The Silent Partner (1978 film)

The Silent Partner

Company type	Film production
Industry	Film
Founded	1978
Headquarters	Toronto , Canada
Products	Thriller film
Parent	Carolco Pictures

The Silent Partner is a 1978 Canadian thriller film helmed by director Daryl Duke, featuring performances by Elliott Gould, Christopher Plummer, and Susannah York. The script, written by Curtis Hanson, adapts the novel Think of a Number (Tænk på et tal) authored by Danish novelist Anders Bodelsen.

The narrative centers on Miles Cullen (Gould), a bank teller in Toronto who stumbles upon a discarded note indicating an upcoming robbery. Suspecting Harry Reikle (Plummer), a mall Santa, Miles secretly conceals C$48,300 from his transactions inside a lunchbox, handing Reikle only a small portion during the heist. When Reikle discovers the shortfall, he begins to menace and pursue Miles.

Curtis Hanson adapted the screenplay and initially aimed to direct but was ultimately replaced by Daryl Duke. Elliott Gould accepted the lead role, commending the screenplay as one of the finest he had encountered. This film marked the inaugural production for Carolco Pictures and took advantage of Canada's Capital Cost Allowance program designed to boost local film production. During post-production, Hanson returned to oversee additional filming and editing after producers introduced a contentious beheading scene; Duke opposed this addition and subsequently departed from the project.

The film received critical acclaim for its intelligent plot development, suspenseful atmosphere, and proficient direction. It was lauded for its Hitchcockian style, intricate storyline, and compelling performances delivered by Gould, Plummer, and York. Although not without minor imperfections, it was broadly recognized as both engaging and entertaining. The Silent Partner secured three Canadian Film Awards, including accolades for Best Feature Film and Best Direction.

Plot

Miles Cullen works as a bank teller at a Toronto shopping center (the Eaton Centre) and uncovers an impending robbery after finding a discarded hold-up note. Harry Reikle, who plays Santa Claus at the mall outside the bank, has handwriting resembling that on the note.

Rather than reporting this to authorities, Miles begins diverting cash from his transactions into a lunchbox instead of the cash register. When Reikle carries out the robbery at the teller's station, Miles gives him only a small sum while claiming to have handed over all the day's funds.

After watching news coverage, Reikle realizes that CA$48,300 has been withheld and aggressively demands the money from Miles. He subsequently stalks and threatens him multiple times.

Miles draws the attention of his coworker Julie Carver, who is romantically involved with their married supervisor Charles Packard. After escorting Julie to a Christmas gathering at the Packards' residence, Miles confesses his feelings for her.

When Reikle breaks into Miles’ apartment searching for the stolen cash, Miles manages to have him arrested for stealing a delivery truck. At the police lineup, however, Miles refrains from identifying Reikle to protect himself.

Several months later at his father’s funeral, Miles meets Elaine, who claims to have been his father’s nurse. Elaine collaborates with the incarcerated Reikle to track Miles down and locate the hidden money. Upon discovering that Miles concealed it in a bank safety deposit box, Reikle grows wary of Elaine as she becomes romantically involved with Miles. Meanwhile, Julie also grows suspicious of both Elaine and Miles.

Once released from prison, Reikle confronts Elaine about where her loyalties lie. She admits she has developed feelings for Miles. Enraged by this betrayal, Reikle murders her in Miles’ apartment. Discovering Elaine’s body, Miles conceals it within the foundation of a new bank building under construction. Witnessing this act, Reikle threatens to kill Miles unless he hands over the money.

Miles agrees but insists on conducting the exchange publicly at his bank window for security reasons. Disguised as a woman, Reikle arrives; after receiving an envelope from Miles, he reveals his plan to kill him regardless. Anticipating this move, Miles passes him a forged hold-up note and triggers an alarm while shouting “he has a gun.” Reikle shoots at Miles before fleeing into the mall but is shot by security personnel. Mortally wounded, Reikle tells a guard that Miles gave him the money; the guard responds with “Whose money did you expect?”

