How to Steal a Million

How to Steal a Million

Year: 1966

Runtime: 123 mins

Language: English

Director: William Wyler

RomanceCrimeComedy

A movie about those who appreciate the finest things in life… for free! A woman must steal a statue from a Paris museum to help conceal her father’s art forgeries.

Warning: spoilers below!

Haven’t seen How to Steal a Million yet? This summary contains major spoilers. Bookmark the page, watch the movie, and come back for the full breakdown. If you're ready, scroll on and relive the story!

Timeline & Setting – How to Steal a Million (1966)

Explore the full timeline and setting of How to Steal a Million (1966). Follow every major event in chronological order and see how the environment shapes the story, characters, and dramatic tension.

Time period

Location

Paris, Kléber-Lafayette Museum, Bonnet Mansion, Simon's Hotel

Paris serves as the glamorous backdrop for a high-society art caper, with opulent mansions and a grand museum. The Bonnet mansion anchors the family dynamics and the forgery scheme, while the Kléber-Lafayette Museum hosts the Venus during an exhibit, creating the high-stakes setting for the heist. The museum's corridors and closing-time chaos provide the room for clever misdirections and witty exchanges.

🇫🇷 Paris 🏛️ Museum 🏰 Mansion 🏨 Hotel

Last Updated: December 06, 2025 at 16:31

Main Characters – How to Steal a Million (1966)

Meet the key characters of How to Steal a Million (1966), with detailed profiles, motivations, and roles in the plot. Understand their emotional journeys and what they reveal about the film’s deeper themes.

Nicole Bonnet - Audrey Hepburn

Daughter of Charles Bonnet who fears her father's forgery scheme being exposed. She engineers the plan to steal the Venus in order to protect her family, showing resourcefulness and moral conflict. Throughout the story she balances loyalty to her father with her burgeoning romance with Simon.

❤️ Romance 💡 Clever 🎭 Deception

Simon Dermott - Peter O'Toole

A charming burglar turned into an art-security consultant who helps the couple execute the heist. He pretends to be a potential thief but is motivated by his feelings for Nicole. He reveals his expertise and moral complexity as he balances deception with affection.

🗝️ Mastermind ❤️ Romance 🕵️‍♂️ Charmer

Charles Bonnet - Hugh Griffith

A prominent Paris art collector and forger who has never sold the Venus; his forged reputation underscores the stakes. He relies on wealth and status to keep the fake collection afloat while trying to avoid an investigation. He remains protective of his daughter and family honor.

🎨 Art 🕵️‍♂️ Forger 💼 Wealth

Davis Leland - Eli Wallach

An American tycoon obsessed with owning the Venus; he pursues the statue through shady deals and social leverage. His single-minded pursuit creates pressure on Nicole and Simon, threatening to derail the lovers' plans. In the end, his wealth cannot force a permanent change in the statuette's fate.

💰 Wealth 🕵️‍♂️ Obsession 🤝 Deal-Making

Last Updated: December 06, 2025 at 16:31

Major Themes – How to Steal a Million (1966)

Explore the central themes of How to Steal a Million (1966), from psychological, social, and emotional dimensions to philosophical messages. Understand what the film is really saying beneath the surface.

❤️ Romance

Love threads through the plot as Nicole and Simon grow closer while plotting the theft. This romance heightens risk and injects moral ambiguity into the caper. The couple's bond shapes their choices and ultimately defies traditional anti-crime expectations.

🎨 Forgery

Forgery is embedded in the Bonnet family legacy; the father has never sold the Venus, yet his reputation relies on it being authentic. The plan to move a fake statue becomes a test of trust, science, and the consequences of misrepresentation. The story uses art forgery as a critique of value and provenance in high society.

🗝️ Heist

An elaborate heist unfolds with clever planning: alarms boomed, a cleaning woman disguise, a bucket concealment, and a closing-time window. The plan centers on exploiting a notorious 'faulty' security system to remove the Venus. The heist is played with wit and charm, rather than violence. The success challenges conventional crime tropes, highlighting romance and cleverness over brute force.

