Grand Slam

source: Grand Slam

A professor (Edward G. Robinson) has been teaching American history in Rio for 30 years. He retires and returns to the States, where he goes to see an old friend in crime. He wants to rob the diamond repository across the street from his school in Rio. For that, he'll need to send four criminal experts to do the dirty work. It's a complicated plan, but things get much more complicated when they discover that the safe is now protected by a new multi-microphone system called Grand Slam 70, which sets off an alarm if it detects any noise above 14 decibels. Plus, there's the matter of getting a special key from the repository's special secretary (the special Janet Leigh), and that's going nowhere fast. Looks like the deal is off... No, of course it's not. ;) This was fun movie, a grand caper featuring the beautiful backdrop of Rio during Carnival (with some scenes taking place in Rome, London and New York as well), with some good Mission: Impossible-style ingenuity and obstacles, and even some infighting, providing decent tension. I liked it a lot, from beginning to end. Only a couple of downsides, in that Robinson was barely in it (and I'm not big on the apparently always miserable Klaus Kinski, though I admit he is good at what he does), plus the setup, essentially the first 1/4 of the movie, felt a little longer than necessary. The whole movie could've easily worked in 90 minutes or less. Other than that, though, it's a really good'un! P.S. That categorized master criminal list was pretty impressive. Wonder how many crimelords really had something like that, let alone that many connections.

"Grand Slam" is a nice heist film, in search of an ending that makes some sense. The cast includes Janet Leigh, Klaus Kinski, and Edward G. Robinson, so the acting is totally acceptable. The intricate diamond caper is also depicted quite well, and the Rio locations another plus. What seems like an endless build up to the actual heist pushes the film into too long territory at just over two hours. Despite the length, interest is maintained until the startling surprise conclusion, an ending that will leave the bewildered audience gasping in disbelief after all that has preceded it. I defy anyone to explain the logic behind the ending of this film. To put things in perspective, even if things did take place off screen to support such a finale, it is far from believable, and leaves a very bad taste that is likely to linger for quite awhile. - MERK

This film belongs to the top ten that the sixties decade provided us, a gritty heist movie without comedy. Admit that the Italian co productions of those years were mostly semi comedy topics, maybe not hilarious, but light hearted. Once again, we have Edward G Robinson involved in a major heist, remember him in THE SEVEN THIEVES, directed by Hank Hathaway, back in 1959. No realism here, only myth and excitement, a great film de genre, on the same scale as SEVEN GOLDEN MEN, but maybe more serious though. Casting over the top for this kind of feature. And what I like the most in this picture is that there is no ONLY, UNIQUE lead character, but a bunch of lead ones, and not played by super stars, not widely known actors. The most known : Adolfo Celli and Eddy Robinson have only supporting roles, and at the lowest level. The influence of RIFIFI, TOPKAPI, CAPER OF THE GOLDEN BULLS is so obvious, for the heist itself, with no talk, and also the technological part of the preparation, with the alarm system and the safe. Rather dark story for this kind of topic. No light hearted for sure.

Janet Leigh, Edward G. Robinson, and Adolpho Celi, known to American audiences as a Bond villain, star in this fascinating heist film. Robinson is the mastermind after he's been fired and he goes to a long-standing friend for the right key-men needed for the job: an expert safe-cracker, a demolitions man for the right TNT needed, etc. Despite its slow, meticulous pace, it manages to keep the viewers interest. But what really blows the viewers' mind, isn't so much what inevitably becomes to each of the gang, but the very last minute's twist ending. It's a shocker and leaves you all up in knots. You're sitting there, wondering if they were followed or was this some spontaneous action. If you love heist films, then find this one first. Then all others will suffer in comparison.

