Sidney Lumet’s The Anderson Tapes is a fast-paced, precisely directed crime thriller, with utmost attention to detail, especially modern technology.
Grade: B
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The tale concerns a master holdup plan of an ex-con, John “Duke” Anderson (played by Sean Connery, at the height of his James Bond career), and the electronic surveillances that have tracked him since he had left prison (where he had served a decade).
Anderson seeks funds from the syndicate to back his massive, well-planned robbery, targeted at a lush Upper East Side apartment building. To that extent, he rounds up a gang of expert thieves.
He renews his relationship with old girlfriend Ingrid (Dyan Cannon), who lives around, gathers his four-man crew, including Haskins (Martin Balsam), a gay man, and old ex-con William “Pop” Myer (Stan Gottlieb), whom Anderson met in jail, and who is to pretend to be the concierge.
What Anderson doesn’t know is that every move he makes is being monitored and taped by various law enforcement agencies, hoping to get leads to the mob kingpins.
Knowing the site well, they break into unoccupied apartments and carry out the looting of each and every place. And then…..
The scenario is penned by Frank Pierson, based on the novel by Lawrence Sanders, is well-crafted, but too mechanical and detached to elicit emotional engagement from the audience.
Some viewers complained about that the ending was too cynical. To avoid embarrassment over the failure to discover the robbery despite having Anderson in several surveillance operations, and since the recordings were illegal, each of the agencies orders its tapes to be erased.
That said, the climax is nicely shot by Arthur J. Ornitz and edited by Joanne Burke. Quincy Jones’s minimal, jazzy score contributes to the mood of the piece.
In addition to Sean Connery, the film stars Dyan Cannon, Martin Balsam, Ralph Meeker, Alan King, Margaret Hamilton, Garrett Morris and Christopher Walken, making his first major appearance as the “Kid.”
This was the last on-screen film appearance by Margaret Hamilton.
Connery, Martin Balsam, and director Lumet were to work together again on Murder on the Orient Express. Connery had previously worked with the director on The Hill, and they would reunite the following year on The Offence, and againmyears later for Family Business.
Balsam and Lumet had worked together previously on 12 Angry Men, Lumet’s stunning debut. Reflecting the zeitgeist, Balsam’s homosexual is depicted in overly stereotypical manner.
Connery’s performance as the likeable criminal Duke Anderson was instrumental in breaking out from being typecast as James Bond, restoring him to the ranks of top actors.
Through one of the decade’s best-cast caper movies, Anderson Tapes was only moderately popular at the box.
More importantly, this began a particularly creative phase in Lumet’s career, which saw the making of “Serpico,” “Dog Day Afternoon,” and “Network” back-to-back.
Credits
Directed by Sidney Lumet
Screenplay by Frank Pierson, based on The Anderson Tapes by Lawrence Sanders
Produced by Robert M. Weitman
Cinematography Arthur J. Ornitz
Edited by Joanne Burke
Music by Quincy Jones
Production company: Robert M. Weitman Productions
Distributed by Columbia Pictures
Release date: June 17, 1971
Running time: 99 minutes
Budget $3 million
Box office $5 million (Rentals, US/Canada)
