Doc Riedenschneider, legendary criminal genius, is released from prison and draws up plans for his last big coup. He wants to retire to Mexico City with one million dollars from a jewel-lery heist. He recruits a group of crooks, including bar owner Gus as driver, Louis Ciavelli as safe cracker and Dix Handley as his strong man, in order to execute the plan. The lawyer Emmerich is supposed to fence the jewels and guarantee the financial settlement. The plan seems to work – until the dangerous weaknesses of each team member are revealed by small accidents, causing their weak connections to each other to crumble. The darkness and wick-edness of the city in the American Mid-West is ever-present, surrounding the crime and the relationships between the characters. _Festivals a.o.:_ _- Venice Film Festival: best actor (Sam Jaffe)_