Once a Thief 1965

Ex-convict Eddie Pedak, Alain Delon, tries to settle into a quiet life in San Francisco with a loving wife Kristine Pedak, Ann-Margret, their daughter Kathy, Tammy Locke, and a steady job. Yet the shadow of his past keeps pulling him back into danger as a bitter police detective, Inspector Mike Vido, Van Heflin, hungrily hunts for proof of his guilt, and Eddie’s estranged brother Walter Pedak, Jack Palance, remains a constant threat with a criminal network that won’t let him go.

Inspector Mike Vido remains convinced Eddie is responsible for a robbery years earlier and the death of a shopkeeper. Despite only having glimpsed the shooter’s eyes, Vido torments Eddie since his release, edging him toward failure and losing him more jobs. When the same shopkeeper is killed again in a robbery, a witness swears Eddie was not involved, yet the damage to Eddie’s livelihood is already done, leaving his family’s finances and stability precarious.

Walter Pedak, still a force in the city’s underworld, tries to pull Eddie back into crime by offering him a single, high-stakes job: one night, $50,000, a final score. Eddie refuses, but unemployment gnaws at him, pushing Kristine to take a waitressing job to keep the family afloat. Walter drops by and reveals that Kristine’s gig is at a sleazy nightclub, and Eddie’s anger ignites when he discovers her there. The realization that Walter’s gang needs Eddie’s inside knowledge to pull off a big heist pushes him to accept—if only to protect his family from hunger and danger. It becomes clear that Sargatanas, Walter’s trusted ally, and Shoenstein are the ones who framed Eddie for the earlier murder, sowing distrust within the ranks and leaving Eddie wary of everyone around him.

As Eddie investigates, Vido approaches him with a conditional offer: confess and receive protection, along with help in recovering the stolen platinum. Eddie’s refusal to come clean sets the stage for a dangerous collaboration that could either redeem him or seal his fate. The crew pulls off a daring heist, netting $1 million in platinum and emboldening Walter to push harder toward a final score. When Sargatanas murders another member of the gang, the rift widens; Sargatanas and Shoenstein abduct Eddie’s daughter Kathy to force Eddie into handing over the loot.

Desperate and cornered, Eddie contacts Vido, who agrees to assist if Eddie confesses and returns the platinum. Eddie finally admits that he did shoot Vido years ago, and Vido, shaken, finds himself less driven by vengeance than by the desire to see justice prevail. They arrange a meetup where Eddie’s daughter will be exchanged for the platinum, and the surviving thieves, along with their loot, converge at the site. The daughter is released, and Eddie drives the truck containing the precious cargo to the exchange point. In the ensuing chaos, Sargatanas shoots Shoenstein, triggering a prolonged shootout that wounds both Eddie and Vido.

In a brutal struggle with the gun, Sargatanas dies, leaving Eddie staggering toward Vido with the weapon in hand. Just then, a partner arrives, misreads the scene, and shoots Eddie dead—ending his attempt to secure his family’s future and leaving Vido to confront the consequences of a case that spiraled from a personal vendetta into tragedy. The film lingers on the price of vengeance, the fragility of trust, and the harsh truth that past crimes can shadow even the most earnest attempts at a fresh start.