Too Many Crooks 1959

As Fingers finds his gang growing increasingly frustrated with his inept leadership, a palpable sense of desperation envelops Sid and the others. The tipping point arrives following a disastrous heist at a fur store, which is merely the latest setback in a series of blunders that have left them doubting Fingers’ ability to lead. In a last-ditch effort to reclaim their footing, Fingers devises a scheme to target businessman William Gordon, spinning a tale to the gang that the police are on their trail. However, the plan takes an unexpected turn when Fingers accidentally kidnaps Gordon’s timid wife, Lucy, instead of his daughter.

As he attempts to negotiate a ransom for Lucy’s release, he encounters unforeseen resistance from Gordon, who is less than eager to pay for his dull and unfaithful spouse. Completely taken aback, Fingers finds himself only offering to let Lucy go for a meager £200, which Gordon flatly refuses.

Feeling fed up with her husband’s infidelities, Lucy decides to take the reins of her own fate. Drawing on her wartime skills in hand-to-hand combat, she boldly confronts the gang and seeks to turn the tables on Gordon, leveraging his tax disputes with the Inland Revenue and his distrust of banks to her advantage. With astute insight into Gordon’s financial woes, Lucy orchestrates a daring heist that ultimately enriches the gang.

As they flee with stolen cash, furs, and jewelry, Lucy makes a swift exit, leaving chaos in her wake. In a final act of defiance, she gifts Gordon a lit cigarette which inadvertently ignites his house. When Gordon returns to find his residence consumed by flames, he dives back into the inferno multiple times in a frantic bid to salvage his possessions.

The following day’s newspaper reveals a shocking murder story, strikingly similar to the crime Fingers had threatened. Gordon leaps to an erroneous conclusion, giving Lucy a perfect chance to deepen her vendetta. She enlists Sid and Fingers to masquerade as police officers investigating her disappearance, successfully extracting more cash from Gordon in exchange for dropping the case.

Just as the gang prepares to claim their bounty, a real inspector from Scotland Yard interrupts the proceedings, igniting Gordon’s anger and raising suspicions about his involvement in Lucy’s vanishing act. As panic takes hold, Fingers decides he must abandon everything and flee the country. His estranged ex-stripper girlfriend presents him with a forged passport for a fresh start. Yet, before he can leave, Fingers feels an urgency to visit his mother, which Lucy accurately perceives as a last-ditch effort to secure a final stash of cash.

When the gang arrives at Gordon’s home, they find him hurriedly packing a suitcase, raising doubts about his motives. As the police questions escalate, Fingers seizes the opportunity to snatch the suitcase containing £50,000, making a quick getaway while leaving Gordon too intimidated to fight back. However, unbeknownst to Fingers, Lucy is about to discover her now-broke husband, completely oblivious to the unfolding chaos.

As Fingers and his crew prepare to indulge in their spoils, choosing to keep everything for themselves and excluding Lucy, fate has different plans. In a moment of oversight, the suitcase bursts open, sending the £50,000 spilling across the road, leaving the gang entirely unaware of the repercussions of their greedy choices.