Today’s movie is a comedy/drama with a scene that happens on
June 23. I hope you will watch this movie tonight and enjoy it.
THE JOKERS
Michael Tremayne is booted out of
Sandhurst. He and his brother David want to do something “big” and they decide
to do a crime as a “grand gesture”. The
brothers take Inge, David’s new inamorata, on a tour of London, including the
Tower. At a dinner party they learn that you cannot be charged with theft
unless you intend to permanently deprive the owner of their property. David
proposes stealing the crown jewels and sending letters out beforehand, showing
they aren’t intending to permanently deprive. Michael is somewhat jealous of
David, as Davis is considered the ‘good’ son and him the ‘bad’ son. They write
and deliver the letters. They plant a bomb at the Albert Memorial and observe
the police procedure. Next they put a bomb at the lion cage at the London zoo.
Then they blow up a ladies lavatory. David gets a laser. They put a bomb at the
stock exchange and David goes to the army base, and uses a tape recorder to
record the procedures. Finally the day comes. Michael goes to the jewel room in
the Tower and hides a bomb there. David and Michael go to the base and tie up
the duty officer. They take the place of the bomb disposal expert and his
assistant. They ride with the army to the Tower. The pair go into the bomb room
and knock out the rather silly Colonel who went in with them who commands
the army base. David and Michael have
had the alarms turned of, due to the danger of “vibration” and use the laser to
cut into the cabinets with the jewels. The pair set off a small bomb and a
smoke bomb. The two stagger out pretending to be hurt. The pair then escape
from the ambulance taking them to hospital with the jewels. The theft causes a huge stink and a
worldwide search is undertaken for the robbers. David and Michael enjoy the
media frenzy. One week after the robbery on June 23, 1967 the letters are
opened and delivered to the police. [1:08:10 to 1:13:59] They go to get the jewels from their hiding
place, but they are not there. When the police arrive to arrest David, Michael
says he doesn’t know anything about the robbery. Michael never delivered his
letter. David is identified as the bomb expert, but the witnesses can’t
identify Michael. The police investigate, but can’t break down Michael’s alibi
of being at a party. Michael is released. David is indicted and bail is
refused. The police set up a plan to
make Michael think his alibi is breaking down, but Michael evades police
surveillance. We then see him digging up the jewels from where he buried them
at Stonehenge. Michael calls a telephone he know is tapped to say he’s
returning the jewels in Trafalgar Square at 4 a. m. The police set up a cordon,
but Michael uses their concentration on the square to put them in the scales of
justice on top of the Old Bailey. Michael is arrested. We close with both
brothers imprisoned in the Tower, plotting their escape.
This is a very funny sixties
British comedy. Crawford and Reed play off each other perfectly to deliver
unforgettable performances. Unfortunately I don’t think this film is on VHS or
DVD.
At Michael’s arraignment at
1:18:50 the date of the crime is given as June 16. They planned to return the
jewels a week later, the 23rd, , as evidenced by some comments at
about 36:40 where Michael says they will deliver the letters on Friday and then
call to have them released seven days later, on the day they plan to return the
jewels. June 16 was on a Friday in 1967.
Producer - Ben Arbeid and Maurice Foster
Director - Michael Winner
Screenplay - Dick Clement and Ian La Frenais
Runtime – 1 hour 34 minutes
Released – May 15, 1967
Starring –
Michael Crawford as Michael Tremayne
Oliver Reed as David Tremayne
Harry Andrews as Superintendent Marryatt
James Donald as Colonel Gurney-Simms
Daniel Massey as Riggs
Michael Hordern as Sir Matthew
Gabriella Licudi as Eve
Lotte Tarp as Inge
Frank Finlay as Harassed man
Warren Mitchell as Lennie
Rachel Kempson as Mrs. Tremayne
Peter Graves as Mr. Tremayne
Ingrid Boulting as Sarah
Brian Wilde as Sergeant Catchpole
Edward Fox as Lieutenant Sprague
Michael Goodliffe as Lieutenant
Colonel Paling
Copyright by Ivan Walters 2014.
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