Piccadilly Third Stop

A well-cast British crime caper, PICCADILLY THIRD STOP has the indignity of being a forgotten film, one of those that occasionally shows up in the middle of the night on TV. That unwieldy title doesn't help matters either. It's a pity, because this is a perfectly acceptable movie, one that's well made and suspenseful, with a tight story and realistic characters to propel the narrative.

The plot sees a group of criminals coming together to steal £100,00, hidden in a safe in an expensive mansion. The group is made up of various characters: Terence Morgan (CURSE OF THE MUMMY'S TOMB) leads as the cold, almost reptilian organiser, while John Crawford is more than effective as the edgy American. William Hartnell in particular shines as the old-fashioned safe cracker, while Mai Zetterling (THE WITCHES) and Yoko Tani (SAMSON AND THE SEVEN MIRACLES OF THE WORLD) add glamour value. Watch out for Dennis Price in the minor role of a loan shark.

The film begins rather slowly, taking time to explore the characters and their relationships, but quickly builds up steam in the second half. The scene of the actual robbery is limited to the last 20 minutes or so but makes for cracking entertainment, with plenty of suspense to keep it brimming along.