Since they traveled internationally, why couldn't they just exchange it in a foreign country. This was before computers tracked everything, and I don't think a foreign money exchange would bother looking for American bank robbers. Even with that, I consider it a minor plot hole and still enjoyed the movie.
Nobody gets to be a cowboy forever.
It's not that easy changing a few hundred thousand dollars without using a major foreign bank. And banking is an international business.
shareThere are plenty of plot holes regarding the money.
One, the panel truck is a conventional Chevrolet of the era with no apparent armoring. Armoring would be concealed, if any, and would not be a visual deterrent of robbery. Yet it carries at least $1.2M each day? Hardly likely.
Two, each armed guard easily carries a relatively small bag stuffed full with $600K? Sorry, such a sum would be a much bigger and heavier package and would require more men to carry it.
Three, is this a cheapskate and careless armed courier service or what? Only 2 armed guards each loaded down with $600K and a puny Smith and Wesson .38 cal revolver each? The armed couriers that call at Taco Bell each day act more alert and jittery and are better armed and they're maybe hauling off only $10 grand in lower value 2011 dollars!
Four, the Southwest Bank is just a branch... what are they doing each day in there to generate $1.2M dollars in 1951 value? That's some serious dough for those days. Like maybe a major transfer between the Denver Mint and the Kansas City Federal Reserve Bank, not a puny KC bank serving housewives out shopping for new hats!
Five, Mr. Big didn't formulate the best possible end scheme. He's decided to set the crooks up to take the fall and the insurance company gets their dough back. Mr. Big's reward is to get the $300K reward money and back on the police force as a hero, even though he pretends he doesn't care about that. No, the best end scheme would be to set the robbers up with a bit of the money planted on them to seal their fate when the cops move in, but Mr. Big keeps the rest of the money hidden, say $1.1M, AND gets the reward for facilitating the arrest and conviction of the robbers. Sure, they're going to talk about a "Mr. Big" when they're rounded up, but even they don't know Mr. Big's identity so Captain Foster is a hero, gets away with the robbery, gets back on the force as a hero, has $1.1M hidden away and has $300K to be public with. Given the $300K, he can use it to shield the gradual appearance of the rest of the loot!
Good point about the lightly armed guards and the large amount of cash coming out of a bank. I curious in where such large sums were going on a regular basis.
Although I would not call them "plot holes", as they did not "break" the plot. The first four are more of the "goof" type. The last one is your "improvement" of the plot.
As to the armored car; if you look closed it does have plating in the inside (check the differences between the doors in the two vans during the heist) and bullet proof glass in the back, and gun portals under the windows. It even has a grill guard that was probably installed so it could ram other cars during a hold up attempt.
Armored cars of the day were more like delivery vans that wee modified rather than purpose-built (I owned one for a short while.)
The insurance company is not going to pay $300,000 reward if all they recover is $100,000.
One other plot hole/goof I saw is how Mr Big chose such a tiny resort that the 4 outsiders showing up were about as obvious as could be. The point of the masks was shot to hell. I'd have suggested a big hotel in a big city.
I have seen enough to know I have seen too much. -- ALOTOshare
Other questions I had about the film:
--Where did Joe get all the money to go on his quest to track down the gang who got him pinched? He was peeling off bills left and right. He was just a floral delivery truck driver afterall.
--Joe certainly would have noticed he dropped his revolver by the pool. He was wearing a thin robe, would have noticed the missing weight, and walked around with his hands in the robe's pockets thereafter.
--Evelyn comes to the pool with one big law book, but when she sits down, there are suddenly three more smaller books she looks at.
His friend gave him money before he left.
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