Brazen thieves plot to rob an armored car; when things start to go awry, they gradually find out who their friends truly are in this film noir entry from Richard Fleischer. Clocking in at less than 70 minutes, this is a brisk thrill ride with barely a second wasted and there are several intense moments as the criminals debate the risks of getting their injured friend to a doctor and so on. The film missteps though by given equal focus to the policeman investigating the crime and the criminals themselves; while Fleischer's decision to show both sides in equal depth makes this refreshingly different to the average noir out there, it also places us in an awkward, distanced position in which it is hard to choose a side to root for. As the cop in charge, Charles McGraw is given some extra character dimension as his partner was killed by the thieves, something that causes him to take the case very seriously, and yet, the criminals remain the most charismatic characters here, especially William Talman who doesn't like "anything written down". While the quality sometimes varied, Fleischer always made interesting films and this one is no exception, though it is certainly far from his most involving film.
Review of Armored Car Robbery
