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Waste of time

Overrated

This is one of the best movies I’ve seen in a very long time. You have to go and see this on the big screen.

The film never slows down or bores, plunging from one harrowing sequence to the next.

After the intrigue and nastiness of the film noir classic "Out of the Past", Robert Mitchum and Jane Greer got much lighter fare. It is still a film noir, but it is not as deadly as their previous pairing even if they are in grave danger. This involves the search for stolen money from the military and a chase through the countryside with some less than honest people. Mitchum and Greer hook up by accident; She is owed money from ex-lover Patric Knowles and is determined to get it. He is a government agent out to track down the crooks, while another agent, William Bendix, is after it for his own personal gains. It is a race against time to get to the location of the stolen loot, and Mitchum and Greer, once they've put their initial antagonism aside, find that they've got a lot more in common together than just the ride they are sharing.Mixing action, intrigue and comedy, this is an extremely short film, yet a lot happens during that time. Everybody seems out to fool everybody involved in the plot, and of the people involved, only Mitchum and Greer seem willing to work together. They encounter the Mexican law who comment with light sarcasm on how Americans are always in such a hurry, and Greer uses her charm on some road workers to get them through the construction sight and to prevent Bendix from catching up to them. Ramon Novarro makes his brief appearance stand out as the Mexican Inspector General, and the seemingly timid character actor John Qualen is also amusing. As a huge fan of Mitchum and Greer's first pairing ("Out of the Past"), I had been hoping for another brooding hero vs. vixen teaming, but while I didn't get quite what I wanted, I still came out satisfied.

It's kinda Fun to Read Critics Twist and Turn this into a Film Noir with Varying Results. But the Bottom Line is No. This is not a Film Noir but is Nonetheless a Watchable, Frantic, Chase/Comedy that is a Rather Light Romp Considering the Talent Involved.It is a Wide Open, Dirt Road of a Movie that has more Motion and is more Expansive than most of the B-Movies of the Forties. The Characters are One Dimensional and the Dialog is Hardly Cynical. There are a Few Fisticuffs that are Effective and Occasionally the Film can turn a bit Brutal. But in the End it is just too Whimsical to be anything more than a Good, and a bit Different Crime Movie. One of the Early Efforts from Director Don Siegel and while it is Sometimes Intriguing, the Overall Tone is as Light as the Bright Mexican Landscape.

Don Siegel directed this film noir set in Mexico, where Army Lt. Duke Halliday(played by Robert Mitchum) is a fugitive, falsely accused of theft, and in determined pursuit of the real thief. He meets attractive Joan Graham(played by Jane Greer) whom he becomes uneasy allies with, since they share a common interest... William Bendix plays the bumbling policeman in pursuit of Duke, and who may not be all he seems either... Well directed film has a good cast, though is dramatically uneven; some of the humor works well, though there is a bit too much of it. Still, an appealing and interesting film with effective twists and turns, and a nice re-teaming of Mitchum and Greer(from "Out Of The Past")

"The Big Steal" is sort of like a mini-version of "It's a Mad Mad Mad Mad World," film noir style.Jim Fiske (Patric Knowles) stole money from Duke Halliday (Robert Mitchum) and Joan Graham (Jane Greer). Halliday and Graham take after Fiske to get it back. Meanwhile, Vincent Blake (William Bendix), the intended original recipient of the cash, is chasing Halliday, thinking he's the one who actually stole it. Much of the movie is comprised of a madcap car chase through the Mexican countryside and the attempts of all involved parties to slow or block the passage of the others. There's a sort of zany albeit inconsequential fun to be had from the whole thing, especially in the tough banter between Mitchum and Greer, even if the movie all told doesn't add up to very much.Grade: B