Rating summary

Movie		4.0
Video		4.0
Audio		4.5
Extras		4.5
Overall		4.5

Robbery Blu-ray Movie Review

Reviewed by Dr. Svet Atanasov September 14, 2015

Peter Yates' "Robbery" (1967) arrives on Blu-ray courtesy of British distributors Network Releasing. The supplemental features on the disc include an exclusive new interview with Michael Deeley; archival interview with Stanley Baker; behind the scenes footage; "Waiting for the Signal: The Making of Robbery", new documentary directed by James McCabe; promotional materials; and more. The release also arrives with a 30-page illustrated booklet featuring Sheldon Hall's essay "Robbery in Broad Daylight". In English, with optional English SDH subtitles for the main feature. Region-B "locked".

"What happens if things get sticky?"

The bulk of the events that are chronicled in Peter Yates’ film are real. They are also recreated with such impressive precision that at times it seems like they might have been extracted from a documentary feature.

Stanley Baker is Paul Clifton, a perfectionist who leads a gang of thieves that have done a number of big jobs. They have made good money, but need more before they split up and retire someplace warm and sunny. Their next job, which Clifton has been planning for months, will allow them to do precisely that. It is a big one, perhaps even too big, but Clifton is convinced that it is doable if everyone follows his instructions.

They will rob a night mail train heading from Glasgow to London immediately after the holidays. The train will be transporting two, possibly even three million pounds, but it won’t be heavily guarded. This does not mean that they will have plenty of time to stop the train, get the money and disappear. No, they will have a fixed period of time and a lot of things could go wrong. They will have to be careful after the robbery as well because everyone will be looking for them.

There are a few dramatic events that are seen through Clifton’s eyes, but the majority of the film is actually one big “How to Do a Robbery” lesson. Not only are the preparations incredibly detailed, but there are actually very illuminating discussions about the type of risks the thieves could potentially face during and after the robbery.

The robbery is fascinating to behold. For example, various sequences are without dialog and the camera is fully focused on the work the masked thieves do. Here the atmosphere seems similar to that of Jules Dassin’s classic gangster film Rififi, but the time management isn’t the same. Indeed, Clifton’s thieves are in the middle of nowhere and they are facing very different threats. They also work in groups and as a result communication is a lot more complicated.

Early into the film, there is a long and very intense chase sequence through the streets of London that Walter Hill must have studied before he completed The Driver. Here the camera positioning and movement as well as the editing are probably as effective as they could have been during the early 1960s. (The technical brilliance of this particular sequence was one of the key reasons why immediately after this film Yates was contracted to shoot the classic Bullitt for Warner Brothers).

Baker is great as the intelligent leader who understands exactly when and what could go wrong with the plan if his men do not follow his orders. James Booth is brilliant as the suspicious and equally intelligent Inspector George Langdon. There are memorable cameos by Barry Foster, Frank Finlay, George Sewell, and William Marlowe. Joanna Pettet plays a frustrated wife who is left to wonder what could have been.

The film’s very popular energetic orchestral score was created by composer-arranger Johnny Keating (Peter Collinson’s Innocent Bystanders, Richard Quine’s Hotel). The main theme, “Born to Lose”, is sung by Jackie Lee.

Robbery Blu-ray Movie, Video Quality 

Presented in an aspect ratio of 1.67:1, encoded with MPEG-4 AVC and granted a 1080p transfer, Peter Yates' Robbery arrives on Blu-ray courtesy of Network Releasing.

The following text was provided by the British distributors:

"Previously released on DVD from an old 1.33:1 (4:3 pan and scan) transfer, Robbery has now been scanned to 2K resolution from the 35mm original negative and restored to its correct theatrical aspect ratio. The restoration involved grain management, both automated and manual removal of film dirt and damage, and correction of major instability, warping and density fluctuations. The image has been fully color corrected. While conforming, it was found that a ten-second interior shot of the police car during the opening chase sequence has been cut from the DVD release. This has been re-installed for this restoration. The original magnetic audio elements were unfortunately in a very poor condition and unable to be used due to deterioration, so the existing mono soundtrack has been restored.