Last Updated: December 06, 2025 at 16:31

Mobile App Preview

Coming soon on iOS and Android

The Plot Explained Mobile App

From blockbusters to hidden gems — dive into movie stories anytime, anywhere. Save your favorites, discover plots faster, and never miss a twist again.

Sign up to be the first to know when we launch. Your email stays private — always.

Explore Movie Threads

Discover curated groups of movies connected by mood, themes, and story style. Browse collections built around emotion, atmosphere, and narrative focus to easily find films that match what you feel like watching right now.

Sophisticated caper romances like How to Steal a Million

Elegant adventures where love blossoms during a stylish, high-stakes theft.If you liked the charming blend of romance and heist in How to Steal a Million, you'll enjoy these movies. This collection features elegant stories where a clever theft serves as the backdrop for witty banter and delightful romantic chemistry, all wrapped in a sophisticated, lighthearted package.

romanticwittysophisticatedplayfulelegantcharmingadventurous

Narrative Summary

The narrative typically follows a charismatic duo or group who come together to pull off an impossible-seeming theft, often in a high-society setting like an art museum or auction house. The plot intertwines the meticulous planning and execution of the caper with a growing romantic attraction, where deception and double identities often complicate—and eventually strengthen—the relationship.

Why These Movies?

These films are grouped together because they share a unique balance of playful adventure and romantic comedy. The heist provides structure and a medium level of intensity, while the romance and witty dialogue ensure the overall experience remains charming and emotionally light. The worlds are often glamorous, and the characters are effortlessly charismatic.

Effortlessly charming vintage comedies like How to Steal a Million

Witty, elegant stories from a bygone era where style and humor reign.For viewers who loved the elegant and witty style of How to Steal a Million, this list highlights similar charming comedies. These films, often from the mid-20th century, share a sophisticated sense of humor, romantic escapades, and a visually stylish world that feels both timeless and delightfully nostalgic.

charmingwittyelegantsophisticatedwhimsicalnostalgicplayfulromantic

Narrative Summary

Stories in this thread often revolve around a social or professional predicament—like maintaining a deception or achieving a goal within high society. The humor stems from clever wordplay, situational irony, and the charismatic foibles of the leads. The plot progresses steadily towards a satisfying, happy resolution that affirms charm and cleverness over brute force.

Why These Movies?

These movies are united by their specific aesthetic and tonal quality. They possess a LIGHT tone, STEADY pacing, and a sense of visual and verbal elegance that defines a particular era of filmmaking. The experience is one of pure, sophisticated escapism, where the primary goal is to delight the audience with wit and charm.

Unlock the Full Story of How to Steal a Million

Don't stop at just watching — explore How to Steal a Million in full detail. From the complete plot summary and scene-by-scene timeline to character breakdowns, thematic analysis, and a deep dive into the ending — every page helps you truly understand what How to Steal a Million is all about. Plus, discover what's next after the movie.

How to Steal a Million Summary

Read a complete plot summary of How to Steal a Million, including all key story points, character arcs, and turning points. This in-depth recap is ideal for understanding the narrative structure or reviewing what happened in the movie.

How to Steal a Million Summary

How to Steal a Million Timeline

Track the full timeline of How to Steal a Million with every major event arranged chronologically. Perfect for decoding non-linear storytelling, flashbacks, or parallel narratives with a clear scene-by-scene breakdown.

How to Steal a Million Timeline

How to Steal a Million Spoiler-Free Summary

Get a quick, spoiler-free overview of How to Steal a Million that covers the main plot points and key details without revealing any major twists or spoilers. Perfect for those who want to know what to expect before diving in.

How to Steal a Million Spoiler-Free Summary

More About How to Steal a Million

Visit What's After the Movie to explore more about How to Steal a Million: box office results, cast and crew info, production details, post-credit scenes, and external links — all in one place for movie fans and researchers.

More About How to Steal a Million

Similar Movies to How to Steal a Million

Discover movies like How to Steal a Million that share similar genres, themes, and storytelling elements. Whether you’re drawn to the atmosphere, character arcs, or plot structure, these curated recommendations will help you explore more films you’ll love.