The Thief

"NOT A WORD IS SPOKEN!"

1952 1h 25m EN

😐

6.3

MID

★6.3TMDB · 37

CrimeThriller

Synopsis

Spoiler shield

A chance accident causes a nuclear physicist, who's selling top secret material to the Russians, to fall under FBI scrutiny and go on the run.

“NOT A WORD IS SPOKEN!”

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Cast

Ray Milland
Allan Fields
Martin Gabel
Mr. Bleek
Harry Bronson
Harris
Rita Vale
Miss Philips
Rex O'Malley
Beal
Rita Gam
The Girl
John McKutcheon
Dr. Linstrum (uncredited)
Joe Conlin
Walters (uncredited)

Credits

Behind the camera

Director: Russell Rouse
Writers: Russell Rouse, Clarence Greene
Languages: No Language
Countries: United States of America

Want more? Switch to Cinephile mode in the header for DP, composer, budget, box office, production companies, keywords, and release history.

Did you know?

Fun facts 🍿

1 / 8

RUNTIME

Did you know

85 minutes exactly — the "classic feature" runtime most directors aim for.

MoodPlayr · trivia#01

2 / 8

ERA

Did you know

74 years old — a genuine piece of film history.

MoodPlayr · trivia#02

3 / 8

DIRECTOR

Did you know

Directed by Russell Rouse, shot by Sam Leavitt. Note their partnership — DPs and directors often return to each other across a career.

MoodPlayr · trivia#03

4 / 8

DIRECTOR

Did you know

Original score by Herschel Burke Gilbert. Worth a dedicated listen after — most great films lose half their impact without the score.

MoodPlayr · trivia#04

5 / 8

DIRECTOR

Did you know

Editor Chester W. Schaeffer shaped the rhythm. On an edit-heavy film, the editor does more to control your pulse than the director.

MoodPlayr · trivia#05

6 / 8

CAST

Did you know

Ray Milland and Martin Gabel and Harry Bronson carry the top of the cast.

MoodPlayr · trivia#06

7 / 8

FACT

Did you know

Marketing tagline: "NOT A WORD IS SPOKEN!".

MoodPlayr · trivia#07

8 / 8

WILD

Did you know

IMDB entry: tt0045230 — still the authoritative cross-reference for credits and trivia.

MoodPlayr · trivia#08

Cinephile deep dive

The take

Russell Rouse directs. Sam Leavitt behind the camera. Herschel Burke Gilbert scores. Chester W. Schaeffer cuts. Runs lean at under 100 minutes. Produced in United States of America. Dialogue in No Language.

Trivia

Things worth knowing

185 minutes exactly — the "classic feature" runtime most directors aim for.
274 years old — a genuine piece of film history.
3Directed by Russell Rouse, shot by Sam Leavitt. Note their partnership — DPs and directors often return to each other across a career.
4Original score by Herschel Burke Gilbert. Worth a dedicated listen after — most great films lose half their impact without the score.
5Editor Chester W. Schaeffer shaped the rhythm. On an edit-heavy film, the editor does more to control your pulse than the director.
6Ray Milland and Martin Gabel and Harry Bronson carry the top of the cast.
7Marketing tagline: "NOT A WORD IS SPOKEN!".
8IMDB entry: tt0045230 — still the authoritative cross-reference for credits and trivia.
9Only 37 TMDB ratings — you're getting ahead of the curve on this one.

The technical file

Cinematography: Sam Leavitt
Original score: Herschel Burke Gilbert
Editing: Chester W. Schaeffer
Production design: Joseph St. Amand
Runtime: 85 min · 1h 25m
Status: Released
Original language: EN
Certification (US): NR
IMDB: The Thief (1952)

Awards

National Board of Review: Top Ten Films

Individual records documented via Wikidata; the summary above may count more.

Also by

Russell Rouse

Community reviews

What people are saying

CinemaSerf2024-11-28
★ 7/10
Ray Milland is on good form in this cold war thriller. He's scientist "Fields" who is providing photography of secret formulae to his foreign paymasters. Is this voluntarily or is he being blackmailed? Well the next ninety minutes sees him illustrate quite a degree of personal conflict as he delivers more and more information to the enigmatic "Mr. Bleek" (Martin Gabel) whilst becoming increasingly disgusted with his own behaviour. He takes to heavy drinking but that isn't going to help him when one of his couriers is accidentally killed and the FBI find evidence of espionage. His paranoia is well founded as they start to put together a list of possible traitors - and he knows he is going to be on it. What makes this drama all the more tense is the complete lack of dialogue. Nope, not a word is spoken as Herschel Burke Gilbert's score is left to do all the heavy lifting, and it does it well. It helps develop senses of tension, frustration, fear and panic whilst Milland, and the frequent use of the telephone ringing, delivers quite a palpable sense of desperation as the drama unfolds. I can't stay I loved the denouement, but it's simplicity; the tautness of the direction and the uncertainty as to the culpability of the perpetrator all adds up to quite an intriguing watch.

Production companies