Cinema
Atraco a las tres
José María Forqué · 1962
Synopsis
A bank branch in Madrid. The manager, don Felipe, whom all the staff held in esteem, has just been dismissed. Fernando Galindo, the cashier, weary of his wretched salary and his working conditions, persuades his colleagues to rob their own branch by staging a hold-up. The guard, the secretary and the employees allow themselves to be drawn in, and the small team prepares its job for days, with meticulous care, on the model of the gangster films they have seen.
Context
The producer Pedro Masó had the idea for the film from an Italian comedy by Mario Monicelli about bungling thieves; he wrote the first draft in a few nights and reworked it with Vicente Coello and Rafael J. Salvia. The distributors did not believe in it, but the film was a box-office success. José Luis López Vázquez plays Galindo, surrounded by Cassen, Gracita Morales, Manuel Alexandre, Agustín González and Alfredo Landa. The exteriors of the bank were shot on Calle Marcelo Usera, in Madrid.
Who it is for
A black-and-white comedy of an hour and a half, with many characters; the comedy comes from the parody of heist films.
Prizes and reception
A cult comedy in Spain, regarded by critics as one of the best in the country; its lead performer was honoured for it by the entertainment union.