Restoration Commissioned by Network Distributing Limited.
Network Restoration Producer: Mark Stanborough.
Transfer Facility: RR Media, Action.
Colorist: Ray King.
Picture Restoration: Anthony Badger.
Audio Restoration: Nitin Negandhi."

My one and only minor criticism pertains to the fact that the grain has been toned down a bit. The work is very carefully done -- it is in fact quite similar to the work that was done on the recent restoration of The Professionals: MkI -- but I think that the film would have looked even better without it. Still, the end result is enormously pleasing. During the daylight footage, depth and clarity are very nice and image stability is outstanding (see screencaptures #6 and 14). The nighttime/indoor footage is pleasing, though shadow definition could have been better (this is where the effects of the light grain management could be easy to spot). Color stability is also very good. The overall range of color tonalities is rather cold, but balance is convincing. There are no traces of compromising sharpening adjustments. Finally, there are no large debris, damage marks, cuts, warps, or stains to report in our review. All in all, this is a very good technical presentation of Robbery which will likely remain its definitive presentation on the home video market. My score is 4.25/5.00. (Note: This is a Region-B "locked" Blu-ray release. Therefore, you must have a native Region-B or Region-Free player in order to access its content).

Robbery Blu-ray Movie, Audio Quality 

There is only one standard audio track on this Blu-ray release: English LPCM 2.0. Optional white English SDH subtitles are provided for the main feature.

The lossless audio is excellent. It has very good depth and clarity is as pleasing as it could be for a film from the late 1960s. The action sequences, in particular, have benefited greatly from the restoration work. During the chase in the very beginning of the film as well as during the train robbery, the dynamic intensity is excellent. The dialog is consistently crisp, clean, stable, and easy to follow. There are no balance issues, dropouts, or digital distortions to report in our review.

Robbery Blu-ray Movie, Special Features and Extras 

• Michael Deeley Interview - in this new video interview, producer Michael Deeley explains how Robbery came to exist, and discusses some of its unique qualities, some of the technical challenges the shooting crew had to overcome (with some excellent comments about the chase sequence), the film's reception. Peter Yates' working methods, etc. The interview was conducted exclusively for Network Releasing in 2015. In English, not subtitled. (23 min).

• Cinema: Stanley Baker - presented here is an archival interview with Stanley Baker. It was conducted by Clive James and broadcast in November 1972. In English, not subtitled. (32 min).

• Behind the Scenes Footage - presented here is raw footage from the shooting of Robbery. The footage was shot by a team working for Reuters on April 11, 1967. In English, not subtitled. (3 min).

• Waiting for the Signal: The Making of Robbery - this documentary feature takes a closer look at the production history of Robbery. Included in it are interviews with screenwriter Gerald Wilson, art director Michael Seymour, production manager Gavrik Losey, and actors Michael McStay (Don), Glynn Edwards (squad chief), and Barry Stanton (car lot owner). The documentary was directed by James McCabe. In English, not subtitled. (49 min).

• The Great Train Robbery - filmed in 1965 as a three-part series for German television, Die Gentlemen bitten zur Kasse, it was eventually re-edited into a feature-length film and dubbed into English for theatrical release. English LPCM 2.0. 97 minutes. In English, not subtitled. (See screencaptures).

• Gallery - a collection of posters, lobby cards, memorabilia and production stills. (3 min).

• Promotional Materials - the campaign guide, exhibitors' manual and flyers in PDF format.

• Booklet - 30-page illustrated booklet featuring Sheldon Hall's essay "Robbery in Broad Daylight". (Mr. Hall is a Senior Lecturer in Stage and Screen Studies at Sheffield Hallam University. He is also the author of Zulu: With Some Guts Behind It - The Making of the Epic Movie and Armchair Cinema: Feature Films on British Television.

Robbery Blu-ray Movie, Overall Score and Recommendation 

Stanley Baker leads a gang of fearless thieves in Peter Yates' classic crime drama Robbery about the legendary 1963 British Royal Mail robbery. After this film, which features a remarkable chase sequence, Yates went on to direct the iconic Bullitt with Steve McQueen and Jacqueline Bisset. Robbery has been recently restored in 2K and looks good in high-definition. Network Releasing's Blu-ray release also comes with a wonderful selection of supplemental features. VERY HIGHLY RECOMMENDED.