Miles is transported away in an ambulance accompanied by Julie. They both decide to leave their jobs behind and start fresh elsewhere.

Production

Anders Bodelson's 1969 novel was well-received and had previously been adapted twice: once in 1970 as a Danish film directed by Palle Kjærulff-Schmidt and again in 1972 as a West German television film by Rainer Erler. The American filmmaker Curtis Hanson penned the screenplay on speculation with hopes to direct; however, producers ultimately declined his involvement.

Elliott Gould was chosen for the leading role, commending the script as the finest he had encountered since The Touch. Despite initial reservations about the project, he established a productive collaboration with director Daryl Duke.

This movie represented the inaugural production for Carolco Pictures and took advantage of Canada's Capital Cost Allowance tax credit, which incentivized commercial filmmaking within the country. Principal photography was conducted entirely in Toronto, featuring prominent sites such as the Eaton Centre and The Silver Dollar Room, while indoor scenes were shot at Cinespace Film Studios located in Kleinburg.

During post-production, disagreements emerged when studio executives demanded inclusion of a beheading sequence; Duke opposed this and was subsequently replaced by Hanson to oversee reshoots. Gould voiced displeasure over this change but praised Duke’s original contribution. Hanson later acknowledged completing post-production and additional shooting at producers' behest.

Reception

The Silent Partner garnered both critical acclaim and commercial success in Canada, securing multiple Canadian Film Academy Awards, including Best Picture and Best Director. It also became an unexpected hit in the United States, with Brendon Hanley of Allmovie describing it as "one of the best sleepers of the late '70s."

Critical

Roger Ebert awarded three-and-a-half stars, lauding it as "an intelligently crafted thriller with strong performances" and calling its plot "the most daringly mechanical" he had seen in years, deeming it "worthy of Hitchcock."

Gene Siskel also gave it three-and-a-half stars, referring to it as "a highly enjoyable caper film" featuring characters so compelling that predictability was irrelevant.

Janet Maslin from The New York Times emphasized director Daryl Duke's skillful and suspenseful narrative style, noting well-developed characters and an energetic ensemble cast.

Variety commended the film’s spectrum from suspense to violence, highlighting entertaining performances by Susannah York, Christopher Plummer, and Elliott Gould.

Kevin Thomas of the Los Angeles Times described it as "tense and inventive," enhanced by an excellent score from Oscar Peterson.

Gary Arnold of The Washington Post considered it an "exceptionally clever and gripping thriller," despite a darker tone emerging toward the end.

Jay Scott of The Globe and Mail rated it as top-tier suspense with a straightforward storyline and credible coincidences, though he observed some inconsistencies in dialogue.

Elliott Gould reportedly screened the film for Alfred Hitchcock, who expressed admiration for the work.

Accolades

The production received 11 nominations at the Canadian Film Awards, winning six honors including Best Picture (producers Garth Drabinsky, Joel Michaels, Stephen Young), Best Director (Daryl Duke), Sound Recording (David Lee), Sound Editing (Bruce Nyznik), Original Music (Oscar Peterson), and Editing (George Appleby).

Category	Nominee	Result
Best Feature Film	Garth Drabinsky Stephen Young Joel B. Michaels	Template:Won
Best Direction (Feature)	Daryl Duke	Template:Won
Best Performance by a Lead Actor (Feature)	Christopher Plummer	Template:Nom
Best Performance by a Lead Actress (Feature)	Celine Lomez	Template:Nom
Best Art Direction/Production Design (Feature)	Trevor Williams	Template:Nom
Best Overall Sound	David Lee	Template:Won

Legacy

The movie served as a creative influence for Bad Influence, with screenwriter David Koepp acknowledging it as a source of inspiration. Producer Mario Kassar contributed $500,000 to the original production and explored the possibility of a remake, although Curtis Hanson opted not to direct the new version.

From a critical standpoint, Gayle Macdonald of The Globe and Mail commended the film, describing it as "one of the few genuinely excellent movies" to emerge from the 1970s tax-shelter period.

External links

• Film review at Cinema Scope
• Film review at the Pink Smoke