The Anderson Tapes (1971)

Director:

Sidney Lumet

Writers:

Lawrence Sanders (novel)
Frank Pierson (screenplay)

Release Date:

2 September 1971 (West Germany)

Genre:

Crime | Drama | Thriller

Tagline:

The Crime of the Century!

Plot:

A thief (Duke Anderson) just released from ten years in jail, takes up with his old girlfriend (Ingrid) in her posh apartment...

Plot Keywords:

Surveillance | Tape | Jewel Theft | Criminal Gang | Planning

Cast

Sean Connery	...	Duke Anderson
Dyan Cannon	...	Ingrid
Martin Balsam	...	Haskins
Ralph Meeker	...	Police Captain 'Iron Balls' Delaney
Alan King	...	Pat Angelo
Christopher Walken	...	The Kid
Val Avery	...	Parelli aka Socks
Dick Anthony Williams	...	Spencer (as Dick Williams)
Garrett Morris	...	Officer Everson
Stan Gottlieb	...	Pop
Paul Benjamin	...	Jimmy
Anthony Holland	...	Psychologist
Richard B. Shull	...	Werner (as Richard B. Schull)
Conrad Bain	...	Dr. Rubicoff
Margaret Hamilton	...	Miss Kaler

Also Known As:

Altin tabanca (Turkey: Turkish title) [tr]
Anderson-klanen (Denmark) [da]
Andersonove trake (Serbia) [sr]
Bandet (Sweden) [sv]
Der Anderson Clan (West Germany) [de]
I megali listeia tis Neas Yorkis (Greece) [el]
Le dossier Anderson (France) [fr]
Le gang Anderson (France) [fr]
O Dossier Anderson (Portugal) [pt]
O Golpe de John Anderson (Brazil) [pt]
Rapina record a New York (Italy) [it]
Supergolpe en Manhattan (Spain) [es]
Suuri kaappaus (Finland) [fi]
Tasmy prawdy (Poland) [pl]

Runtime:

99 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Color (Technicolor)

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Sound Mix:

Mono

Certification:

Australia:M | Finland:K-16 | Norway:15 | Norway:16 (1971) | Sweden:15 | UK:15 (video rating) (1986) | UK:AA (original rating) | USA:GP (original rating) | USA:PG | Iceland:12

Filming Locations:

1 East 91st Street, Manhattan, New York City, New York, USA

Company:

Columbia Pictures Corporation

Trivia:

Final feature film of Margaret Hamilton.

Goofs:

Continuity: When the surveillance man from the House Internal Security Committee picks up the large shotgun microphone, he switches it from his right hand to his left when he turns on one of the tape recorders. In the next shot, as he's still recording the message, the microphone is resting on the table and aiming a different direction.

Quotes:

Anderson: What's advertising but a legalized con game? And what the hell's marriage? Extortion, prostitution, soliciting with a government stamp on it. And what the hell's your stock market? A fixed horse race. Some business guy steals a bank, he's a big success story. Face in all the magazines. Some other guy steals the magazine and he's busted.

Movie Connections:

Referenced in Lumet: Film Maker (1975)

I Couldn't Believe The TV Guides ...

... Gave THE ANDERSON TAPES a bad write up . Seriously this was a very well regarded heist movie when it was released but for some reason when it was broadcast very late on Channel 4 the other night all the TV guides said Sean Connery was wasting his time appearing in this turkey . I know Connery has appeared in more turkeys than reusuable stuffing but THE ANDERSON TAPES isn't one of them . It might not be classic Connery like THE HILL but as entertainment it more than succeeds

I can't help thinking that the TV guide critics are somewhat underwhelmed by certain stereotypical aspects of the movie . Take for example the getaway driver who is black . There seems to have been an attitude in the early 70s that white men can't drive , see also DIRTY HARRY . But I think it's homosexuality rather than race that upsets some TV guide critics . Oh come on chaps , it's a fun thriller not some Derek Jarman art house ego trip and lines like :

" Describe him ? Fifty . Slightly podgy . Fag "

and

" Do as your told and my man will keep his weapon in his pants "

" I'll be the judge of that "

are actually amusing in a mainstream way . It might be politically correct to laugh at these things nowadays but at the time of the original caused a wry smile .

And we get to see a very early performance by Christopher Walken before he became known as " Dead Career Ham Walken "