A Nightingale Sang in Berkeley Square (1979) Richard Jordan, Oliver Tobias, David Niven, Elke Sommer, Gloria Grahame Movie Review

A Nightingale Sang in Berkeley Square (1979)   3/53/53/53/53/5


Richard Jordan in A Nightingale Sang in Berkeley Square (1979)

Pinky is Perky with Elke

Pinky (Richard Jordan) has spent a good chunk of his life behind bars but after getting out this time he plans to go straight, heading back to Ma (Gloria Grahame) and Foxy (Oliver Tobias) and a job as a licensed electrician. But that job sees him not only doing maintenance in a bank but becoming the permanent maintenance guy with his own keys to the place. Still wanting to go straight his work situation comes to the attention of crime boss Ivan (David Niven) who with various thieves and robbers put pressure on him to be the inside man for a bank job.

Some heist movies are all about the actual robbery taking us through the various stages with the planning, the gaining of knowledge and of course the robbery itself. But some heist movies are more about the exploits of the individual, the ducking and diving and basically living by the edge of their seats. That is very much what you get in "A Nightingale Sang in Berkeley Square" as we watch Pinky pressured in to assisting Ivan rob a bank by getting him the inside information and doing so often by thinking on his feet or getting a bit lucky such as when he accidentally knocks a whole in a ceiling tile over where the safe is, giving him a clear view of the combination.

But as such "A Nightingale Sang in Berkeley Square" ends up being very much about Richard Jordan's characterisation of Pinky as being a bit of a Jack the lad. And it is an intentionally comical performance, well walking down a London street dressed like you were a gentleman cowboy has to be intentionally funny. But Jordan strangely pulls off the comical nature of his character especially when it comes to getting an alibi by sleeping with the assistant manager. But it isn't just Jordan's performance which brings the laughs as Gloria Grahame is amusing in her minor role as Ma and of course there is David Niven delivering that element of class to his character with a nice slice of deviousness.

What this all boils down to is that "A Nightingale Sang in Berkeley Square" isn't anything special as it is just another heist movie. But it is one with a nice comical element and now has an additional nostalgic element with views of various old shops in London.


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