Safes & Vaults versus Hollywood

wylk · 2009-12-22T18:17:07+00:00

Purely for fun I though I’d start a discussion of how Hollywood treats safes & vaults. Sometimes it’s quite ridiculous, sometimes it’s interesting. What are your favorites? James Bond, I forget which movie, used a credit-card-sized X-ray viewer to open a wall safe by viewing the wheels. Very difficult to do unless the X-ray source is on the other side, and even then quite unlikely. Nevertheless the lock industry has long offered “radiation resistant” wheel packs and other countermeasures. What impressed me was the image looked like a real X-ray view of a real safe lock. And the wonderful product-placement choice of “Sharper Image” on the imaging card. Ocean’s 13 used a similar idea in the opening, this time to view the locks and boltwork of a massive vault door. The image looked plausible though the device was pure baloney. Goldfinger. Quite silly representation of a vault, and it seemed that everybody knew the combination. But it sure was impressive-looking, and the door was moderately realistic. Bond, On Her Majesty’s Secret Service (I think). Over a lunch hour, he uses a suitcase-sized auto-dialer to open a safe. A clever idea, and portrayed more realistically than most gadgets and techniques. Today they are somewhat common; did they exist in 1969? Ocean’s 11, my favorite scene is near the beginning when the vault/explosives expert “blows” what looks like a real York door (US patent 929,907, dated 1909). It looks to me like they even got the boltwork right (easy if it’s a real door) and the mechanism is even shown in the “locked” position as the door is opening. Just ignore the utter silliness of shaped charges cutting through the door and slicing through the bolts :-) Any thoughts on the above, or addition? Jim

Cepasaccus

A round bank vault door in Natti Natasha’s Pa’ Mala YO:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ceJ-t_naYHQ

Gary Stephenson

Cepasaccus wrote
In John Wick Chapter 3’s trailer is a big vault door which is opened by an electronic lock, but has a combination dial.

https://youtu.be/RSXc5z9F7Do?t=72

It is obviously a fake theatrical door, a couple of times in the movie when the door is closed it is obvious it is very light weight.

[unknown]

wylk

Cepasaccus wrote
A round bank vault door in Natti Natasha’s Pa’ Mala YO:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ceJ-t_naYHQ

This one looks like a real Mosler door.

[unknown]

Chubby

…. some nice shots of a US bank vault in this:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bh92EQp8ywc

wylk

A movie called simply Vault was released June 20 2019. It deals with a 1975 robbery of a safe deposit vault inside Hudson Fur & Leather Center in Providence, Rhode Island, which was used by the Mafia. The actual vault door was a modest Mosler door:

In the movie they have substituted the Industrial Trust Building (also called the “Superman” building), here are stills from the trailer:

I have not seen this movie but will report on it if I do.

wylk

On March 15 2019 a movie called “Finding Steve McQueen” was released. It covers the 1972 burglary of the United California Bank in Laguna Niguel, California. They were trying to find Richard Nixon’s stash of illegal contributions.

The movie trailer does not clearly show the vault door. If I get a chance to watch this I’ll report on it.

wylk

wylk wrote
On March 15 2019 a movie called “Finding Steve McQueen” was released. It covers the 1972 burglary of the United California Bank in Laguna Niguel, California. They were trying to find Richard Nixon’s stash of illegal contributions.

The movie trailer does not clearly show the vault door. If I get a chance to watch this I’ll report on it.

I watched the movie and can’t say much about it that’s good. It does say it was inspired by actual events, not that it’s a documentary. They take great liberties with the story.

Here is what the vault exterior looks like -

As for the interior, it looks like it was built from cinder blocks which would not be the case -

[unknown]

wylk

A short time ago (9/1) the movie “Vault” was mentioned. I watched the movie and in general was not impressed. It does tell the story of the Bonded Vault robbery in Providence and it does seem to follow the general story well. It’s not a documentary. Very little of it involves the robbery itself which didn’t surprise me. It probably appeals to those who are interested in the history of organized crime, especially in Rhode Island.

I’d give it a C- or maybe D+ grade.

wylk

A TV series “Masterminds” did an episode “Memorial Day Heist” about a 1980 safe deposit burglary (Medford, MA) done by three police officers and two other crooks. In it there is this door inside the vault which portrays the money safe. They manage to break the door away and it falls face first to the floor. The episode is on YouTube.

Huw Eastwood

Going by the pictures I certainly won’t be going to YouTube to watch that. Looks like they used an early 1970s wall clock for the hand wheel..

wylk

Huw Eastwood wrote
Going by the pictures I certainly won’t be going to YouTube to watch that. Looks like they used an early 1970s wall clock for the hand wheel..

That is a bad prop door but the story is interesting. One of the officers wrote a book which was turned into a movie (which used a real Mosler door). The TV episode is only 23 minutes long.

The money safe only held about $60,000 but the boxes yielded much more.

The building is now a restaurant which features the original hole in the vault.

[unknown]

wylk

An old TV series “Masterminds,” episode “Safe Landing” (intentional pun?) details a large jewelry store burglary which involved drilling a safe. Though the dial is Sargent & Greenleaf, the safe itself is clearly a very rare Molser:

wylk

In 1979 a movie was released that over time has had the titles The Great Riviera Bank Robbery, Dirty Money, and Sewers of Gold. It deals with the 1976 burglary in Nice of a safe deposit vault. In the movie, the vault door is represented like this:

Though I’m not as familiar with European vault doors, it does seem like a prop. The attendant uses two long keys which she inserts maybe two inches into the keyholes.

wylk

In the movie Men In Black 3 there is a maximum-security prison that has a cell door patterned after round crane-hinged vault doors –

There are no obvious locks or pressure system but the resemblance seems fairly clear.

wylk

An upcoming movie “King’s Man” is a prequel to the two recent “Kingsman” movies which details the formation of the rather wealthy organization. With all that wealth they need a vault full of gold, right? Here are images taken from the trailers (I did lighten them up a bit).

Not too bad, it even uses the commonplace 24 bolts. Probably CGI but pretty. The aspect ratio is a bit messed up (the door is more oval than round).

Grayhair

I would love to see the crane on that door. Among other things. It may be my phone, but the door appears to partially enter the vault as it swings.

wylk

Grayhair wrote
… the door appears to partially enter the vault as it swings.

I’m certain it’s either CGI or partly CGI. The opening in the frame isn’t nearly as thick as the door is.

[unknown]

Cepasaccus

Un Drôle de caïd (1964) with Louis de Funès. Looks like a safe with a Fichet combination lock. This is the German synchronization. There is a also an original version on yt, but the video is not as good.

https://youtu.be/U0GyMnkFoYI?t=1200

wylk

Cepasaccus wrote
Un Drôle de caïd (1964) with Louis de Funès.

I enjoyed the sound effects while the locks were being picked.

[unknown]

Cepasaccus

In “How to steal a million” from 1966 with Audrey Hepburn and Peter O’Toole is a small wall safe shown protecting the switch for the alarm system. It has a Fichet 4-wheel clicker plus the key lock. Inside the door is upside down a sticker of Coffres-forts SOLON.

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