The First Great Train Robbery
The First Great Train Robbery is a 1978 British heist film directed by Michael Crichton, who wrote the screenplay based on his own 1855-set novel The Great Train Robbery.[1] The film stars Sean Connery as Edward Pierce, a gentleman thief plotting to steal a fortune in gold shipment from a train during the Crimean War; Donald Sutherland as his accomplice Robert Agar, a skilled lockpicker; and Lesley-Anne Down as Miriam, Pierce's love interest and accomplice.[1] In 1855 London, Pierce assembles a team to create duplicate keys for the safes securing the gold bullion on a South Eastern Railway train bound for Folkestone and onward to France. The heist unfolds with intricate planning, disguises, and sleight-of-hand during the train journey, succeeding against the odds but leading to pursuit and escape attempts. The story draws from the real-life Great Gold Robbery of 1855. Produced by John Foreman and distributed by United Artists, the film premiered in London on 21 December 1978 and was released in the United States as The Great Train Robbery on 1 February 1979.[1] It grossed $13 million at the box office.[2] Critics praised the period detail, Connery's performance, and action sequences, though some noted pacing issues; it holds a 79% approval rating on Rotten Tomatoes.[3]Background
Historical Basis
The Great Gold Robbery, also known as the first Great Train Robbery, occurred on the night of 15 May 1855, when thieves stole approximately £12,000 worth of gold bullion and coins—equivalent to about 102 kilograms—from a South Eastern Railway (SER) mail train traveling from London to Folkestone.[4] The shipment, destined for Paris via the channel steamer from Folkestone, consisted of three wooden boxes secured in the guard's van with Chubb locks, containing gold bars, coins, and other valuables.[5] This audacious heist marked one of the earliest major railway crimes in Britain, exploiting the growing reliance on trains for secure transport of bullion during the mid-19th century expansion of rail networks.[6] The robbery was meticulously planned over several months by a small group of insiders and criminals, led primarily by William Pierce, a former SER employee dismissed for dishonesty, and Edward Agar, a skilled burglar and safe-cracker.[4][5] Key accomplices included James Burgess, the train guard who provided access during the journey, and William Tester, an SER clerk at London Bridge station who facilitated the acquisition of duplicate keys by sending misleading correspondence to the lock manufacturer, Chubb & Sons, under the pretense of lost keys.[7] The gang created wax impressions of the bullion box keys during test runs on earlier trains, allowing them to craft precise duplicates; they also prepared lead shot bags weighted to match the gold's heft to avoid detection by balance checks.[6] Agar's partner, Fanny Kay, played a peripheral role in scouting but later became pivotal in the crime's unraveling.[4] Execution of the robbery took place aboard the 23:50 mail train from London Bridge, with Burgess ensuring the van was undisturbed while Pierce and Agar, posing as passengers, accessed the boxes using the duplicate keys during a brief stop.[7] The thieves swiftly transferred the gold into carpet bags and leather pouches, substituting it with lead shot before resealing the boxes with wax seals replicated from originals.[5] The train arrived in Folkestone without incident, and the boxes proceeded by steamer to Boulogne, then by rail to Paris, where French bankers discovered the substitution upon opening them on 17 May, revealing the lead-filled deception.[6] Initial suspicions fell on French criminals, prompting extensive but fruitless inquiries across the continent by SER officials and police.[4] The investigation stalled for 18 months until Agar was arrested in October 1856 for an unrelated theft in Ramsgate; while imprisoned, tensions arose when Pierce failed to provide promised support to Kay, who then informed authorities in December 1856, leading Agar to confess and detail the plot.[4][5] Agar's testimony, corroborated by recovered evidence such as melted gold traces in a stove at Pierce's residence and heavy bags observed at Folkestone station, resulted in the arrests of Pierce, Burgess, and Tester.[7] The trio stood trial at the Old Bailey in January 1857, where Agar appeared as a crown witness; all were convicted of larceny.[7] Pierce received two years' hard labor, while Burgess and Tester were sentenced to 14 years' transportation to penal colonies.[7] Portions of the stolen gold were recovered, including coins sold shortly after the heist, but much remained untraced; the incident prompted the SER to introduce specialized secure bullion vans for future shipments.[6][5]Source Novel
The Great Train Robbery is a historical crime novel written by Michael Crichton under his own name, marking a departure from his earlier science fiction works. Published by Alfred A. Knopf on May 12, 1975, the book spans 266 pages and was priced at $7.95 for its first hardcover edition, with ISBN 978-0394494012.[8][9] Crichton drew inspiration from the real-life Great Gold Robbery of 1855, fictionalizing the events into a suspenseful narrative that blends meticulous historical detail with thriller elements.[10] The story is set in Victorian England and centers on Edward Pierce, a charismatic and cunning gentleman thief who orchestrates an audacious heist to steal £12,000 worth of gold bullion—equivalent to a massive fortune at the time—from a secure train traveling from London to Folkestone. Pierce assembles a team of accomplices, including a street urchin and a professional cracksman, navigating the rigid class structures, technological limitations, and law enforcement of the era to execute the crime. Crichton structures the novel as a pseudo-documentary, incorporating faux newspaper clippings, trial transcripts, and period jargon to immerse readers in 19th-century London, from its opulent high society to its squalid underbelly. The plot emphasizes the ingenuity required for the robbery, highlighting innovations like early key-making techniques and the vulnerabilities of the nascent railway system.