The Great Bank Robbery (1969)

The bank in the town of Friendly is something special. Armed guard are on duty around the clock. Gatling guns are mounted on the second story.

And banker Kincaid goes to great lengths to ensure the cash inside is safe, since he takes deposits from the West’s most notorious outlaws.

But lots of people want to get inside that bank. Like the Rev. Pious Blue (Zero Mostel) and his illusionist friend Sister Lydia (Kim Novak).

Like a Mexican bandit (Akim Tamiroff) and his gang. Like an outlaw named Slade (Claude Akins), who has deposited money and wonders if he’s going to be swindled by Kincaid.

And even Marshal Ben Quick (Clint Walker), who’s working with a federal agent named Fong (Mako) in hopes of getting the goods on Kincaid and his money laundering.

In other to do so, the marshal poses as a laundry owner and has his Chinese employees — former railroad workers — tunneling toward the bank.

But the reverend and his gang — which includes dynamite expert, a painter and a mining engineer — are tunneling in that direction too. And, if they make it first, they have a novel plan of escape — a hot air balloon from which the reverend will pretend to give a July 4 sermon before flying off to safety.

Review:

One gets the feeling the concept here could have turned into a gem of a Western comedy, under the right hands and with the right star.

Hy Averback — who did a lot of TV work, but directed just five feature films — was not the director to pull it off. And top-billed Zero Mostel is more annoyingly over-the-top than funny.

But the elements to make this work were there, including a climatic chase that has a posse, the Mexican bandits and a love-struck church parishioner following a hot air balloon that just won’t stay on course.

Clint Walker, by no means a comedic genius, is fine as the straight-laced Texas Ranger wearing a badge so bright it blinds onlookers.

And Kim Novak has her moments as the wayward sister whose primary job is to use her beauty as a distraction, whether than be by whisking Walker’s character off for a peyote picnic or playing Lady Godiva for the bank guards.

A piece of trivia: Averback would later direct 20 episodes of the hit series “M*A*S*H.” His is also the voice you hear over the loudspeaker on that series.

Directed by:
Hy Averback

Cast:
Zero Mostel … Rev. Pious Blue
Kim Novak … Sister Lyda Kabanov
Clint Walker … Ben Quick
Claude Akins … Slade
Akim Tamiroff … Papa, Mexican bandit
Larry Storch … Juan
John Anderson … Mayor Kincaid
Sam Jaffe … Lilac Bailey
John Fiedler … Dismas Ostracorn
Peter Whitney … Brother Jordan Cass
Norman Alden … Great Gregory
John Larch … Friendly’s Sheriff
Mako … Secret Agent Fong
Elisha Cook … Jeb
Ruth Warrick … Mrs. Applebee
Grady Sutton … Rev. Simms
Bill Zuckert … Ranger commander
Byron Keith … Deputy Mort

Runtime: 97 min.

Memorable lines:

Bandit, watching a train approach: “The good ol’ (Engine) 98 — right on time.”
Slade: “I’m glad some things in this hell we call a world can still be depended on.”

Sister Lyda, after she’s kissed Ben Quick: “Oh, Mr. Smith, did you like it?”
Ben Quick, under cover as Mr. Smith: “Just because I talk slow don’t mean I’m peculiar.”

Slade, watching Rev. Blue and his friends load up a wagon with sacks of dirt from their mining efforts: “Now what do you suppose they’re carting away? People’s sins?”

Slade, burying Jed: “Just like my father. Just like my brother. Why do I always kill the people I love?”

Rev. Blue, about Mr. Smith: “Just keep him away from that tunnel for three hours. And, don’t forget, pump him for information.”
Sister Lyda: “And what if he attacks me?”
Rev. Blue: “That’s a risk he’ll have to take.”

Ben Quick: “Tunnels and religion sure don’t go together.”

Rev. Blue: “The Great Gregory has done it again. You’ve brought us back to Friendly. Why do they call you great?”