The Great Train Robbery (1978)

I noticed this movie poster a week ago and didn't remember having seen it despite the fact that it's the very kind of film I saw at the Base theatre and if the movie starred two actors like Connery and Sutherland it was a must see for my Father. Somehow this one slipped by me. I like these kind of historical adventure tales that MGM made for decades. 

The production value is enormously high for the time in movie history. The budget for horses and carriages alone would bankrupt most films but MGM was a movie studio in the old sense. They had that stuff and top hats just lying around in wardrobe.  Everything looks just like it would in 1855 when the train robbery took place. No expense was spared to create the environment with a memorable production design.

Based on a book by Michael Crichton it tells the story of three con artists who try to pull off a large trainload of gold on the way to pay the soldiers in the Crimea. To do that they need to steal and copy four keys to the safes onboard the train. The entire cast is having a great time overcoming all that stands in their way of success. It's light and breezy and with great cinematography it's a joy to watch.