Once a Thief (MGM) (1965)

“TINY” CAN DELIVER A MILLION DOLLARS WORTH OF PLATINUM! A part-time actor who isn’t afraid to “cut” a flawless 130 Karat diamond, who can deliver a million dollars in platinum within 24 hours, and who matches this big talk by his 6’ 7”-290 pound frame, is known as “Tiny.” He is William Baskin of San Francisco, fourth generation of diamond cutters, who owns California’s biggest diamond collection, including the 130 Karat Star of India. Although Baskin offered to deliver one-million dollars in platinum to Ralph Nelson for the robbery scenes in MetroGoldwyn-Mayer’s “Once a_ Thief,” filmed on locations in San Francisco, the director felt it unnecessary to go that far in movie realism. But Tiny won a reward—the role of the “bouncer” for scenes at Big Al’s night spot with stars Alain Delon and Ann-Margret. “Acting is like a tranquilizer for me,” he said, as he stepped out of his’ gold Cadillac. He also owns a white RollsRoyce and a red-and-white, twin engine Apache plane. “I don’t care about the money. My salary from films goes to the Boys Clubs of San Francisco.” Baskin has created jewels for the great and near-great. He made the diamond and emerald cuff links Mrs. Kennedy gave to the late President, and the diamond and ruby links President Johnson wears. “1’m also working on diamond rings, pins, necklaces, bracelets, cuff links and tie pins for General Motors to use as incentive prizes in their new plant cooperative programs,” he said. When it comes to engagement rings, he designed and cut diamonds for Dean Martin, Jerry Lewis, Mickey Rooney (more than once), Joey Bishop and Red Skelton, and recently created a tiny diamond pendant for Vincent Price’s infant daughter. Shirley Temple’s first ring was made by Tiny. So was Jane Withers’ first. Danny Kaye is another client. And Vic Damone. “LT know them all,” grinned the big man. “bake a look at Mrs, Henry Bord’s /5-Karat rime; lucut at.) also cut Mrs. John D. Rockefeller’s 30 Karat ring.” Along with cutting up diamonds and acting, he works for insurance companies. “I know about every diamond in the world,” Baskin declared. “I can smell out phoney insurance claims, phoney robberies and phoney losses. That’s my line.” FRIGHTENED Ann-Margret plays the most dramatic role of her career as the terrified young wife of Alain Delon 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 1832-31 Once a Thief Mat 1-B ENTICING HER CLIENTS TO BUY DRINKS Ann-Margret appears as a cocktail waitress in this scene from “Once a Thief,” in which she teams with Alain Delon in the explosive story of an ex-jailbird forced back into a life of crime. Van Heflin and Jack Palance also star in the new MetroGoldwyn-Mayer drama, filmed on locations in San Francisco. Still 1832-36 Once a Thief Mat 2-A EMERGING FROM NOWHERE, ANN-MARGRET HAS TURNED INTO BOX-OFFICE FAVORITE A deceptive adolescent quality, al most a “little girl” appeal, leaves anyone meeting Ann-Margret for the first time unprepared for the explosive attributes which have catapulted her to fourth place among the ten leading boxoffice stars. Emerging from nowhere, Ann-Margret accomplished the coup in less than three years, somewhat of a miracle even for Hollywood. “A sizzling mixture of sex appeal, plus shyness, plus animal spirits, plus shrewd management equals—Ann-Margret,’ is how a writer for a leading national magazine interprets the phenomenon. And the Wall Street Journal was sufficiently impressed to break policy and run a front-page interview with an actress. The story was_ headlined: Hard Work, Ambition, Beauty Propel a “Dream-Come-True Girl... Young Actress to the Top in Hollywood. Film Star’s Income May Hit $500,000.” Everybody Wants Her Their financial estimate was conservative. Every major studio in Hollywood bids for her services. She has 17 top budget productions lined up. MetroGoldwyn-Mayer has her for “Once a Thief” opposite Alain Delon, currently in exhibition; “The Cincinnati Kid” with Steve McQueen; and “Made in Paris.” The latter, in addition to giving the star three leading men, promises a $99,000 Helen Rose wardrobe. None of this particularly surprises Ann-Margret. “I knew long ago that | wanted to be an entertainer,” she says. “There was no doubt in my mind. I’m prepared to work. I want to do everything—sing, dance, play comedy, do serious roles. But I’m in no hurry. There’s plenty of time.” The public can’t seem to wait. They bestowed stardom on the magnetic youngster shortly after hearing her belt out “Bachelor in Paradise” at the 1962 Academy Award presentations. Today, the exuberant song-and-dance girl is going beyond the froth of musicals. As the young wife of Alain Delon who tries desperately to prevent her husband from returning to a life of crime in “Once a Thief,” Ann-Margret needed none of the obvious trappings of glamour. She neither sings nor dances. What she does is act. She worked under the direction of Ralph Nelson, another show business personality who skyrocketed to prominence after his memorable “Lilies of the Field.” “The Ann-Margret fans who think of her only as a whirlwind of music and rhythm are going to be surprised by the maturity and depth of her performance,” Nelson stated. Ann-Margret, herself, is frankly excited about this step into serious drama. She is especially proud of one of the dramatic