Martin Cahill and the 1986 Heist at Russborough House
by Travis Simpkins
Written, produced and directed by John Boorman, based on the book by Paul Williams, The General (1998) is a raw biopic that focuses on the violent life, criminal career and IRA assassination of Irish crime boss Martin Cahill, nicknamed "The General"… who pulled of a series of daring heists in the 1980's. In addition to home burglaries, extortion, bank robberies and jewelry warehouse stick-ups, Cahill is best known for pulling off the 1986 heist at Russborough House, the art-filled massive home of Lord and Lady Beit. The robbers first intentionally set off the house alarm, then hid in the nearby woods, waiting for the police to disregard it as a false alarm. Once the authorities departed, the thieves had leisurely access to one of the world's great private art collections. During the heist, Cahill and his crew stole 18 paintings, including Vermeer's "Lady Writing a Letter with her Maid", then valued at $20 million. The Vermeer was rescued by Scotland Yard art detective Charles Hill in 1993. Over the years, all but two of the masterpieces have been recovered. Wonderful acting makes up for bad art reproductions (the Vermeer is rolled up like a shiny new poster). Brendan Gleeson does a superb job in the lead role, looking and acting the part of Martin Cahill. Jon Voight co-stars as a cop out to get him. The supporting cast does a fine job as well, including Adrian Dunbar, Sean McGinley, Maria Doyle Kennedy and Angeline Ball.
Brendan Gleeson: The General
Russborough House: The General
Russborough House: The General
Russborough House: The General
Brendan Gleeson and Jon Voight: The General
Stolen Vermeer painting: "Lady Writing a Letter with her Maid": The General
On February 12, 1994 two clumsy thieves used a ladder and broke into a second floor window at the National Gallery in Oslo, Norway. They easily made off with Edvard Munch's highly recognizable 1893 masterpiece, The Scream, then worth about $70 million. Less than three months later on May 7, 1994, Scotland Yard Detective Charles Hill, undercover and posing as a representative of the Getty Museum, recovered the stolen painting in good condition. Edward Dolnick's The Rescue Artist: A True Story of Art, Thieves, and the Hunt for a Missing Masterpiece (2005) tells the story of the events between the theft and the recovery and so much more. A masterwork of Art Crime reportage, the tome flows like a finely-crafted suspense novel. The main characters of the book are the artist Edvard Munch and the detective Charley Hill. Dolnick presents a bare-bones portrait of Charley Hill, a half American half British enigma, from his service in the Vietnam War to his burgeoning interest in art, from his days as a rough beat cop to his development and acting skill-set as an undercover detective. Hill's record of recovering stolen art was already established by the time The Scream was taken. Hill had successfully retrieved paintings (including a Vermeer) stolen by Irish gangster Martin Cahill from the frequently-targeted Russborough House. Hill's ability to deal with rough sorts proved integral in recovering The Scream, which consisted of a sting focused on two crooked Norwegian men named Ulving and Johnsen. The painting, it was later revealed, had actually been stolen by well known art thief Pal Enger and an accomplice. Fine attention to detail, including aspects of Munch's life and the creation of The Scream, are interspersed with sharp writing throughout the book… tying it all together with an expert and tuned result.
Theft of "The Scream" from the National Gallery, Oslo, 1994: The Rescue Artist. Edward Dolnick
The Scream, 1893. by Edvard Munch: The Rescue Artist. Edward Dolnick
Charley Hill: The Rescue Artist. Edward Dolnick
Art thief Pal Enger: The Rescue Artist. Edward Dolnick
Nation Gallery- Oslo, Norway: The Rescue Artist. Edward Dolnick
Police recover a piece of the frame from "The Scream": The Rescue Artist. Edward Dolnick
Dick Ellis - Scotland Yard: The Rescue Artist. Edward Dolnick
Irish gangster, Martin Cahill: The Rescue Artist. Edward Dolnick
Russborough House, Ireland: The Rescue Artist. Edward Dolnick
Charley Hill: The Rescue Artist. Edward Dolnick
Art thief Pal Enger: The Rescue Artist. Edward Dolnick
Charley Hill: The Rescue Artist. Edward Dolnick
The Scream, 1893. by Edvard Munch. under glass: The Rescue Artist. Edward Dolnick
: The Rescue Artist. Edward Dolnick
Edward Dolnick: The Rescue Artist. Edward Dolnick
"The Scream" pop-icon merchandise: The Rescue Artist. Edward Dolnick
