"The Brink's Job" is a comedy caper film based on a real crime. The January 17, 1950, Brink's robbery in Boston was called the "Crime of the Century." This movie is a light treatment of the event, and the characters who pulled it off. The movie implies that none of those involved in the incident "squealed," and it omits anything to do with killing. In reality, the gang tried to kill Specs O'Keefe who was imprisoned for anther petty robbery after this one. O'Keefe was mentally unstable and the gang thought he might talk. But after their attempts to kill him failed, he apparently talked to the FBI and named all involved.
While the movie just shows seven people involved in the heist, there actually were 11. Except for three who died, all who were convicted and sent to prison were out within 14 years – by 1971. The $2.7 million heist included $1.2 million in cash, and the rest in bonds and checks. Just $53,000 was ever recovered to this day.
The acting is good by the entire cast in this film. It was shot in Boston. The robbery was two years in the works – with careful casing of the Brink's place. Considering the first 40 years of the 20th century with so many bank robberies, the very low level of actual security measures by Brink's in 1950 is astonishing. But, as Peter Falk's Tony Pino says in the movie, the Brink's people were so cheap they didn't want to spend money on real security. Instead, they lied in their advertisements about the great security they provided.
The movie notes how the gang members were idolized by some youth of the day. This romantic and light-hearted treatment of crime is fun, but I wonder about it when it involves real crime.
While the movie just shows seven people involved in the heist, there actually were 11. Except for three who died, all who were convicted and sent to prison were out within 14 years – by 1971. The $2.7 million heist included $1.2 million in cash, and the rest in bonds and checks. Just $53,000 was ever recovered to this day.
The acting is good by the entire cast in this film. It was shot in Boston. The robbery was two years in the works – with careful casing of the Brink's place. Considering the first 40 years of the 20th century with so many bank robberies, the very low level of actual security measures by Brink's in 1950 is astonishing. But, as Peter Falk's Tony Pino says in the movie, the Brink's people were so cheap they didn't want to spend money on real security. Instead, they lied in their advertisements about the great security they provided.
The movie notes how the gang members were idolized by some youth of the day. This romantic and light-hearted treatment of crime is fun, but I wonder about it when it involves real crime.