[11][10] Crichton, in his author's notes, described the novel as a quick write driven by his fascination with Victorian repression, portraying criminals as the era's most liberated figures amid widespread social constraints. He researched extensively, consulting historical records to ensure authenticity while taking creative liberties, such as altering character motivations and timelines for dramatic effect. The book explores themes of class disparity, technological progress, and moral ambiguity, using the heist as a lens to examine how innovation could subvert authority.[10] Upon release, The Great Train Robbery received critical acclaim for its pacing and historical vividness, earning a starred review from Kirkus Reviews that praised it as "a grand tour de force of the criminal underworld."[11] The New York Times noted its suspenseful plot and authentic jargon, though critiquing its commercial formula as requiring minimal innovation to succeed.[12] It became a national bestseller and won the 1976 Edgar Award for Best Novel from the Mystery Writers of America, solidifying Crichton's versatility beyond techno-thrillers.[10] The novel's success led to multiple reprints, including a 2014 paperback edition by Vintage Books with 288 pages.[13]Story
Plot
In 1855 Victorian England, master thief Edward Pierce assembles a team to execute an audacious heist: stealing a shipment of gold bullion destined for British troops in the Crimean War from a moving train traveling from London to Folkestone.[14] The gold, valued at £12,000, is secured in two safes within the train's luggage van, protected by four distinct keys held by high-ranking officials of the Hudson's Bay Company bank and the railway manager.[15] Pierce, portrayed as an elegant and resourceful gentleman thief, recruits Robert Agar, London's premier lockpicker and "screwsman," as his primary accomplice; Miriam, Pierce's cunning lover and inside operative; and Clean Willy, a nimble young "snakesman" skilled in burglary.[16][14] The plot unfolds through meticulous preparations spanning months. Pierce and his team first target the keys through a series of cons and infiltrations: Pierce seduces the naive daughter of bank president Edgar Trent to obtain one key via impression; Agar, disguised as a clergyman, collaborates in a brothel scam to secure another from railway manager Henry Fowler after getting him drunk; and Clean Willy breaks into the home of the bank's elderly chairman to steal the third.[15] The fourth key proves elusive, leading to Agar’s staged arrest and imprisonment to befriend Fowler’s associate, from whom he forges a wax impression. Meanwhile, Pierce bribes train guard Burgess to ensure minimal interference during the robbery. Tensions rise as the group conducts rehearsals.[15][14] On the night of May 22, 1855, the heist commences aboard the southbound train. Agar, disguised as a corpse in a coffin, gains access to the luggage van and unlocks the outer safe using the keys and his expertise. Pierce, equipped with custom climbing gear, scales the moving train's exterior—dodging bridges and signals—to join him, while Clean Willy provides cover from below. They transfer the gold bars into bags filled with lead shot as decoys, then toss the loot from the train to waiting accomplices on horseback. The operation succeeds without immediate detection, but complications arise when railway authorities discover the theft the next day.[15][16] In the aftermath, investigations intensify under sharp-witted Inspector Sharp. Agar cracks under interrogation and confesses, implicating the gang and leading to arrests. Pierce escapes custody with Miriam's aid and a prepared getaway carriage, fleeing to France with a portion of the gold. Clean Willy perishes during a pursuit, and Agar testifies in a sensational trial, but the full haul remains unrecovered, allowing Pierce to vanish into legend. The narrative culminates in a ironic twist, highlighting the era's class tensions and the ingenuity of criminal enterprise against rigid Victorian institutions.[15][14]Cast
The principal cast of The First Great Train Robbery is led by Sean Connery as Edward Pierce, the suave and cunning mastermind orchestrating the audacious heist of gold from a moving train in 1855 England. Connery, known for his portrayal of James Bond, brings a layer of sophisticated charm to the role of the gentleman thief. Donald Sutherland plays Robert Agar, a talented lockpicker and forger recruited by Pierce, whose expertise in replicating keys proves crucial to the plot; Sutherland's performance highlights the character's streetwise ingenuity and moral ambiguity. Lesley-Anne Down portrays Miriam, Pierce's lover and inside accomplice, who uses her position at a bank to facilitate the scheme, adding a romantic and deceptive dimension to the narrative.[17] Supporting actors flesh out the ensemble, including Alan Webb as Edgar Trent, the wealthy banker and Miriam's father, whose security measures the robbers must circumvent. Malcolm Terris appears as Henry Fowler, the railway manager targeted in a brothel scam to obtain his key. Robert Lang plays Inspector Sharp, the sharp-witted detective leading the investigation. Wayne Sleep embodies Clean Willy, a nimble street urchin who aids in securing a vital key impression through daring acrobatics. Michael Elphick is cast as Burgess, the train guard bribed to assist the gang. James Cossins portrays Inspector Harranby, the veteran detective obsessed with capturing Pierce. Other notable roles include Gabrielle Lloyd as Elizabeth Trent, Pamela Salem as Emily Trent, and John Bett as McPherson, contributing to the film's depiction of Victorian society and law enforcement.[17]| Actor | Role |
|---|---|
| Sean Connery | Edward Pierce |
| Donald Sutherland | Robert Agar |
| Lesley-Anne Down | Miriam |
| Alan Webb | Edgar Trent |
| Malcolm Terris | Henry Fowler |
| Robert Lang | Inspector Sharp |
| Wayne Sleep | Clean Willy |
| Michael Elphick | Burgess |
| James Cossins | Inspector Harranby |
| Gabrielle Lloyd | Elizabeth Trent |
| Pamela Salem | Emily Trent |
| John Bett | McPherson |