THE MIDAS RUN
US, 1969, 106 minutes, Colour.
Richard Crenna, Anne Heywood, Fred Astaire, Ralph Richardson, Cesar Romero, Maurice Denham, Jacques Sernas, John Le Mesurier, Adolfo Celi.
Directed by Alf Kjellin.
has a lot of good credentials but is merely average entertainment. Direction is by Alf Kjellin, Swedish actor and director, former collaborator with Ingmar Bergman. His work as director in America has been mainly confined to small budget features and telemovies. The film is also a star vehicle for Fred Astaire who enjoys himself immensely in a league of gentlemen kind of role as a would-be robber who wants to solve a crime in order to receive a knighthood - which, by foul means, he eventually does. Richard Crenna and Anne Heywood are rather colourless in the central roles. However, there is an excellent cameo by Ralph Richardson, leading quite a number of guest stars. There is a colourful use of European locations and a bright musical score by Elmer Bernstein and an attractive theme song. It is a pity that the film is not more effective.
1. The entertainment value of this kind of European caper thriller?
2. The conventions of the caper - the magnitude of the amount of gold to be robbed? The ironic situations for establishing the group to do the job, manipulation, detailed plans, double-crosses? Confrontations? flow well did this film use the conventions?
3. The contributions of colour photography, the European locations? The affluent sets in Italy? The very British atmosphere of the Public Service? Venice, Austria, the countryside of Italy? The contribution of the musical score and the theme song? Special effects?
4. The plausibility of the plot - sufficient for the purposes of the comedy thriller? John Pedley and his work, his setting up the robbery, his power over the protagonists, his solving the mystery, his knighthood? (this kind of behaviour in view of British revelations about spying during the latter part of the 20th century?) The hero from America with his knowledge of war games, the leading lady? The use of criminals throughout Europe? The build-up to the shipment of the gold, the robbery, the disposing of the gold? The final confrontation and happy amoral ending?
5. Fred Astaire's style and personality as John Pedley? Was it credible that he should have gone to such lengths for money and knighthood? The satiric point being made? His work and his being Midas run passed over? Wister and his goading him, helping him? The relationship with Henshaw and the other authorities? His use of Wells as assistant and for manoeuvring? His enjoyment of war games and using this skill? The getting of Mike from America, manipulating him into doing the job? Using Sylvia? Double-crossing them? His vanity as he solved the case and put down Wister? His going off to the knighthood at the end? An enjoyable amoral hero?
6. Mike and his American background, being out of work, being led on by Wells? The pressures put on him by Pedley? Sylvia leading him on? His thinking he was inviting Sylvia to the job? The various plans, the sequence in the church, the Italian connections, the Austrian connections and the pilot, the drivers? The setting up of the house in northern Italy? The robbery itself and the use of the tank, etc.? Getting away? The double-crosses and arrest? The double dealings
and finale? Sylvia and her husband, her linking with Mike, sharing the experiences and her participation, the double-crosses and the happy ending?
7. The contribution of the minor characters and their guest roles - Ralph Richardson's humour and pomposity as Renshaw, John le Mesurier as the very English assistant, Maurice Denham an Crittenden presenting the insurance people? Adolfo Celi as the master Italian criminal? The group in Austria?
8. The creation of atmosphere - American riots and protests, British diplomacy and detection, Italian society, the war criminals and the mafia criminals in Italy?
10. The action sequences - especially the gunning down of the plane, the tanks and the actual robbery, the chases? A pleasant entertainment combination of familiar ingredients?
