R.I.P. Jules Dassin: Film-maker extraordinaire

It's sad to read of the death of the great American film director Jules Dassin. Like Paul Robeson, Dassin paid a high professional price for holding the 'wrong' political views, being blacklisted during the McCarthy era for his communist sympathies. But America's loss was Europe's gain, as Dassin went on to make some great films during his exile, such as the two classic heist dramas Rififi and Topkapi. You can watch the trailer for the latter film above: if you've never watched this hugely entertaining film, with its great international cast (Melina Mercouri, Robert Morley, Maximilian Schell, Akim Tamiroff and the incomparable Peter Ustinov), you're in for a real treat. Or so a little bird told me....