Arthur Simpson (Peter Ustinov) is the poor “schmo” of a tourist guide in a Greek seaport who is roped into driving their car, with a hidden rifle and smoke grenades, to Turkey. They include Cedric Page (Robert Morley), an English lord, who is an eccentric scientist and an expert at building gadgets Giulio (Gilles Segal) is to be the acrobatic fellow who is lowered into the dagger room by rope and switches the phony dagger for the real one that the museum’s wax sultan carries Hans Fisher (Jess Hahn) is the strongman who will hold the rope for Giulio and Josef (Joseph Dassin) is the fairgrounds worker who will smuggle the real dagger across the border to Greece. He suggests that the rest of the team be amateurs. International jewel thief Elizabeth Lipp (Melina Mercouri), whose idea it is for the Istanbul heist, recruits her burglars and first hires her old flame William Walter (Maximilian Schell). It’s Dassin’s first color film and he ruefully keeps the decor splashy. It never gets past being a pleasant but average caper film. The film is nearly ruined by a miscast Melina Mercouri, the director’s middle-aged wife, who over acts at every turn and is not as attractive as she’s made out to be. Ex-Ealing writer Monja Danischewsky adapts it from the book The Light of Day by Eric Ambler. Jules Dassin (“Rififi”/”Night and the City”/”Never on Sunday”) directs this stylish lighthearted comical heist drama of stealing a priceless diamond and emerald-studded dagger from Turkey’s world-famous Topkapi Museum. “Stylish lighthearted comical heist drama of stealing a priceless diamond and emerald-studded dagger from Turkey’s world-famous Topkapi Museum.” Ali Tufan, Turkish Security Service) Runtime: 119 MPAA Rating: NR producer: Jules Dassin United Artists 1964) TOPKAPI (director: Jules Dassin screenwriters: from the book The Light of Day by Eric Ambler/Monja Danischewsky cinematographer: Henri Alekan editor: Roger Dwyre music: Manos Hadjidakis cast: Melina Mercouri (Elizabeth Lipp), Peter Ustinov (Arthur Simpson), Maximilian Schell (William Walter), Robert Morley (Cedric Page), Akim Tamiroff (Geven the cook), Jess Hahn (Hans Fisher), Gilles Segal (Giulio), Joseph Dassin (Josef), Ege Ernart (Maj.

Out of My Mind by Monja Danischewsky