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The Thomas Crown Affair (1968 film)
The Thomas Crown Affair is a 1968 American heist film directed by Norman Jewison and written by Alan Trustman. It stars Steve McQueen, Faye Dunaway, Paul Burke and Jack Weston. In the film, Vicki Anderson (Dunaway) is hired to investigate the culprits of a multi-million dollar bank heist, orchestrated by Thomas Crown (McQueen). The film was nominated for two Academy Awards, winning Best Original Song for Michel Legrand's "The Windmills of Your Mind". A remake was released in 1999. PlotMillionaire businessman-sportsman Thomas Crown is a handsome, dashing, cultured adrenaline junkie. Out of boredom, he masterminds a near perfect crime by organizing a five-man heist of $2.66 million from a Boston bank ($17.8 million in 2023 dollars[3]), with the getaway driver dumping the money in a quiet cemetery trash can. None of the men ever meet Crown face to face, nor know or meet each other before the robbery. Crown retrieves the money after secretly trailing the drop. He deposits it into a numbered bank account in Geneva over several trips to avoid drawing undue attention to his actions. Independent investigator Vicki Anderson is contracted by the bank’s insurance company to investigate the heist; she will receive 10% of the stolen money if she recovers it. Speculating that whoever planned the robbery was familiar with the bank's routines because he had an account there, and that the stolen money has been spirited to Switzerland, Vicki and the police draw up a list of bank customers who have made several recent trips to Geneva. When she sees Crown's profile on the list, she intuitively recognizes him as capable of orchestrating the robbery, and shortly thereafter guesses the cellular method that he used to organize the robbers. Growing closer to her quarry, Vicki makes it clear to Crown that she knows he is the thief and that she intends to prove it. A game of cat and mouse ensues, which spurs both a physical and emotional attraction that soon evolves into an affair. This complicates Vicki's vow to find the money and help detective friend Eddy Malone bring the perpetrator to justice. A reward offer entices the wife of the getaway driver, Erwin Weaver, to inform on him for $25,000 ($167,000 in 2023 dollars[3]). Vicki finds out that he was hired by a man he never saw but whose voice he heard (via a microphone). She tries putting Erwin in the same room as Crown, but there is no hint of recognition on either's part. While Vicki is clearly closing in on Crown, even using the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) as leverage against his liquid assets, he forces her to realize the extent of her conflicted emotions. When she seemingly persuades him to negotiate an end, Eddy Malone stubbornly refuses to make any deal, leaving her torn between the men, her convictions, and her heart. Crown organizes another robbery exactly like the first with different accomplices and tells Vicki where the "drop" will be, because he has to know for sure that she is on his side. The robbery goes off like clockwork. Choosing her loyalty, Vicki and the police stake out the cemetery, where they watch one of the robbers make the drop, then lie in wait to ambush Crown. However, when his Rolls-Royce arrives, he has sent a messenger in his place, with a telegram inviting her to either bring the money and join him or keep the car as a concession prize. Reflexively smiling at him eluding her trap, she soon realizes she had revealed her hand yet gained nothing in return. Tearing the telegram to bits, she strews the pieces to the wind, tearfully staring at the sky while Crown escapes unruffled overhead. The audience never learns whether there was actually money in the bags dropped at the cemetery or not, nor what becomes of Vicki following her blurred role of playing both ends against the middle—trying to entice a criminal to confess or entrap him—while simultaneously abetting him in concealing the original crime and perpetrating a new one successfully. Cast
ProductionA pioneering split screen photography technique used to show simultaneous actions was inspired by the breakthrough Expo 67 films In the Labyrinth and A Place to Stand. The latter debuted the use of Christopher Chapman's "multi-dynamic image technique" of images shifting on moving panes.[4][5] Steve McQueen was on hand for an advance screening of A Place to Stand in Hollywood, and personally told Chapman he was highly impressed; the following year, Norman Jewison incorporated the technique into the film by inserting split screen scenes into the already finished product.[5] The film also features a chess scene, with McQueen and Dunaway playing a game of chess, silently flirting with each other.[6] The game depicted is based on a game played in Vienna in 1898 between Gustav Zeissl and Walter von Walthoffen.[7][8] McQueen performed his own stunts, which include playing polo and driving a dune buggy at high speed along the Massachusetts coastline.[9] Vicki Anderson's car, referred to as "one of those red Italian things",[10] is the first of only ten Ferrari 275 GTB/4S NART Spiders built.[9] Today, this model is one of the most valuable Ferrari road cars made.[10] McQueen liked the car very much, and eventually managed to acquire one for himself.[9] The dune buggy was a Meyers Manx.[citation needed] McQueen owned one.[citation needed] Crown's two-door Rolls-Royce Silver Shadow carried the Massachusetts vanity license plate "TC 100" for the film. Sean Connery had been the original choice for the title role, but turned it down — a decision he later regretted.[11] Johnny Carson also turned down the role.[12] Filming locationsThe movie was filmed primarily on location in Boston and surrounding areas in Massachusetts and New Hampshire:
