From one crackling, thrilling, pulse-pounding minute after another, I was completely hooked by "The Big Steal" starring Robert Mitchum and Jane Greer in roles seemingly designed only for them. Between the husky-voiced and titanic presence of Mitchum coupled with "the Woman with the Mona Lisa Smile" herself, the sparkling Greer, I can't imagine a better way to spend any afternoon or evening watching this marvelous and comical entertainment with some vague noirish tones.
The basic plot is not on the same wavelength as Mitchum and Greer's last outing, the noir masterpiece known as "Out of the Past," but it will do for fans of both actors. Mitchum is an Army lieutenant named Halliday whose $300,000 payroll is pilfered by thief Jim Fiske (Patric Knowles). Of course, the money is on other people's potentially greedy minds like Halliday's boss, Captain Blake (William Bendix), who chases Halliday through most of Mexico. Keep in mind, Halliday is chasing Fiske and Fiske's girlfriend, Joan (Jane Greer), who is along for the ride hoping to collect $2,000 she's owed by Fiske! While in Mexico, everyone has to deal with the police and a certain savvy Police Inspector General Ortega (Ramon Novarro). There are fistfights, slaps across Joan's and Fiske's faces, suitcases filled with either money or shredded paper, suspicious Mexicans at remote gas stations, lots of car chases involving hairpin turns, etc. There's also mild banter between Halliday and Joan and a fantastically funny scene where they convince a construction foreman to let them pass through the road, claiming to be a married couple with an angry father on their tail! I got a big laugh out of that one.
For sheer entertainment value and no dull moments, "The Big Steal" is paced like a fast-moving tornado and it is very well-directed by Don Siegel. It has the shadings of noir but not quite the spirit - this is an elongated chase picture and the fun never lets up. I only wish Mitchum and Greer had made more films together - their chemistry ignites the screen so much, you might have to check yourself for sunburns.
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