U.S. Army lieutenant Duke Halliday (Robert Mitchum) is robbed of a $300,000 payroll by Jim Fiske (Patric Knowles). When Halliday's superior, Captain Vincent Blake (William Bendix), suspects him of having taken part in the theft, Halliday pursues Fiske into Mexico. Along the way, he runs into Joan Graham (Jane Greer), who is also after Fiske, she for $2000 loaned to her now ex-boyfriend. The two join forces, tentatively at first, as they are not sure if they can trust each other.
Fiske stays one step ahead of the couple as they chase him near the length of Mexico, pursued all the while with equal ardour by Blake. When Halliday is knocked down trying to stop Fiske from getting away, he comes to the attention of Police Inspector General Ortega (Ramon Novarro). Halliday claims to be Blake, using identification he took from the captain after a brawl. Ortega lets him go after Fiske, but keeps an eye on him. His suspicions towards Halliday are confirmed when the real Blake shows up at his office seeking help.
Halliday and Graham ultimately track Fiske to a safehouse in the desert, where a fence, Seton (John Qualen), offers him $150,000 in untraceable bills in exchange for the payroll. After a shootout, the couple are captured by Seton's henchmen. When Blake shows up, Halliday is initially relieved to be rescued, until Blake reveals that he is actually the brains behind the crime.
Fiske turns squeamish at the prospect of Graham being murdered and dumped in the desert along with Halliday, and proposes taking her with him. Blake, who is calling all the shots, rejects the idea, and in an act that shocks everyone shoots Fiske in the back when he goes to leave. Revealing just how ruthless he is, he then calmly explains to the others that his cover story will be that his late ex-partner, “apparently still at large”, will take the blame for the missing payroll. Seeking to twist Blake’s confession back on him, Halliday then points out to Seton that if Blake gets rid of him too, he can cover his tracks with the army by giving the stolen money back to it and keep the $150,000 for himself.
Alarmed, and taking no chances, Seton pulls a gun on everyone, and disarms Blake. Graham then creates a distraction for Halliday to jump Blake, whom he bests in a bruising fistfight, while she accidentally wounds Seaton during a successful struggle over his gun. Ortega is called to come make the arrests.
Cleared by Ortega of all wrongdoing, Halliday is free to return to the army. When he indicates to a waiting Graham there is nothing to do in Mexico to keep him there any longer, she points his attention to a passing Mexican couple parading their seven children. He gets her drift as she smiles coyly.
Robert Mitchum's arrest for possession of marijuana on September 1, 1948, and his subsequent conviction and incarceration, had a large impact on the production of The Big Steal. RKO head Howard Hughes saw Mitchum's notoriety surrounding the arrest (the actor already seen as a 'bad boy' in Hollywood) as a positive that would boost attention for a rather low-rent - but hopefully profitable - production.
George Raft was originally cast, but was replaced by Mitchum after the arrest.[5]Lizabeth Scott was slated for the female lead but quit three weeks prior to filming due to the arrest, and was replaced by Jane Greer (Mitchum and Greer had been earlier paired in the successful 1947 noir Out of the Past). Hughes had been keeping Greer, a former girlfriend, from appearing in any RKO films in an attempt to ruin her career, but finally conceded when no other actress would take the part.[6]
Filming
Filming (Los Angeles and Tehuacán, Puebla, Mexico) was rushed in order to capitalize on the publicity generated by Mitchum's drug charges and incarceration, with some scenes shot while Mitchum was serving his sentence. Seigel commented upon the effect of Mitchum's absence upon a scene in which William Bendix pursues Mitchum through a forest, shot three months apart:
Mitchum in the picture would come running into a sequence and the trees would be green, and Bendix would be right on his heels and the tree would be bare.[7]
Jane Greer's pregnancy ensured that the schedule was kept tight. This was part of the reason for the film's relatively short 71 minute runtime.[8] Despite this Siegel said the film came in under budget.[2]
The screenwriters Gerald Drayson Adams and Daniel Mainwaring (nom de plume Geoffrey Homes), were undecided as to Mitchum's film characterization, and according to film critic Judith M. Kass, viewers may be “confused about Mitchum’s motives until the final chase and denouement.”[7]
Release
Capitalizing on Michum's headlines was a proven scheme for Hughes, who immediately following the arrest had pushed for another of Mitchum's pictures, Rachel and the Stranger, to be released sooner than planned. Rachel was released on September 18, 1948, and became one of the year's biggest hits.[5]
Home media
The U.K. Region 2 DVD from 2008 (in a box set with 8 other film noir thrillers) is a colourised version, produced by Turner Entertainment, copyrighted 1991.
The U.S (multi region) DVD from 2007 is the black and white version and is on a double bill with 1955’s Illegal (1955 film) starring Edward G. Robinson.
Reception
Critical response
Channel 4 film reviews describes the movie as "Sparkling dialogues, fast-paced chases and the occasional twist make this an at first somewhat confusing but ultimately hugely entertaining film."[9][failed verification]
Hal Erickson writing for AllMovie calls the film "tautly directed by Don Siegel, who manages to pack plenty of twists and turns into the film's crowded 71 minutes."[10][failed verification]
In a review posted at Allmovie.com in 2024, Craig Butler writes:
“For a film noir, The Big Steal is surprisingly light. Unlike noirs such as The Big Sleep, which lace the darker proceedings with plenty of humor, Steal is fairly amusing all the way through. The setup and the stakes are serious, but the execution, even at its most action-packed, is handled with a sense of humor. Those looking for typical noir existentialism will be disappointed, but most will find themselves drawn in by Steal's charm…If The Big Steal falls short of classic status, it's because it's ultimately a caper film without a lot of depth to it; but if it's little more than one long chase, it's still an entertaining ride.” [11]
Critic Judith M. Kass, writing in The Hollywood Professionals, Volume 4 (1976), singles out Jane Greer's performance for special mention: “The real support for Mitchum comes from Greer, who is fast-talking, quick-thinking and light on her feet as any masculine lead…”[12]
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