

Dortmunder and his pals plan to steal a huge diamond from a museum. But this turns out to be only the first time they have to steal it...
Acting
Redford's deadpan exhaustion is a masterclass in underreaction.
Writing
Donald Westlake's plotting turns failure into poetry.
Score
Quincy Jones swings hard and never misses.

Director
Peter Yates
Trivia, insights & behind the scenes
Donald Westlake hated the film's title change from his novel; 'The Hot Rock' was studio-mandated. He got revenge by never letting Redford play Dortmunder again.
This flopped in '72 because audiences wanted gritty crime like The French Connection, not hapless thieves. It found its cult later as the anti-heist template.
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