Rotten Tomatoes
Cancel Movies Tv shows RT App News Showtimes

Topkapi

Play trailer Poster for Topkapi 1964 2h 0m Mystery & Thriller Comedy Play Trailer Watchlist
Watchlist Tomatometer Popcornmeter
95% Tomatometer 21 Reviews 68% Popcornmeter 1,000+ Ratings
Beautiful thief Elizabeth Lipp (Melina Mercouri) and criminal genius Walter Harper (Maximilian Schell) put together a plan to steal an emerald-encrusted dagger from Istanbul's Topkapi Palace. As part of their crew, they hire small-time hustler Arthur Simon Simpson (Peter Ustinov) to act as their fall guy. When the Turkish secret police capture Simpson at the border, they persuade him to spy on his partners in crime, mistakenly believing that they're Communist agents plotting an assassination.
Watch on Fandango at Home Stream Now

Where to Watch

Topkapi

Critics Reviews

View More
J. R. Jones Chicago Reader 03/03/2008
The story never quite adds up, but with help from Ustinov and Robert Morley, Dassin conjures up a superior light entertainment. Go to Full Review Variety Staff Variety 03/03/2008
Ustinov has probably the meatiest part in the film and one that allows him to use many of the unsubtleties in dominating scenes he has at his command. Go to Full Review Time Out 02/09/2006
It's a far cry from his classic American thrillers or his brilliant British noir, Night and the City. Go to Full Review Matt Brunson Film Frenzy 11/30/2024
3/4
Whereas Dassin's Rififi is a lean, mean French noir, Topkapi is an effervescent, English-language lark, with Dassin this time opting for sunshine instead of shadows. Go to Full Review Merl Edelman Los Angeles Free Press 02/05/2020
It's strictly entertainment, but Peter Ustinov and Robert Morley are worth it for fun even without the ingenious jewel robbery around which this colorful spoof focuses. Go to Full Review David Parkinson Radio Times 08/08/2017
4/5
The film combines sparkling dialogue with moments of unbearable tension. Go to Full Review Read all reviews

Audience Reviews

View More
Jerry R Nov 21 Delightfully quirky and engaging See more S R @ScottR Jun 30 Saw it for the NYT 1000 list. It was a quirky spoof that didn’t resonate with me. Too much cheese. My favorite parts were the ruling and Greek cultures with the wrestling and the Topkapi. Now I have another reason to go back to Istanbul. Saw in Pluto. See more CodyZamboni 02/26/2024 Amusing comedic heist movie set in Turkey. I liked the colorful characters and the smart clever robbery planning, as the thieves try to outwit the authorities. Peter Ustinov has the stand out comedic peformance as an unlikely member of the gang that plans to steal a jeweled dagger. The silent heist is fun and intense, and obvious direct influence for a smiliar scene in the first Mission Impossible movie. See more Alec B 01/10/2024 An enormously fun heist movie. Ustinov is perfectly disheveled and those final 30 minute or so are unbelievably tense. See more jpdanzig 06/03/2023 One of my favorite movies of all time. Why many consider Dassin's "Rififi" superior to "Topkapi" is a mystery to me. This has it all: humor, suspense, great characters, beautiful scenery, outstanding score. See more 11/06/2021 An enormously fun heist movie. Ustinov is perfectly disheveled and those final 30 minute or so are unbelievably tense. See more Read all reviews
Topkapi

My Rating

Read More Read Less POST RATING WRITE A REVIEW EDIT REVIEW

Cast & Crew

View All

Jules Dassin

Director

Melina Mercouri

Elizabeth Lipp

Peter Ustinov

Arthur Simon Simpson

Maximilian Schell

Walter Harper

Robert Morley

Cedric Page

Akim Tamiroff

Gerven

Movie Clips

View All

Topkapi

Topkapi: Official Clip - A Little Bird Told Me Topkapi: Official Clip - A Little Bird Told Me 2:27 Topkapi: Official Clip - Stealing the Dagger Topkapi: Official Clip - Stealing the Dagger 3:02 Topkapi: Official Clip - The Floor-Mounted Alarm Topkapi: Official Clip - The Floor-Mounted Alarm 2:13 Topkapi: Official Clip - A Nymphomaniac Topkapi: Official Clip - A Nymphomaniac 2:02 Topkapi: Official Clip - Sofa Bet Topkapi: Official Clip - Sofa Bet 2:24 Topkapi: Official Clip - The Heist Begins Topkapi: Official Clip - The Heist Begins 2:21 Topkapi: Official Clip - Wrestling Match Topkapi: Official Clip - Wrestling Match 1:28 Topkapi: Official Clip - A Clever Deduction Topkapi: Official Clip - A Clever Deduction 1:43 Topkapi: Official Clip - Crossing the Roof Topkapi: Official Clip - Crossing the Roof 2:20 Topkapi: Official Clip - It Can Be Done! Topkapi: Official Clip - It Can Be Done! 2:12 View more videos

More Like This

View All
Charade 95% 92% Charade Watchlist Gambit 100% 81% Gambit Watchlist TRAILER for Gambit The Honey Pot 57% 62% The Honey Pot Watchlist Masquerade 40% 25% Masquerade Watchlist The League of Gentlemen 83% 83% The League of Gentlemen Watchlist Discover more movies and TV shows. View More
View All

Topkapi

Topkapi (1964) Topkapi (1964) View more photos

Movie Info

Synopsis Beautiful thief Elizabeth Lipp (Melina Mercouri) and criminal genius Walter Harper (Maximilian Schell) put together a plan to steal an emerald-encrusted dagger from Istanbul's Topkapi Palace. As part of their crew, they hire small-time hustler Arthur Simon Simpson (Peter Ustinov) to act as their fall guy. When the Turkish secret police capture Simpson at the border, they persuade him to spy on his partners in crime, mistakenly believing that they're Communist agents plotting an assassination.
Director
Jules Dassin
Producer
Jules Dassin
Distributor
United Artists
Production Co
Filmways Pictures
Genre
Mystery & Thriller, Comedy
Original Language
English
Release Date (Theaters)
Sep 17, 1964, Original
Release Date (Streaming)
Sep 16, 2008
Runtime
2h 0m
Most Popular at Home Now