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The Thomas Crown Affair (1968 film)
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
| The Thomas Crown Affair | |
|---|---|
 original movie poster |
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| Directed by | Norman Jewison |
| Produced by | Norman Jewison Hal Ashby |
| Written by | Alan Trustman |
| Starring | Steve McQueen Faye Dunaway Jack Weston Gordon Pinsent Yaphet Kotto Fritz Weaver |
| Distributed by | United Artists (1968-1981) Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer (1981-present) |
| Release date(s) | June 19, 1968 |
| Running time | 102 min |
| Language | English |
| Budget | $4,300,000 (estimated) |
| IMDb profile | |
The Thomas Crown Affair is a 1968 movie starring Steve McQueen and Faye Dunaway. A remake was released in 1999 starring Pierce Brosnan and Rene Russo.
The film was modelled on the life of noted Belgian thief Tomas Van Der Heijden who used a dune buggy to steal seven paintings by French painter Pierre-Auguste Renoir from the Louvre in 1961.[1] A more immediate basis for the films was Eric Ambler's 1962 novel, The Light of Day, which provided a fictionalized account of Heijden's exploits.
The 1968 version was nominated for two Academy Awards for Original Music Score and Best Song. It won an Academy Award for Best Song with "Windmills of Your Mind" by Michel Legrand (music), Marilyn Bergman and Alan Bergman (lyrics).
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Thomas Crown, a young, handsome millionaire pulls off the perfect crime by having five men rob a bank and dump the money in a trash can, which Crown retrieves later and stores in a Geneva bank. Vicki Anderson, an independent insurance investigator, is contracted to investigate the heist. As she digs deeper into the case she begins to suspect Crown's involvement. In an attempt to get closer she begins seeing Crown socially, openly telling him she is investigating him. They enjoy activities together like racing a dune buggy.
Like other action movies of the late 1960s, there is abundant use of split screens to show simultaneous actions.
The movie has the distinction of featuring the longest kiss in cinema history, with McQueen and Dunaway liplocked in one scene for 55 uninterrupted seconds. This scene took over eight hours to film over a number of days.
The film also features the now famous chess scene. McQueen and Dunaway play a game of chess, silently flirting with each other, caressing the chess pieces, using them as metaphorical sexual objects.
In the 2004 remake of Alfie there is a scene where Alfie (Jude Law) returns to his flat and finds his girlfriend Nikki (Sienna Miller) asleep in front of the television which is showing the scene where Faye Dunaway and Steve McQueen first kiss.
The scene where Faye Dunaway and Steve McQueen play chess is spoofed in Austin Powers: The Spy Who Shagged Me with Mike Myers and Kristen Johnston.
- Steve McQueen as Thomas Crown
- Faye Dunaway as Vicki Anderson
- Paul Burke as Detective Lt. Edward 'Eddy' Malone
- Jack Weston as Erwin Weaver
- Gordon Pinsent as Jamie McDonald
- Biff McGuire as Sandy
- Addison Powell as Abe
- Astrid Heeren as Gwen
Sean Connery had been the original choice for the title role but declined, a decision he later regretted.
- Directed by: Norman Jewison
- Written by: Alan Trustman
- Music by: Michel Legrand
- Produced by: Norman Jewison, Hal Ashby
- Production Company: The Mirisch Corporation
- Distributed by: United Artists
The film was not very successful at the box office; however, it has since become a cult film and inspired a 1999 remake.
| Award | Person | |
| Best Music, Original Song (The Windmills of Your Mind) | Michel Legrand Alan Bergman Marilyn Bergman |
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| Nominated: | ||
| Best Score | Michel Legrand | |