Sightlines · reception
How How to Steal a Million was received
1966 · William Wyler · How to Steal a Million on Sightlines
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.
Did you know? George C. Scott was originally cast as the American tycoon, but Wyler fired him early in production after he failed to show up on set — Eli Wallach stepped into the role.