''A Nightingale Sang in Berkeley Square'' is a 1980 British

heist film The heist film or caper film is a subgenre of crime films and the caper story, focused on the planning, execution, and aftermath of a significant robbery. One of the early defining heist films was '' The Asphalt Jungle'' (1950), which ''Film G ...

directed by

Ralph Thomas Ralph Philip Thomas (10 August 1915 – 17 March 2001) was an English film director who directed the Doctor (film series), ''Doctor'' film series. Thomas cast the actor James Robertson Justice in many of his films. He often worked with the pr ...

, written by Guy Elmes and starring

Richard Jordan Robert Anson Jordan Jr. (July 19, 1937 – August 30, 1993), known professionally as Richard Jordan, was an American actor. A long-time member of the New York Shakespeare Festival, he performed in many Off Broadway and Broadway plays. His films ...

, Oliver Tobias and

David Niven James David Graham Niven (; 1 March 1910 – 29 July 1983) was an English actor, soldier, raconteur, memoirist and novelist. Niven was known as a handsome and debonair leading man in Classic Hollywood films. His accolades include an Academ ...

. It is subtitled "based on one of the biggest robberies in London". The film takes its name from the 1940 published song "

A Nightingale Sang in Berkeley Square "A Nightingale Sang in Berkeley Square" is a British romantic popular song written in 1939 and published in 1940, with lyrics by Eric Maschwitz and music by Manning Sherwin. Setting Berkeley Square is a large leafy square in Mayfair, a part ...

". Ralph Thomas later said the film "had quite a superb cast" and "he was really quite fond" of the movie "but I didn't do it as well as I should have done because by the time we started it David was already sick, and so we had to do the best we could as quickly as we could and it didn't come off as I'd hoped. But it was still a fun film and we enjoyed making it."

Plot summary

Pinky (Jordan) is released from prison and has decided to go straight from now on, but takes a job as a maintenance man at a large bank, which gives him a lot of undue attention from "Ivan the Terrible" (Niven), the local hoodlum. By using Pinky, Ivan hopes to rob the bank, and Pinky starts to like the idea of going back to his old ways.

Cast

as Pinky * Oliver Tobias as Foxy *

as Ivan *

Elke Sommer Elke Sommer (; née Schletz, 5 November 1940) is a German actress. She appeared in numerous films throughout the 1960s and 1970s, including roles in ''The Pink Panther'' sequel '' A Shot in the Dark'' (1964), the Bob Hope comedy '' Boy, Did I ...

as Miss Pelham *

Gloria Grahame Gloria Grahame (born Gloria Penelope Hallward; November 28, 1923 – October 5, 1981) was an American actress. She began her acting career in theater, and in 1944 made her first film for MGM. Many biographies indicate she was born Gloria Graham ...

as Ma *

Richard Johnson Richard or Dick Johnson may refer to: Academics * Dick Johnson (academic) (1929–2019), Australian academic * Richard C. Johnson (1930–2003), professor of electrical engineering * Richard A. Johnson, artist and professor at the University of ...

as Inspector Watford *

Michael Angelis Nicolas Michael Angelis (29 April 1944 – 30 May 2020) was an English actor. He was best known for his television roles as Chrissie Todd in ''Boys from the Blackstuff'', Martin Niarchos in ''G.B.H. (TV series), G.B.H.'' and as the longest-run ...

as Pealer Bell *

Brian Croucher Brian Croucher is an English actor and director best known for his role as Ted Hills, which he played from 1995 to 1997, in the soap opera ''EastEnders''. Croucher also had a regular role in the science fiction series ''Blake's 7''. Career Cr ...

as Gregory Peck *

Edward Peel Edward Peel is an English television and stage actor. He was described by ''The Times'' in 2010 as a "veteran star of TV dramas" and "a familiar face on television for the past 40 years". Early life and education Peel trained as an actor at R ...

as Jack Diamond * Peter Cartwright as Major Treadwell * Hugh Griffith as Sid Larkin * Davy Kaye as Sid the Yid *

John Rhys-Davies John Rhys-Davies (born 5 May 1944) is a Welsh actor known for portraying Gimli (Middle-earth), Gimli in The Lord of the Rings (film series), ''The Lord of the Rings'' trilogy and Sallah in the ''Indiana Jones'' franchise. He has received three ...

as Solicitor * Robert Raglan as Judge * Sally Harris as Jill *

Ewen Solon Peter Ewen Solon (7 September 1917 – 7 July 1985) was a New Zealand-born actor, who worked extensively in both the United Kingdom and Australia. At the outbreak of World War II, Solon became a member of the First Echelon, 2nd NZEF that saw ser ...

as Commander Ford *

Bruce Boa Andrew Bruce Boa (10 July 1930 – 17 April 2004) was a Canadian actor, who found success playing the token American in British films and television, usually playing military types. Boa's most recognizable film role is in ''The Empire Strikes B ...

as Morgan Stanfield *

Elizabeth Adare Elizabeth Adare (born 3 June 1949 in Newcastle upon Tyne, Northumberland) is an English child psychologist and former actress and television presenter during the 1970s and 1980s. Her most prominent role was as Elizabeth in the 1970s science fict ...

as Barrister

Production

The film was based on a real robbery in London in 1975. It was shot at

Twickenham Studios Twickenham ( ) is a suburban district of London, England, on the River Thames southwest of Charing Cross. Historic counties of England, Historically in Middlesex, since 1965 it has formed part of the London Borough of Richmond upon Thames, who ...

and on location around London in 1979. The film's sets were designed by the

art director Art director is a title for a variety of similar job functions in theater, advertising, marketing, publishing, fashion, live-action and animated film and television, the Internet, and video games. It is the charge of a sole art director to supe ...

Lionel Couch Lionel Couch (1913–1989) was a British art director. He was nominated for two Academy Awards in the category Best Art Direction. Selected filmography Couch was nominated for two Academy Awards for Best Art Direction: * '' Sons and Lovers'' ( ...

. The movie was given a charity premiere but appears to have not been screened theatrically.

Also known as

*''The Big Scam'' *''The Biggest Bank Robbery'' *''The Mayfair Bank Caper'' (video title)

References

External links

* *
Film page
at Britmovie 1979 films 1970s heist films British heist films 1970s English-language films Films directed by Ralph Thomas Films scored by Stanley Myers Films set in London Films shot in London Films shot at Twickenham Film Studios 1970s British films English-language crime films {{1970s-UK-film-stub