Six Bridges to Cross

Six Bridges to Cross
Directed by Joseph Pevney
Produced by Aaron Rosenberg
Screenplay by Sydney Boehm
Based on Joseph F. Dinneen's "They Stole $25,000,000 - And Got Away with It"
Music by Frank Skinner and Herman Stein (both uncredited)
Cinematography William H. Daniels
Editing by Russell F. Schoengarth
Studio Universal Pictures
Release date(s) January 29, 1955
Running time 96 minutes
Country United States
Language English

Six Bridges to Cross or 6 Bridges to Cross is a 1955 American crime caper film directed by Joseph Pevney of Universal Pictures. The film starred Tony Curtis, George Nader, Julie Adams, Jay C. Flippen and Sal Mineo on his screen debut.[1] Six Bridges to Cross is based upon the famous 1950 Great Brink's Robbery of Boston, Massachusetts in which the thieves made off with roughly $2.5 million.[2][3]

Contents

Plot

Jerry Florea (Tony Curtis) is planning a heist. The story begins with the events which led a young Florea (Sal Mineo) to become a crook. One day he is shot during a robbery and as a result an ameniable policeman and his wife take him under their wing.[4] As a young man he deludes them, and pretends to no longer have criminal intent and even gets a job at the Brinks. They are unaware he is preparing to rob the establishment. It is only after he and his gang pull off the heist that Florea reconsiders his actions and attempts to make amends for the crime.

Cast

Production

The screenplay for the film was written by Sydney Boehm, based on Joseph F. Dinneen's They Stole $25,000,000 - And Got Away with It. The film was shot on location in Boston.[5] A young Clint Eastwood auditioned for the film in May 1954 in his first real audition but was rejected by Pevney.[6] The part of the young Florea was given to a 15 year old Sal Mineo. Mineo had also successfully auditioned for a part in The Private War of Major Benson as a cadet colonel opposite Charlton Heston.[7] Sammy Davis, Jr. was hired to sing the title track written by friend Jeff Chandler, recording it on December 2, 1954.[8][9][10] The overall score was composed by Frank Skinner and Herman Stein but they went uncredited in the film for their contributions.

References

  1. ^ Murray, Raymond (15 July 1996). Images in the dark: an encyclopedia of gay and lesbian film and video. Plume. p. 225. ISBN 9780452276277. http://books.google.com/books?id=3qYqAAAAYAAJ. Retrieved 14 January 2011. 
  2. ^ "Six Bridges to Cross (1955)". The New York Times. http://movies.nytimes.com/movie/110428/Six-Bridges-to-Cross/overview. Retrieved 14 January, 2011. 
  3. ^ Baxter, John (1970). The gangster film. A. Zwemmer. p. 86. http://books.google.com/books?id=DnhZAAAAMAAJ. Retrieved 14 January 2011. 
  4. ^ Langman, Larry; Finn, Daniel (1995). A guide to American crime films of the forties and fifties. Greenwood Press. p. 254. http://books.google.com/books?id=mqMYAQAAIAAJ. Retrieved 14 January 2011. 
  5. ^ Maltin, Leonard (4 October 1988). Leonard Maltin's TV movies and video guide. New American Library. p. 225. ISBN 9780451156198. http://books.google.com/books?id=sZSMd1SIvCEC. Retrieved 14 January 2011. 
  6. ^ McGilligan, Patrick (1999). Clint: The Life and Legend. London: Harper Collins. p. 63. ISBN 0006383548. http://books.google.com/books?id=w6i25jxBIwcC&printsec=frontcover. Retrieved 15 January 2011. 
  7. ^ Ellis, Chris; Ellis, Julie (27 July 2005). The Mammoth Book of Celebrity Murder: Murder Played Out in the Spotlight of Maximum Publicity. Berghahn Books. p. 415. ISBN 9781571811400. http://books.google.com/books?id=V9pAof9Hs2YC&pg=PA415. Retrieved 14 January 2011. 
  8. ^ Billboard. Nielsen Business Media, Inc.. 27 November 1954. p. 15. ISSN 00062510. http://books.google.com/books?id=LiMEAAAAMBAJ&pg=PA15. Retrieved 14 January 2011. 
  9. ^ Haygood, Wil (7 October 2003). In black and white: the life of Sammy Davis, Jr. A.A. Knopf. p. 156. http://books.google.com/books?id=3R1aAAAAMAAJ. Retrieved 14 January 2011. 
  10. ^ Fishgall, Gary (30 September 2003). Gonna do great things: the life of Sammy Davis, Jr. Scribner. ISBN 9780743227414. http://books.google.com/books?id=YR1aAAAAMAAJ. Retrieved 14 January 2011. 

External links