Other locations included:
ReleaseThe Thomas Crown Affair had its world premiere in Boston on June 19, 1968, with openings in Los Angeles and New York on June 26, 1968, and a nationwide release in August 1968.[15] This movie's release introduced United Artists' new logo that shows the iconic Transamerica "T" and the byline, "Entertainment from Transamerica Corporation".[citation needed] The Thomas Crown Affair made its U.S. television premiere on NBC Saturday Night at the Movies in September 1972. Home mediaThe film was released on DVD by MGM Home Entertainment in the United States in February 1999 with two special features, an audio commentary by director Norman Jewison and theatrical trailer.[16] It was first released on Blu-ray Disc on February 1, 2011, with the same extra supplements.[17] On February 13, 2018, Kino Lorber (under license from MGM) released a Blu-ray 50th anniversary edition with six extra features, including an original featurette with cast and crew interviews, audio commentary by film historians Lem Dobbs and Nick Redman, and an interview with the director.[18] ReceptionBox officeThe film was successful at the box office, grossing $14 million on a $4.3 million budget.[2] Critical responseReviews at the time were mixed. Critics praised the chemistry between McQueen and Dunaway and Norman Jewison's stylish direction, but considered the plotting and writing rather thin. Roger Ebert gave it 2+1⁄2 stars out of four, calling it "possibly the most under-plotted, underwritten, over-photographed film of the year. Which is not to say it isn't great to look at. It is."[19] As of 2020, the film held a rating of 70% from 40 reviews at the film aggregate website Rotten Tomatoes. The site's consensus states: "Steve McQueen settles into the role with ease and aplomb, in a film that whisks viewers into an exotic world with style and sex appeal."[20] Awards and nominations
Soundtrack
The music was composed and conducted by Michel Legrand, scoring his first major American film. Director Norman Jewison had hoped to hire Henry Mancini for the project, but he was unavailable and recommended Legrand; he wrote his music as long pieces rather than specifically to scene timings, with the film later edited to the music by Legrand, Jewison and editor Hal Ashby. In addition, Legrand also had to prepare an original song to replace "Strawberry Fields Forever", used as the temporary track for the glider scene. Taking Quincy Jones' advice, Legrand worked with the Bergmans to compose "The Windmills of Your Mind" and a second song, "His Eyes, Her Eyes"; Noel Harrison recorded "The Windmills of Your Mind" after Jewison failed to get his friend Andy Williams to do it, while Legrand performed "His Eyes, Her Eyes". Although the film's score was recorded in Hollywood, featuring Vincent DeRosa, Bud Shank, Carol Kaye, Emil Richards, Ray Brown and Shelly Manne, the album re-recording issued by United Artists Records on LP was done in France under the composer's baton; Jewison said it was the favorite score for any of his films.[25] The original album was later reissued by Rykodisc in 1998 on CD, with five dialogue excerpts and the inclusion of "Moments of Love" and "Doubting Thomas". Varèse Sarabande re-released the album in 2004 (without the dialogue excerpts). In 2014, Quartet Records issued a limited edition CD featuring the previously released album tracks (1–13 below) and the premiere release of the film version. Expanded album track listing
In popular culture
FranchiseRemakeThe 1999 remake was released starring Pierce Brosnan as Crown, Rene Russo as the insurance investigator, and Denis Leary as the detective. The original film's co-star Faye Dunaway also appears as Crown's therapist. This adaptation is different from the original in that it is set in New York rather than Boston, and the robbery is of a priceless painting, a Monet, instead of cash, among other story line differences, including the complete lack of violence in Thomas Crown's crimes.[26] False startsIn January 2007, a sequel to the 1999 movie, loosely based on Topkapi (1964), was announced as being in development.[27] By January 2009, Brosnan confirmed his involvement while announcing Paul Verhoeven as director.[28] By April 2010, Verhoeven stepped down from his role as director, citing creative differences and scheduling conflicts.[29] At various points in time, both Angelina Jolie and Charlize Theron were in discussions for roles in the film, with Brosnan expressing interest in having Theron co-star.[30] In April 2013, Brosnan acknowledged the project's status in development hell, while stating he is still interested in developing the film.[31] In April 2014, John McTiernan revealed that he had written a treatment for the script, titled "Thomas Crown and the Missing Lioness". The initial script had been written by John Rogers from a story he had co-written with Harley Peyton, while additional material was provided by Nick Meyer, Michael Finch and Karl Gajdusek.[32] In 2016, Michael B. Jordan had approached Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer to pitch a new adapatation of the story, with hopes of starring in the lead role.[33][34] PotentialIn April 2023, after having acquired MGM, Amazon announced plans to reboot the franchise, with a new feature film in development through the company's Amazon Studios.[35] On September 11, 2024, it was announced that Michael B. Jordan would direct and star in the new film, with Drew Pearce writing.[36] See alsoReferences
External links
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