Sean Flynn

The bank was about to close, but Martin caught the bank manager just in time.

The bank was about to close, but Martin caught the bank manager just in time.

There were no bullets in the gun. That's intentional. Martin wanted to be scary, not deadly. But he's the only one who knew that.

There were no bullets in the gun. That's intentional. Martin wanted to be scary, not deadly. But he's the only one who knew that.

Again, Martin was the only one who knew his machine gun wasn't loaded. And then I said, I want your money. He tossed a bag to the manager, told her to fill it with cash from the drawers. But the big money, the money he ordered, was downstairs in the vault. And that taxi driver, who could see the stairs to the vault, he was still outside.

Again, Martin was the only one who knew his machine gun wasn't loaded. And then I said, I want your money. He tossed a bag to the manager, told her to fill it with cash from the drawers. But the big money, the money he ordered, was downstairs in the vault. And that taxi driver, who could see the stairs to the vault, he was still outside.

There was no time to raid the vault. So Martin abandoned the quarter million kroner he'd ordered, left with what he got from the drawers. He walked to the car, calmly, and drove away. He hid his gun and the money where he could find them later, ditched the car, then slipped into the woods and lost the disguise. He came out in a tracksuit and jogged home to Tonesburg.

There was no time to raid the vault. So Martin abandoned the quarter million kroner he'd ordered, left with what he got from the drawers. He walked to the car, calmly, and drove away. He hid his gun and the money where he could find them later, ditched the car, then slipped into the woods and lost the disguise. He came out in a tracksuit and jogged home to Tonesburg.

So it wasn't a flawless job, but he did all right. 230,000 kroner. Enough to buy a house, which was the whole point.

So it wasn't a flawless job, but he did all right. 230,000 kroner. Enough to buy a house, which was the whole point.

By the spring of 1975, Martin was broke.

By the spring of 1975, Martin was broke.

He repeated the entire process. He got a new gun because he'd thrown the first ones from a bridge, believing that he wouldn't be committing any more armed robberies. He got a revolver, a .357 Magnum from a mail-order catalog. Then he picked out a bank, cased it, robbed it, and got away clean.

He repeated the entire process. He got a new gun because he'd thrown the first ones from a bridge, believing that he wouldn't be committing any more armed robberies. He got a revolver, a .357 Magnum from a mail-order catalog. Then he picked out a bank, cased it, robbed it, and got away clean.

Well, some people wondered.

Well, some people wondered.

This seems to have been the point where Martin began to drift into method acting, into becoming the character he thought he was only playing. He'd been a gentleman thief three times, two banks and an art heist. Why go back to that boring, ordinary family man schtick? Why not act out the upside of gentleman thieving? The definition of gentleman has, we hope, evolved.

This seems to have been the point where Martin began to drift into method acting, into becoming the character he thought he was only playing. He'd been a gentleman thief three times, two banks and an art heist. Why go back to that boring, ordinary family man schtick? Why not act out the upside of gentleman thieving? The definition of gentleman has, we hope, evolved.

But this was the 70s, and Martin leaned hard into his best James Bond womanizing and gallivanting. That's the pop psychology take.

But this was the 70s, and Martin leaned hard into his best James Bond womanizing and gallivanting. That's the pop psychology take.