I Stole a Million
Cast & Crew
Frank Tuttle
George Raft
Claire Trevor
Dick Foran
Henry Armetta
Victor Jory
Film Details
Technical Specs
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Synopsis
Taxi driver Joe Lourik gets in an argument with the manager of a cab finance company over payments that owes on his new cab. Believing that he has been cheated, Joe reclaims his payments and is arrested for robbery. Escaping with a pair of handcuffs dangling from his wrists, Joe jumps on a passing freight train where he meets a tramp who gives him the address of Patian, a thief and a fence in San Diego, from whom he can get his handcuffs removed. In San Diego, Patian agrees to remove the cuffs on the condition that Joe drive the getaway car for a bank robbery. After the robbery, Patian sends Joe to a boarding house in Sacramento to await his cut of the money. Growing impatient, Joe decides to return to San Diego and enters a flower shop with the intention of robbing it. At the store, he meets clerk Laura Benson, falls in love at first sight and decides to go straight. With his winnings from a crap game, Joe buys a garage in Amesville and settles down, but a year later, the police are back on his trail. Desperate, Joe travels to San Diego to demand money from Patian, but Patian's thugs waylay him, forcing Joe to rob a post office . Afraid that he will be caught if he returns home, Joe disappears. Some time later, he sees a picture of his newborn baby in the paper and arranges for a meeting with Laura who pleads with Joe to give himself up and serve his time so that he can start a new life. Hearing footsteps, Joe flees from the police who have followed Laura, and Laura is arrested as an accomplice. While Laura is in jail, Joe decides to steal enough money so that Laura and his daughter will be financially secure, and so he embarks upon a crime wave which earns him the moniker of "the million dollar bandit." After serving her sentence, Laura arranges for another meeting with Joe and again pleads with him to give himself up. As the police surround them, Joe has no other choice but to concede to his wife's wishes.
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Director
Frank Tuttle
Cast
![](https://prod-images.tcm.com/Master-Profile-Images/GeorgeRaft.jpg?imwidth=188&height=141)
George Raft
![](https://prod-images.tcm.com/Master-Profile-Images/ClaireTrevor.jpg?imwidth=188&height=141)
Claire Trevor
![](https://prod-images.tcm.com/Master-Profile-Images/DickForan.jpg?imwidth=188&height=141)
Dick Foran
![](https://prod-images.tcm.com/Master-Profile-Images/HenryArmetta.5538.jpg?imwidth=188&height=141)
Henry Armetta
![](https://prod-images.tcm.com/Master-Profile-Images/VictorJory.jpg?imwidth=188&height=141)
Victor Jory
![](https://prod-images.tcm.com/Master-Profile-Images/JoeSawyer.170746.jpg?imwidth=188&height=141)
Joseph Sawyer
Robert Elliot
Tom Fadden
![](https://prod-images.tcm.com/Master-Profile-Images/JohnHamilton.1001077.jpg?imwidth=188&height=141)
John Hamilton
George Chandler
![](https://prod-images.tcm.com/Master-Profile-Images/IrvingBacon.7795.jpg?imwidth=188&height=141)
Irving Bacon
![](https://prod-images.tcm.com/Master-Profile-Images/StanleyRidges.jpg?imwidth=188&height=141)
Stanley Ridges
Mary Forbes
Phil Tead
Wallis Clark
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Hobart Cavanaugh
![](https://prod-images.tcm.com/Master-Profile-Images/JohnButler.26234.jpg?imwidth=188&height=141)
John Butler
Mira Mckinney
Jerry Marlowe
Claire Whitney
Sarah Padden
Harold Minjir
Frances Morris
Mary Foy
Edmund Macdonald
Emory Parnell
Ben Taggart
Dick Wessel
Constantine Romanoff
Lee Murray
Al Hill
Henry Roquemore
Mike Lally
Arthur Q. Bryan
Dick Elliott
Harry Tyler
![](https://prod-images.tcm.com/Master-Profile-Images/CharlesIrwin.92455.jpg?imwidth=188&height=141)
Charles Irwin
![](https://prod-images.tcm.com/Master-Profile-Images/EmmettVogan.199455.jpg?imwidth=188&height=141)
Emmett Vogan
Virginia Brissac
![](https://prod-images.tcm.com/Master-Profile-Images/MaryMaclaren.119107.jpg?imwidth=188&height=141)
Mary Maclaren
Eddie Dunn
John Berkes
William Ruhl
Bud Mc Taggart
Drew Demorest
Jack Gardner
James Farley
Harry C. Bradley
Betty Roadman
Billy Wayne
Landers Stevens
![](https://prod-images.tcm.com/Master-Profile-Images/RalphDunn.54382.jpg?imwidth=188&height=141)
Ralph Dunn
Ernie Adams
Joey Ray
Larry Mcgrath
![](https://prod-images.tcm.com/Master-Profile-Images/LloydIngraham.92131.jpg?imwidth=188&height=141)
Lloyd Ingraham
Billy Engle
Russ Powell
Harold Hoff
Charles Sullivan
Lee Ford
Art Yeoman
Ed Peil Sr.
Sammy Finn
Ray Bailey
Hal K. Dawson
Jimmy O'gatty
J. Anthony Hughes
Margaret Mcwade
Mack Gray
Harry B. Stafford
Dot Farley
Ed Fliegel
Crew
Bernard B. Brown
Charles [h.] Clarke
Lester Cole
Ed Curtiss
Eddy Eckels
William Fox
R. A. Gausman
Vernon Keays
Burt Kelly
Milton Krasner
Jack Otterson
Charles Previn
Nathanael West
Vera West
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Film Details
Technical Specs
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Quotes
Trivia
Notes
According to a news item in Hollywood Reporter, this picture was based on the exploits of mail bandit Roy Gardner. Other news items in Hollywood Reporter note that Universal negotiated with Edward G. Robinson to play the lead in this picture. When negotiations with Robinson failed, George Raft was borrowed from Warners and the script rewritten for him. Frances Dee and Joan Blondell were considered for the female leads in this picture. Universal also considered borrowing Dennis O'Keefe from M-G-M to appear in this picture. This film marked stage actor Tom Fadden's screen debut.
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