sequences in which she is slapped by Delon. “It was the only time in my career that I actually lost myself in a scene,” she confesses. “I can hardly remember doing it. Only when Mr. Nelson shook me and also slapped my face to make me stop crying did I realize the ‘take’ was over.” Everything is exciting to this 22-yearold, who loves to zoom around the Hollywood Hills on her white motorcycle, a hobby which has turned the hair of many a studio mogul grey. Ann-Margret shrugs off their concern. “I come from a family of daredevils,” she laughs. “ONCE A THIEF” FIRST AMERICAN FILM FOR FRENCH MOVIE IDOL ALAIN DELON The Frenchman is a tiger. On his own since he was sixteen, Alain Delon first learned the tiger technique as a marine in Indo-China. “During the five years I served in the marines I grew up fast,” he says. “I accepted the fact that a man must learn to kill or be killed.” At 21, spotted by a director at a Cannes Film Festival, Delon was catapulted into a film career which has made him the most popular young star throughout Europe, Japan and South America. He came to Hollywood for his first American-made film, MetroGoldwyn-Mayer’s “Once a Thief,” in which he co-stars with Ann-Margret. But what makes the American press refer to the tiger in the man hasn’t anything to do with the marines. It’s that Delon “killer quality” with the ladies. On and off-screen, he has been coupled with such internationally famous actresses as Brigitte Bardot, Romy Schneider, Sophia Loren, Gina Lollobrigida, Shirley MacLaine and Jane Fonda. The Associated Press wrote : “Hollywood hasn’t. seen anything like Alain Delon in 40 years.’ Fellow syndicate NEA asks: “Filmdom’s Next Heartthrob?” UPI declares: ‘Delon Fills Dearth Left by Matinee Idols.” Making headlines comes naturally to Delon. His exploits as a daredevil racer of custom built cars has made news across every border of the world. He even drove a jeep into the Saigon River. “That earned me three months in the brig,” he grinned. But there is far more to Delon than HE SHUTS UP Roy Elwell, who is also Scott Bridges, moderator of San Francisco’s “Talkoholics Anonymous” radio show, plays a strategic role with Alain Delon and Ann-Margret in Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer’s exciting crime drama, “Once a Thief.” On radio, Roy never stops talking from two a.m. until 5:30 a.m. But as a guard who tries to catch Delon in “Once a Thief,” he plays his best scenes—gageged. Moreover, it takes more than a movie star to down Elwell. He summons aid by dialing a telephone with his nose ! Van Heflin, as a police lieutenant, taunts Alain Delon in this scene from ‘*Once a Thief,’ explosive story of an ex -jailbird forced back into a life of crime. Ann-Margret plays Delon’s frightened young wife, with Jack Palance a fourth star of the new Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer drama, filmed in San Francisco. Still 1832-49 Once a Thief Mat 2-D Alain Delon, as the ex-jailbird forced back into a life of crime in Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer’s taut drama, ‘‘Once a Thief.’ Ann-Margret teams with the popular young French star, with other leading roles played by Van Heflinand Jack Palance. Still 1832-48 Once a Thief Mat 1-D his flair for the spectacular. He is deadly serious about his work and career. When asked about film making in Hollywood, he said, “There is little difference in making pictures in Italy, Hong Kong, Greece, Paris or Hollywood. In America, a studio is more perfectly run, more technically aware. But acting in front of the cameras is the same everywhere.” In “Once a Thief,” Delon plays an ex-convict forced back into a life of crime. Fast-moving action, suspense and the earthiness of his love-making with Ann-Margret etch a picture of the actor which has been building in such films as “Rocco and His Brothers,” “Purple Noon,” “Any Number Can Win” and “The Yellow Rolls-Royce.” As director Ralph Nelson puts it: “Delon is an actor who is dedicated to his profession. He allows nothing to distract him from his role and is brilliantly talented. Hollywood needs his dynamic vitality.” Delon himself puts it in a different way. ‘““No matter how popular an actor is in Europe, the distribution of European films which are shown primarily in art houses limits his growth. To be really successful one must also work in Hollywood.” Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer did not let much time lapse in choosing a new property for Delon to follow “Once a Thief.’ Produced by Jacque Bar and directed by Sam Peckinpah, its title is “Ready for the Tiger.” What else? LIFE BEGINS AT 75 FOR THIS ACTRESS! Acting aspirants take heart—Eugenia Bem makes her motion picture debut at the age of 75 as Van Heflin’s mother in “Once a Thief,” Metro-GoldwynMayer’s exciting crime drama _ with Alain Delon heading the cast. Miss Bem, a native of San Francisco, had already achieved a successful career as a cellist but decided to enlarge her horizons by taking drama courses at the University of California. On learning that “Once a Thief” would be filmed entirely on locations in San Francisco, she wrote to director Ralph Nelson, asking if he would audition her for a part in the film. The audition proved a complete success and Miss Bem walked out with the strategic role of Van Heflin’s mother. 3