How to Steal a Million · reception & legacy
1966 · William Wyler
How How to Steal a Million has been received, argued over, and remembered.
The arc
Dismissed in 1966 as frothy, minor Wyler — pretty people in pretty clothes — it's since been reappraised as one of the great comfort watches, with Letterboxd falling hard for the Hepburn–O'Toole chemistry and the whole cozy-heist mood.
What's debated
The perennial fight is whether it's 'just' style — a too-long trifle coasting on charm — or whether that charm, deployed this perfectly, is the substance.
Its footprint
Its calling card is the Givenchy of it all: Hepburn's wardrobe is endlessly screenshotted, and O'Toole's crack that her all-black burglar disguise 'gives Givenchy a night off' remains one of the most-quoted costume jokes in movies.
Where it stands
Not top-tier canon but a beloved staple of the Hepburn cult — the film fans recommend as the gateway 60s caper.