Too Many Crooks

Too Many Crooks

Year: 1959

Runtime: 87 min

Language: English

Director: Mario Zampi

ComedyCrime

A charismatic but hapless leader named Fingers guides a bumbling group of thieves attempting to steal from the wealthy Bill Gordon. Their plans quickly go awry when they mistakenly kidnap Gordon's wife instead of his daughter. This error sets off a series of increasingly chaotic and humorous events as the thieves struggle to manage their predicament and evade capture, leading to a laugh-out-loud adventure.

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Too Many Crooks (1959) – Full Plot Summary & Ending Explained

Read the complete plot breakdown of Too Many Crooks (1959), including all key story events, major twists, and the ending explained in detail. Discover what really happened—and what it all means.

As Fingers finds his gang growing increasingly frustrated with his inept leadership, a palpable sense of desperation envelops Sid and the others. The tipping point arrives following a disastrous heist at a fur store, which is merely the latest setback in a series of blunders that have left them doubting Fingers’ ability to lead. In a last-ditch effort to reclaim their footing, Fingers devises a scheme to target businessman William Gordon, spinning a tale to the gang that the police are on their trail. However, the plan takes an unexpected turn when Fingers accidentally kidnaps Gordon’s timid wife, Lucy, instead of his daughter.

As he attempts to negotiate a ransom for Lucy’s release, he encounters unforeseen resistance from Gordon, who is less than eager to pay for his dull and unfaithful spouse. Completely taken aback, Fingers finds himself only offering to let Lucy go for a meager £200, which Gordon flatly refuses.

Feeling fed up with her husband’s infidelities, Lucy decides to take the reins of her own fate. Drawing on her wartime skills in hand-to-hand combat, she boldly confronts the gang and seeks to turn the tables on Gordon, leveraging his tax disputes with the Inland Revenue and his distrust of banks to her advantage. With astute insight into Gordon’s financial woes, Lucy orchestrates a daring heist that ultimately enriches the gang.

As they flee with stolen cash, furs, and jewelry, Lucy makes a swift exit, leaving chaos in her wake. In a final act of defiance, she gifts Gordon a lit cigarette which inadvertently ignites his house. When Gordon returns to find his residence consumed by flames, he dives back into the inferno multiple times in a frantic bid to salvage his possessions.

The following day’s newspaper reveals a shocking murder story, strikingly similar to the crime Fingers had threatened. Gordon leaps to an erroneous conclusion, giving Lucy a perfect chance to deepen her vendetta. She enlists Sid and Fingers to masquerade as police officers investigating her disappearance, successfully extracting more cash from Gordon in exchange for dropping the case.

Just as the gang prepares to claim their bounty, a real inspector from Scotland Yard interrupts the proceedings, igniting Gordon’s anger and raising suspicions about his involvement in Lucy’s vanishing act. As panic takes hold, Fingers decides he must abandon everything and flee the country. His estranged ex-stripper girlfriend presents him with a forged passport for a fresh start. Yet, before he can leave, Fingers feels an urgency to visit his mother, which Lucy accurately perceives as a last-ditch effort to secure a final stash of cash.

When the gang arrives at Gordon’s home, they find him hurriedly packing a suitcase, raising doubts about his motives. As the police questions escalate, Fingers seizes the opportunity to snatch the suitcase containing £50,000, making a quick getaway while leaving Gordon too intimidated to fight back. However, unbeknownst to Fingers, Lucy is about to discover her now-broke husband, completely oblivious to the unfolding chaos.

As Fingers and his crew prepare to indulge in their spoils, choosing to keep everything for themselves and excluding Lucy, fate has different plans. In a moment of oversight, the suitcase bursts open, sending the £50,000 spilling across the road, leaving the gang entirely unaware of the repercussions of their greedy choices.

Last Updated: November 17, 2024 at 23:21

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Comedic Crime Farce movies like Too Many Crooks

Stories of hopeless heists where everything goes hilariously wrong.If you enjoyed the chaotic hijinks of Too Many Crooks, you'll love these other movies featuring bumbling criminals and failed heists. This collection is perfect for fans of lighthearted comedies where plans backfire in the most amusing ways, delivering laugh-out-loud adventures with a similar fast-paced, farcical energy.

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Narrative Summary

The narrative typically involves a simple but flawed plan, often a heist or scheme, that immediately goes awry due to the characters' incompetence. This initial mistake triggers a domino effect of increasingly chaotic and humorous complications, leading to a climax where the original goal is entirely subverted by the sheer weight of their bumbling.

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Movies are grouped here based on their shared focus on humorous failure, light tone, and the specific archetype of the incompetent criminal. The experience is defined by fast-paced comedic pacing, low emotional stakes, and a sense of playful mischief as plans hilariously unravel.

Movies with clever role reversals like in Too Many Crooks

Stories where the supposed victim turns the tables with clever wit.Fans of Too Many Crooks will appreciate these movies where the tables are turned on the antagonists. If you liked seeing Lucy Gordon outsmart the bumbling thieves, explore these stories of cunning comebacks and satisfying role reversals, all sharing a playful and mischievous tone with similar narrative twists.

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Narrative Summary

The pattern begins with an established power imbalance, where one group or individual has the upper hand. A pivotal mistake or underestimation by the dominant party allows the seemingly weaker character to reveal their hidden cunning. The rest of the story follows their clever manipulation of events, leading to a comeuppance for the initial antagonists.

Why These Movies?

These films share a core narrative structure of a clever reversal of fortune. They are united by a playful, mischievous mood where the audience roots for the underdog's intelligence over brute force or initial advantage, resulting in a satisfying and often humorous conclusion.

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Characters, Settings & Themes in Too Many Crooks

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Characters, Settings & Themes in Too Many Crooks

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