Let's see, a safe with beaucoup money that's impossible to break into. Original? Hardly, though if well done, is still a useful plot for a good movie. Let's begin with production values. The sagging laser lines, cited by another reviewer, is just the beginning. Sound quality is poor, even by 1967 standards. The automatic ramp (in the inner safe room noticeably shakes like the flimsy prop it is, rather than the advanced machine it is supposed to be. And as for plot holes? Yeah, only the secretary would be allowed to hold the key - which she takes home at night and leaves unguarded in her purse (not a safe). And how did the diamonds get from the tan case into her black case? The former never left Klaus Kinski's possession. The playboy's cartoon courting (with flowers) is about as convincing as Kinski removing the suspension cable (the one the thieves used to cross above the street) by giving it a quick yank. And Kinski's stiff-backed German soldier persona is as convincing as the Rigaud's stiff-upper-lip British cliche, or the Italian's, or the... In short, this is movie was crudely made to fit a plot fashioned from cliches. For a much better example within this genre, see Rififfi, made 12 years earlier on a much smaller budget. In black & white, but sets the standard Grand Slam should have followed.

Edward G Robinson retires after 30 years of teaching in Rio De Janeiro having planned all along the audacious robbery of $10m worth of diamonds. He consults an old friend who helps him pinpoint and recruit the 4 experts he needs to carry out the job. Strange, but not wholly unenjoyable euro pudding production with Robinson and Leigh bought in and largely at the sidelines so the film would sell tickets in the US. The bulk of the film concentrates on the planning and robbery by the 4 who each give rather unconvincing performances, with Klaus Kinski as wired and angry as ever. The heist itself is quite well orchestrated but thereafter it all gets rather messy. Passable spaghetti heist thriller if you can manage your expectations.

An all too familiar story in our world: A professor with too much time on his hands plots a diamond heist and enlists the help of a New York mobster and a team of nefarious experts who's specialties run the spectrum of various prerequisites for daring jewel capers, such as safe-cracking, etc. No surprises here- although one member of the team is a professional playboy- and are there really such things? How does one earn the title of playboy?- who's only job is to seduce the icy secretary with the key to the vault! You'll probably see the twist coming but they keep their cards close to the vest so there's still a tinge of surprise at the end. Fans of Kinski will not find a heck of a lot to snicker about as they watch their favorite crazy-friend-of- Herzog plod through another flick he probably just did for money. While Kinski isn't quite plausible as a hardened military man, he does a pretty fine, straight job in this role. Good times, all around.

I would be difficult for me to say enough good things about this movie. The Itallians came make a movie like no one else. This is a very stylistic heist movie. It co-stars the b movie hero, Klaus Kinski. The score was done by Ennio Morricone. What more could you ask for? This is truly outstanding example of the Itallian crime sub-genre. All the elements that make a movie of this type entertaining are present in spades: over the top schemes, gadgets, one-liners, and car chases. I have heard many of Enni Morricone's scores, but the opening piece is one of his best. Over the past few years, Blue Underground re-released some great, obscure movies. Watch this.

Been spreading the word around the neighborhood about this forgotten cultural curiosity like a virus! The amount of clichés and stereotypes in this piece make the entire thing hilarious and a good deal of fun to watch. Rio becomes this absolutely exotic venue, with non-stop carnivals and pageants, strange folk a galore and people who go by the name of "Stetuaka" (?!?!) - believe me, I have been born, raised and lived a good part of my life in Rio and have never, ever known anyone by the name of Stetuaka (played simply by one "Jussara" - may the Almighty bless her whoever she is!). But, and this is the main point of interest and solely for this I give it a ten, there are some exceptional external takes that give us a very good glimpse of Rio de Janeiro when it was still a breathtaking city and an incredible place to live (and not the violent, crime-infested & decadent urban disaster it is today) - excellent shots from the pre-expansion Copacabana Beach, Downtown, the Pavãozinho Slum and, most amazingly, a still pristine Barra da Tijuca, a very far cry from the horrendous scenario it has now become. For those of us, who live here or know Rio, a very nostalgic piece, not to be missed. Oh, yes, almost forgot...there's also some sort of a loosely built plot, about a heist around a handful of diamonds, but that's really secondary, of nil interest.