Cinema Royal Cannes

Any Number Can Win (French: Mélodie en sous-sol, lit. ’Melody in the Basement’) is a 1963 French crime drama film directed by Henri Verneuil. The film is based on the novel The Big Grab by Zekial Marko

Charles comes out of prison after serving five years for attempted robbery. His wife wants him to go legit but he immediately starts making plans for robbing the gambling casino at Cannes. Charles hires two assistants: Francis, a young man whom he met in prison, and Francis’ brother-in-law, Louis. Francis is a petty thief discontented with his working-class background, while Louis is a humble mechanic, almost completely honest to a fault.

Charles orders Francis to go to the casino ahead of him, create a cover story as an affluent high-roller, and find a means to get access to the backstage, which will be crucial in the route to the elevator shaft that is the sole means to the basement vault in which the casino proceeds are kept. Francis does this by beginning a romance with dancer Brigitte. However, enjoying his affluent facade, he gets so caught up in the wooing of Brigitte he frequently ignores Charles’ communications, which almost leads to the robbery being cancelled until Francis assures him he can stick to the intricate plan. Meanwhile, Louis tells Charles he will forgo his share of the money, fearing that he will be seduced by the luxuries it can buy him and that it will lead to more illegal behavior.

On the night of the robbery, Francis cavalierly breaks up with Brigitte, but watches her performance. After the show ends, he hides backstage, goes to the casino roof and lowers himself down first into the casino ventilation system, and ultimately the elevator shaft. He penetrates the counting room, subdues the head cashier and his assistants, then lets in Charles, who puts the money in a pair of bags. The two of them leave with a billion francs. Francis hides the money in a swimming pool locker room.

The next day Charles unexpectedly sends Louis on a train out of town, and demands to meet with Francis immediately. He shows Francis the front page of the newspaper – there is a photograph with Francis in it, taken the night before as he had been watching the stage show. Charles tells Francis he’s too risky, and thus he will leave the resort quickly and send Francis his share later. He orders him to get the bags and return them to him in an outdoor swap near the pool. Francis retrieves the bags, but finds police are everywhere in the pool area, making it difficult to pass the money to Charles, who is waiting at a table. Francis then overhears the cashier telling detectives he remembers the look of the suitcases used to carry out the money