The Big Job (1965) Timeline Explained – Every Event in Order

George hid the money in the hollow tree trunk during the chase because he needed to lighten their load to escape faster. With police on their heels and the hearse weighed down, hiding the cash was the quickest way to avoid being caught with the loot. The plan was to retrieve it later once they'd escaped, but they were arrested before they could return.

Foreshadowing: Earlier in the heist, George shows he's confident in his own cleverness, underestimating how quickly events would spiral out of control.

• george brain
• hiding money
• tree
• escape
• robbery

When the gang went to prison in 1950, the area was open countryside. Over the next fifteen years, the town expanded and a new housing estate was built around the tree. The police station was constructed on the newly developed land, placing the hollow tree within its grounds near the boundary wall.

• police station
• tree
• housing estate
• development

The money was shredded by mice that had nested inside the hollow tree over the fifteen years it sat untouched. When the women finally retrieved the briefcase, they discovered the cash had been destroyed by the rodents, rendering the entire heist pointless.

Foreshadowing: The tree is described as hollow, providing natural shelter for wildlife.

• money
• mice
• destroyed
• shredded
• loot

The women (Dot Franklin and Sally Gamely) watched the men's failed attempts and devised their own simpler approach. While the gang kept attempting elaborate schemes like the harpoon and tunnel, the women went directly for the tree and managed to pull out the briefcase. Their success came from simplicity rather than the men's overcomplicated plans.

Foreshadowing: The women observe the tree from their windows throughout the film, giving them insight the men lacked.

• women
• dot franklin
• sally gamely
• money
• success

The gang needed to stay near the tree to recover the money while avoiding drawing attention after their prison release. Using false names (Mr and Mrs Hook, Mr Line, Dr Sinker) helped them appear respectable and hide their criminal backgrounds from the landlord and neighbors, especially since a policeman also lived in the house.

Foreshadowing: The gang is described as cautious about their criminal pasts, preferring to present themselves as legitimate tenants.

• false names
• rented rooms
• disguise
• cover

Each attempt was undermined by the gang's incompetence and bad timing. The ladder was stolen back immediately. The harpoon was impractical for pulling a tree. The tunnel accidentally caught the police choir. Their repeated failures contrasted with the women's direct approach, highlighting how overthinking doomed their efforts.

Foreshadowing: The gang is established as incompetent criminals from the start, consistently failing at basic tasks.

• plans
• failed
• ladder
• harpoon
• tunnel
• incompetence

George married Myrtle Robbins to maintain his cover as a respectable citizen while living in the house near the police station. She wasn't enthusiastic about a quiet life but agreed because she preferred having him settle down rather than chasing the loot. The marriage added another layer of deception to their operation.

Foreshadowing: Myrtle isn't keen on a quiet life, suggesting she may not be content with the arrangement for long.

• myrtle robbins
• marriage
• george
• cover

The telescope allowed the gang to monitor the tree and the police station grounds without physically approaching and raising suspicion. It cost a penny every five minutes, which the gang saw as an acceptable expense given the stakes. The device represents their makeshift surveillance approach.

• telescope
• watch
• tree
• surveillance
• police station

The hearse allowed them to disguise themselves as undertakers, which drew less suspicion during their escape. The disguise was part of their seemingly flawless plan to blend in with legitimate funeral traffic and avoid immediate capture after the bank robbery.

Foreshadowing: The robbery is described as seemingly flawless initially, showing the gang's initial confidence in their plan.

• hearse
• escape
• disguise
• undertakers
• robbery

The tree sat within the fenced grounds of an active police station, making daytime access extremely risky. The gang lacked proper equipment and expertise to extract a tree trunk quickly or quietly. Their various schemes (ladder, harpoon, tunnel) were attempts to overcome this impossible access problem without raising alarm.

• dig
• tree
• police station
• daytime
• access