin. Recording Supervisor: Milton. Presented by Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer. ALAIN DELON, ANN-MARGRET VIVID TEAM OF “ONCE A THIEF,” GRIPPING DRAMA OF EX-CROOK FORCED BACK 10 LIFE OF CRIME Since it was filmed entirely on locations in San Francisco, the viewer is given the feeling that what he sees in “Once a Thief” is actually happening. And what he is offered in this new Metro-Golwyn-Mayer film, starring Alain Delon, Ann-Margret, Van Heflin and Jack Palance, is a pulsating drama with vivid characterizations which holds you enthralled in its uncompromising, down-to-earth story of an excrook who tries desperately to go straight but who is hunted down by a relentless Nemesis. The crook is young Eddie Pedak (Alain Delon), who has served time for a hold-up but who, now married to the attractive Kristine (Ann-Margret) and the father of a little girl, is trying to save up enough money to buy a boat and earn his livelihood in San Francisco as a fisherman. His Nemesis is Mike Vido (Van Heflin), a police inspector who had been shot in the original robbery in which Pedak had been involved, who is convinced it was Eddie who fired the bullet which he has kept as a reminder, and who is fanatically obsessed with putting Eddie behind bars again. He SCENES FROM MGM’s “ONCE A THIEF” Pinned under acar, Alain Delon and John Davis Chandler struggle to obtain possession of a gun in one of the tense moments of **Once a Thief,’ explosive story of an ex-crook forced back into a life of crime. Ann-Margret plays Delon’s wife, with Van Heflin and Jack Palance also starred in the new Metro-GoldwynMayer drama, filmed entirely on locations in San Francisco. Still 1832-58 Once a Thief Mat 2-E Alain Delon and Ann-Margret in a dramatic moment from “Once a Thief,”’ explosive story of an ex-crook forced back into a life of crime. Filmed entirely on locations in San Francisco, the new Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer picture also stars Van Heflin and Jack Palance. It was directed by Ralph Nelson. Still 1832-42 Once a Thief Mat 2-C thinks he has finally caught up with Eddie when another robbery and killing occurs, but when the evidence indicates that Pedak was framed, he is forced to let him go again. But the arrest has served its purpose. Eddie cannot buy his fishing boat or get ses Alain Delon and Ann-Margret form the year’s most sizzling love team in ‘‘Once a Thief,”’ explosive drama of an ex-crook forced back into a life of crime. Van Heflin and Jack Palance also star in the new MetroGoldwyn-Mayer attraction. Still 1832-41 Once a Thief Mat 1-C any kind of job. Sickened to see Kristine working as a night club waitress while he cares for their daughter, Kathy, he is once again lured back into a life of crime when he is approached by his brother, Walter (Jack Palance) a big-time racketeer, with an audacious plan to rob a warehouse, at which Eddie had once been employed, of a million dollars in platinum. The way this daring robbery is conceived and executed will hold you spellbound. Its ramifications, involving as sinister a group of double-crossing hoodlums, thugs and murderers as you have evér seen perpetuating a crime, take place in various sections of San Francisco, including Nob Hill and Chinatown, with the stark climax occurring at the well known Fisherman’s Wharf. We’re not going to tell you how this robbery comes out or what happens when Eddie Pedak and Inspector Mike Vido meet in a final confrontation, but we can tell the viewer this much—he is going to be sitting on the edge of his seat through the terrorizing climax of “Once a, Thief.” This picture marks the American film debut for the talented and popular young French star, Alain Delon, who has risen to international fame with his performances in such films as “Any Number Can Win” and “The Yellow Rolls-Royce.” He will soar to even greater popularity as the result of his incisive and sympathetic portrayal of the hounded youth of “Once a Thief.” It was also a master stroke of casting to team Delon with Ann-Margret, for they form one of the most exciting romantic teams ever brought to the screen. “Once a Thief” is a Jacques Bar Production. Bar is the producer of the widely successful “Any Number Can Win.” He has produced his current film in association with Ralph Nelson and Fred Engel, the duo who produced the triumphant “Lilies of the Field,” which won Sidney Poitier an Academy Award. The screen play of “Once a Thief” is by Zekial Marko. Anyone looking for a picture with unremitting action and excitement, plus characterizations that are both compelling and human will get his money’s worth in “Once a Thief.” It’s a knockout of a movie. “ONCE A THIEF” FILMED ENTIRELY ON LOCATION IN SAN FRANCISCO LOCALES When it comes to casting a motion picture in San Francisco, the exotic is easy. It’s the police who cause all the trouble. Regulations do not permit any member of the police force to work in a motion picture. This made some extra work for casting director John Brebner when Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer’s crimethriller, “Once a Thief,” was filmed on location in San Francisco. “Once a Thief” bristles with policemen, along with stars Alain Delon as the thief; Ann-Margret, the thief’s wife; Van Heflin as a police lieutenant ; and Jack Palance as a gangster. With them is a melange of characters ranging from a Chinese fashion model to a world-famous diamond cutter and a Russian cellist who, at the age of 75, makes her film debut as Van Heflin’s Italian mother. More than 75 featured parts supplement the cast. “Despite the variety and colorful requirements, we actually had very little trouble finding the types we wanted,” states Brebner. “We even managed to round up thirty men standing 511” or over and qualified to step into the shoes of San Francisco’s finest. If we couldn’t have the bona fide policemen, we had the nearest thing to it.” Brebner also rates “Once a Thief” as boasting some of the most unusual thespians ever gathered together for a movie. He is particularly proud of such standouts as Ed Barrett, a longshoreman who, when not in front of movie cameras, dredges gold from shipwrecks in San Francisco Bay. Then there is Al Nalbandian, an Armenian part-time film actor who owns the Cable Car Flower Store on Union Square. And 6'7”, 290-pound William “Tiny” Baskin, one of the world’s most successful dia mond cutters, who plays a bouncer in the film. Big Al, a pseudo gangster, who whoops it up every night in his North Beach night club by “shooting” the piano player, plays himself in “Once a Thief.” So does his jazz drummer, Russell Lee, whose rhythm and music so impressed director Nelson that he had the opening of the film rewritten to focus on Lee and his way-out drum solo. Toy Yat Mar, kown as the “Chinese Sophie Tucker,” who entertains nightly at San Francisco’s Sky Room, plays the woman whose murder triggers off the film’s drama. Her husband is enacted by Ching Wah Lee, one of the city’s most distinguished appraisers of Oriental art. Dotting the cast are such other well known San Franciscans as Jimmy Diamond, piano player at Trader Vic’s; popular television announcer Tony Cort; and public relations expert Lloyd Jenkins, who now can write blurbs about himself as a movie actor. Then there are Web Trindle, who drives a municipal bus (in “Once a Thief” he totes a gun instead of punching a ticket) ; Yodi Tama, a judo expert; Karam, a devotee of Yogi; and Shereef, a belly dancer. When each of the varied roles in “Once a Thief” was filled and each of the 30 “policemen” arrived on the set resplendent in regulation uniform, there still remained a motorcycle officer and Chief Inspector to be cast. Brebner commandeered Director Nelson himself for the motorcycle cop. Then he started cutting police red tape and signed William Bradley as the Chief Inspector. Bradley is San Francisco’s Under Sheriff at the Hall of Justice. Brebner finally was satisfied.