In Hamburg, several criminals keep large sums of cash in safe deposit boxes at a bank that benefits from West German privacy rules. Joe Collins, an American security consultant for the bank, watches their movements and devises a scheme with Dawn Divine, a warm-hearted prostitute who has ties to some of them. The story blends a heist with a comic look at the underworld around its characters.

How it was made

Written and directed by Richard Brooks, the film was produced by M. J. Frankovich and distributed by Columbia Pictures. Hamburg serves as the main location, and the shoot received support from the Hamburg Art Museum and the Bendestorf Studios. Quincy Jones composed and produced the score, which features performances by Little Richard and Roberta Flack. The title appears in the opening credits as a giant sign carried by a crane.

Reception and legacy

The sources available offer few details about its critical and commercial reception, so any assessment should be treated with caution. It is usually classed as a heist film with comic touches, led by Warren Beatty and Goldie Hawn, and its mix of light tone and meticulous robbery places it within the caper cinema of the 1970s.