A Nice Little Bank That Should Be Robbed (1958) Plot Summary Explained

Max, an auto mechanic, felt stuck in a rut after five years of promising to marry Margie but lacking the money to do so. Gus, who knew about racehorses but kept failing his licensing exams, also wanted a way out of their financial struggles. Together, they hatched the robbery plan hoping to secure enough money to change their fortunes and finally achieve the future they wanted.

Foreshadowing: The film establishes early on that Max's frustration with his dead-end job and his inability to provide for Margie creates the desperation that leads to criminal thinking.

• max rufus
• gus harris
• bank robbery
• motivation
• money problems

The summary indicates they managed to pull off the robbery in a bold, improvised stroke, walking away with $28,000. The exact details of how they executed the heist are not detailed in the provided summary, but their success was fortunate enough to give them the capital to purchase Tattooed Man.

• bank robbery
• heist
• max
• gus
• escape

Rocky Baker was a cabbie and bookie who quickly caught wind of how Max and Gus suddenly came into $28,000. Suspecting the money came from criminal activity, he made it clear he wanted a cut in exchange for his silence or cooperation, essentially attempting to extort them since he knew too much.

• rocky baker
• extortion
• money
• blackmail

Tattooed Man won the race they bet on, but the victory was disqualified due to a rules infraction. This tainted outcome left Max and Gus desperate and furious, as they lost their winnings despite the horse actually finishing first. The disqualification directly pushed them toward the more desperate second bank robbery.

• tattooed man
• horse racing
• disqualification
• rules infraction
• bet

After Tattooed Man's disqualification cost them their expected winnings, Max and Gus found themselves in a desperate financial situation. The setback from the horse race, combined with their original goal of securing a better future, drove them to plan an even riskier second bank robbery hoping to recoup their losses and finally achieve their dreams.

Foreshadowing: The disqualification earlier directly fuels the escalation to the second robbery, showing how each failure pushes them toward bigger risks.

• second bank robbery
• desperation
• Tattooed Man
• loss
• max
• gus

During the second bank robbery, teller Grace Havens was taken hostage. The summary notes the vault was on a timer and could not be opened until morning, creating tension. However, the provided summary does not detail her specific fate beyond being held hostage during the botched caper.

• grace havens
• hostage
• bank teller
• second robbery

Bank manager Milburn Schroeder became an unwilling participant in the caper when the getaway car that Margie had arranged for the first heist was not ready. He showed up in his own vehicle, essentially becoming an unwilling passenger as the situation spiraled beyond everyone's control.

• milburn schroeder
• bank manager
• getaway
• escape
• margie

The police traced the criminals to Margie Solitaire's house, leading to the arrest of Max, Gus, and Rocky. The authorities had pieced together evidence linking them to the robberies, and Margie's location became the point where they were apprehended, ending their brief dream of easy money.

• arrest
• margie solitaire
• police
• jail
• max
• gus
• rocky

While locked up in jail, the trio hears a radio broadcast announcing that Tattooed Man has won the big race. This ironic twist means the horse finally won legitimately after they had already lost everything and been captured. The victory adds a bittersweet, humorous note to their downfall, emphasizing the film's theme of bad luck and missed opportunities.

• tattooed man
• radio broadcast
• victory
• jail
• ending
• irony
• twist

Rocky Baker, the cabbie and bookie who had attempted to get a cut of the money and later joined in on the betting, was apparently involved in the second robbery scheme or its aftermath. When police traced all the criminals to Margie's house, Rocky was hauled off in handcuffs alongside Max and Gus, sharing their fate despite not being part of the original robbery.

• rocky baker
• arrest
• max
• gus
• conspiracy