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Crime thriller

The Thief (1952): Cast & Plot

The Thief (1952) movie poster

The Thief is a 1952 crime thriller directed by Russell Rouse, starring Ray Milland as Allan Fields, Martin Gabel and Rita Gam. It runs 1 hour 25 minutes.

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The Thief (1952) movie poster
Released
Runtime
1h 25m (85 min)
Director
Russell Rouse
Genres
Crime , Thriller
After the credits
No No extra scene
The story

What Is The Thief About?

The premise of The Thief without spoilers. The whole story is in the plot summary further down.

NOT A WORD IS SPOKEN! A chance accident causes a nuclear physicist, who’s selling top secret material to the Russians, to fall under FBI scrutiny and go on the run.

The Thief Themes & Keywords

· 50 tags
  • fbi federal bureau of investigation
  • automobile accident
  • older male young female relationship
  • library of congress
  • impersonation
  • imposture
  • reprisal
  • vindication
  • on the run
  • ringing telephone
  • opening a safe
  • photographing secret documents
+38 more
  • miniature camera
  • storage locker
  • grand central terminal
  • new york city subway
  • phone signal
  • surveillance
  • cigarette wrapper
  • destination cairo egypt
  • pill case
  • stir crazy
  • false identification
  • change of mind
  • man in pajamas
  • watching through a window
  • dead drop
  • trans world airlines
  • macy's department store manhattan new york city
  • fbi
  • reading glasses
  • close call
  • police surveillance
  • award plaque
  • secret documents
  • burning paper in an ashtray
  • teletype machine
  • western union telegram
  • rooftop escape
  • making a tail
  • searching a house
  • cold war era
  • drinking alcohol
  • new york subway
  • cigarette smoking
  • filmed on location
  • atomic energy commission
  • hiding behind a chair
  • new york cityscape
  • being watched
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Cast & crew

The Thief Cast & Characters

Ray Milland leads the cast as Allan Fields, with Martin Gabel as Mr. Bleek and Rita Gam as The Girl. Directed by Russell Rouse; 8 actors are credited in all.

Also Starring in The Thief

· 4 more
From the director

More from Russell Rouse

More films directed by Russell Rouse: The Caper of the Golden Bulls, The Oscar, A House Is Not a Home and Thunder in the Sun.

Full filmography
Plot

The Thief Plot Summary

What happens in The Thief from start to finish, spoilers included, with a timeline of 12 key events. The opening is below; the full summary is a 2-minute read.

Spoilers ahead

Dr. Allan Fields, Ray Milland, is a nuclear physicist with the United States Atomic Energy Commission in Washington, D.C.—but he also serves as a spy for an unnamed foreign power. Through careful tradecraft, he photographs secret documents with a Minox camera and passes these microfilmed records along a clandestine network of couriers to New York, then overseas to the enemy country.

Full summary

The whole story of The Thief, scene by scene

Read the full summary
Quiz

How Well Do You Know The Thief?

10 questions about the story, each with a hint if you get stuck. Pick an answer to see whether you were right.

Question 1 of 10

  1. Question 1: not answered
  2. Question 2: not answered
  3. Question 3: not answered
  4. Question 4: not answered
  5. Question 5: not answered
  6. Question 6: not answered
  7. Question 7: not answered
  8. Question 8: not answered
  9. Question 9: not answered
  10. Question 10: not answered

What is the profession of the main character, Dr. Allan Fields?

Cars

Cars in The Thief

33 cars on screen, including the 1950 Chevrolet Styleline Special and the 1950 Chevrolet Styleline Special.

All 33 cars
  • 1950 Chevrolet Styleline Special in The Thief 1950 Chevrolet Styleline Special Important role
  • 1950 Chevrolet Styleline Special in The Thief 1950 Chevrolet Styleline Special Minor role
  • 1952 Plymouth Cranbrook in The Thief 1952 Plymouth Cranbrook Minor role
  • 1941 Buick Special in The Thief 1941 Buick Special Background role
Details

The Thief Also Known As

7 alternative titles, including “L'espion” and “La spia”.

Also known as
  • L'espion
  • La spia
  • Ich bin ein Atomspion
  • El espía
  • Ο Αρχικατάσκοπος
  • Вор
  • 原子窃贼

Seen The Thief?

FAQ

The Thief FAQ: Cast, Runtime & Release Date

Runtime, release date, director, cast and post-credit scenes of The Thief, each answered in a sentence.

How long is The Thief?

The Thief runs 1 hour 25 minutes (85 minutes).

When was The Thief released?

The Thief was released on October 15, 1952.

Who directed The Thief?

The Thief was directed by Russell Rouse.

More films by Russell Rouse

Who is in the cast of The Thief?

The Thief stars Ray Milland as Allan Fields, Martin Gabel as Mr. Bleek and Rita Gam as The Girl, among 8 credited actors.

Does The Thief have a post-credit scene?

No. The Thief has no extra scene during or after the credits.

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