Topkapi (1964)

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A skillful blend of romance, adventure and comedy from Jules Dassin, the legendary director of the classic heist film, Rififi. Fun-filled and suspenseful, it's an incredibly ingenious affair and a considerable pleasure to watch. Trouble brews beneath the exotically curved towers of Istanbul when the equally exotic and equally curved Elizabeth Lipp (Melina Mercouri, Never on Sunday) recruits her former lover (Maximilian Schell, Judgment at Nuremberg) in a scheme to heist the pride of the city's Topkapi museum: a jewel-encrusted dagger. But the job soon turns into a high-tension, high wire act, when the bumbling fall guy (Peter Ustinov, Death on the Nile) and other amateurs they've hired as help get more than they had bargained for. The stellar cast also includes Robert Morley (When Eight Bells Toll), Jess Hahn (The Night of the Following Day) and Akim Tamiroff (Touch of Evil). Ustinov won the Best Actor in a Supporting Role Oscar for his wonderful performance. Topkapi shimmers with hilarity, action and great performances!