British agent Joseph Rearden (Paul Newman) is assigned to infiltrate a gang called “The Scarperers” which is helping prisoners escape from prison. He is told a famous Russian spy named Slade (Ian Bannen) is expected to make a break and ordered to join him and see where he goes.
Provided with a false identity as a criminal, Rearden plans an elaborate diamond robbery with the mysterious Angus Mackintosh (Harry Andrews) and his enigmatic “secretary”, Mrs Smith (Dominique Sanda) and subsequently attacks a postman in London’s Hatton Garden, stealing a box of diamonds worth £140,000.
Having sold the diamonds and stashed the proceeds away in a Swiss bank, Rearden is captured by the police.
Serving 20 years, he is placed in a high-security jail with the Russian agent, Slade.
Both are subsequently approached by The Scarperers, who execute their jailbreak successfully.
Subsequent scenes in Ireland and Malta are somewhat confusing, but Rearden and Mrs Smith (who turns out to be the daughter of Mackintosh, who was, in reality, a British intelligence chief and was murdered for his involvement) ultimately win out.
Joseph Rearden
Paul Newman
Mrs Smith
Dominique Sanda
Sir George Wheeler
James Mason
Angus Mackintosh
Harry Andrews
Slade
Ian Bannen
Brown
Michael Hordern
Soames-Trevelyan
Nigel Patrick
Brunskill
Peter Vaughan
Judge
Roland Culver
Taafe
Percy Herbert
Jack Summers
Robert Lang
Gerda
Jenny Runacre
Buster
John Bindon
Prosecutor
Hugh Manning
Malta Police Commissioner
Wolfe Morris
O’Donovan
Noel Purcell
Jervis
Donald Webster
Palmer
Keith Bell
Warder
Niall MacGinnis
Cox
Shane Briant
Mr Boyd
Michael Poole
Postman
Eric Mason
Young
Dinny Powell
Danahoe
Doug Robinson
Madeleine
Marcelle Castillo
Director
John Huston