The Burglar (1957) in Color — Starring Dan Duryea & Jayne Mansfield

The Burglar (1957) — Buy This Classic in Color

Discover The Burglar, Paul Wendkos’s 1957 taut film noir thriller starring Dan Duryea and Jayne Mansfield, now available as a professionally colorized version. Own this classic movie in color as a DRM-free MP4 digital download for just €15.00.

Plot Summary

In the shadowy streets of Philadelphia, Nat Harbin (Dan Duryea) is a professional burglar haunted by a complicated past — years ago, his late father, a spiritualist con man, took in a young orphan girl named Gladden (Jayne Mansfield) and raised her alongside Nat, creating a bond between them that is part sibling loyalty, part unspoken romantic tension, and entirely co-dependent. Now adults, Nat has assembled a small, tight-knit crew — the nervous, unreliable Baylock (Peter Capell) and the volatile, dangerous Dohmer (Mickey Shaughnessy) — to pull off a meticulously planned heist: breaking into the mansion of a wealthy Philadelphia spiritualist during one of her elaborate séances and stealing a priceless diamond necklace.

The heist itself goes smoothly — the crew infiltrates the darkened mansion while the spiritualist performs for her wealthy clients, cracks the safe with practiced efficiency, and escapes into the night with the glittering prize. But what follows is a masterclass in mounting paranoia and psychological disintegration. Nat knows they must lie low, separate, and wait before fencing the diamonds, but the pressure of hiding begins to crack his crew apart. Baylock grows increasingly nervous and unstable. Dohmer, a brutish man with barely controlled violent impulses, becomes fixated on Gladden in ways that threaten both the operation and her safety. And a mysterious, persistent stranger (Stewart Bradley) has been following Gladden with unsettling patience — a man who may be a cop, a rival criminal, or something more dangerous still. As Nat moves Gladden to the Atlantic City boardwalk in an attempt to hide in plain sight, the web tightens around them — betrayal comes from within the crew, the mysterious pursuer closes in, and Nat must confront the terrible realization that the heist he planned so carefully has set in motion forces of destruction that he cannot control. Wendkos directs with a European-influenced visual sophistication rare in American noir, creating an atmosphere of claustrophobic dread that builds inexorably toward a shattering climax on the rain-swept streets.

Cast & Crew

Director: Paul Wendkos

Stars: Dan Duryea, Jayne Mansfield, Martha Vickers, Peter Capell, Mickey Shaughnessy, Stewart Bradley, Wendell Phillips, John Facenda, Frank Hall, Sam Elber

Dan Duryea delivers one of his finest performances as Nat, bringing a weary, world-bruised intelligence and genuine emotional depth to a character trapped by circumstance, loyalty, and his own criminal nature. Jayne Mansfield, in a dramatic role that reveals surprising depth beneath her bombshell persona, is touching and vulnerable as Gladden, the orphaned young woman whose dependence on Nat creates the emotional heart of the film. Mickey Shaughnessy provides menacing physical threat as the volatile Dohmer, while Peter Capell generates genuine anxiety as the nerve-shattered Baylock. Paul Wendkos, making his feature directorial debut, demonstrates a remarkably assured visual style — his use of Philadelphia’s real urban locations, Atlantic City’s boardwalk landscapes, and expressionistic camera angles creates a genuinely distinctive noir atmosphere.

Why Buy This Classic in Color?

The Burglar was originally filmed in stark, expressionistic black and white, its deep shadows and angular compositions creating a visual style unusual for American noir. This professionally colorized restoration brings frame-by-frame precision to the dark Philadelphia night streets gleaming with rain, the garish neon colors of the Atlantic City boardwalk, the glittering diamonds at the center of the heist, the moody blue darkness of nighttime stake-outs, and the cold grey institutional architecture of the city. The colorized version adds visual depth and atmospheric tension to this restored classic film, bringing the contrasting worlds of Philadelphia’s shadows and Atlantic City’s gaudy brightness to vivid, noir-soaked life. Now also available in colour.

Buy The Burglar in color today for just €15.00. Your DRM-free MP4 download is available for instant access.

Historical Significance

The Burglar is a significant film in the noir canon as the feature directorial debut of Paul Wendkos, whose European-influenced visual sophistication — including location shooting in Philadelphia and Atlantic City — anticipated the French New Wave’s embrace of American noir aesthetics. Based on David Goodis’s novel, the film belongs to the same literary tradition of doomed criminal romanticism that produced such noir classics as Dark Passage and Shoot the Piano Player. Jayne Mansfield’s dramatic performance demonstrates a talent that was often overshadowed by her publicity image, and Dan Duryea’s lead role represents one of the signature performances of one of noir’s most distinctive character actors. Through colorization, this underrated noir gem is preserved for modern audiences.

Technical Details

• Format: MP4 digital download
• Resolution: HD restored
• Colorized: Professionally colorized from original black and white
• Audio: Original mono restored
• Runtime: Approximately 90 minutes
• DRM-free: Yes — watch on any device
• Instant download: Available immediately after purchase
• Price: €15.00

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)

Movie-Specific Questions

Q: Is this a rare dramatic role for Jayne Mansfield?
A: Yes, The Burglar showcases Jayne Mansfield in a serious dramatic role far removed from her bombshell comedy image, revealing genuine emotional vulnerability and acting depth that surprised critics and demonstrated her underutilized talent.

Q: Who wrote the source material for The Burglar?
A: The film is based on a novel by David Goodis, one of the most celebrated noir fiction writers, whose works also inspired the François Truffaut film Shoot the Piano Player and the Humphrey Bogart noir Dark Passage.

Q: How does colorization enhance this film noir?
A: Colorization adds atmospheric contrast between Philadelphia’s dark, rain-slicked streets and Atlantic City’s garish neon boardwalk, while the glittering stolen diamonds and moody nighttime sequences gain vivid visual impact.

Digital Download Questions

Q: What format is the download?
A: The film is delivered as an MP4 file compatible with virtually any device or media player.

Q: Is there DRM on the file?
A: No. The download is completely DRM-free so you can watch it on any device without restrictions.

Q: How quickly can I watch after purchase?
A: Your download link is available instantly after payment, so you can start watching within minutes.

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