Documentary that follows the struggle for control of Dr. Albert C. Barnes' 25 billion dollar collection of modern and post-impressionist art.
Director:
Don Argott
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Title: The Art of the Steal (2009)
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1 nomination.
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Edit
Cast
| Credited cast: | |||
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Julian Bond | ... |
Himself - Chairman of the Board, NAACP
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David D'Arcy | ... |
Himself - Correspondent, The Art Newspaper
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Richard Feigen | ... |
Himself - World-Renowned Art Dealer
(as Richard L. Feigen)
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Richard H. Glanton | ... |
Himself - Former President, Barnes Foundation
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Christopher Knight | ... |
Himself, Los Angeles Times
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Ross L. Mitchell | ... |
Himself - Former Director of Education, Barnes Foundation
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Irv Nahan | ... |
Himself - Former Teacher, Barnes Foundation
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Harry Sefarbi | ... |
Himself - Artist & Former Teacher, Barnes Foundation
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John F. Street | ... |
Himself - Mayor of Philadelphia
(as John Street)
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Nick Tinari | ... |
Himself - Attorney & Former Barnes Foundation Student
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Robert Zaller | ... |
Himself - Professor of History & Politics, Drexel University
(as Dr. Robert Zaller)
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Plot Summary
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Storyline
Documentary that follows the struggle for control of Dr. Albert C. Barnes' 25 billion dollar collection of modern and post-impressionist art.
Taglines:
The true story of a multi-billion dollar art heist and how they got away with it.Genres:
DocumentaryParents Guide:
View content advisory »
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Details
Country:
USALanguage:
EnglishRelease Date:
12 September 2009 (Canada) See more »Also Known As:
Искусство воровства See more »Filming Locations:
Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USABox Office
Opening Weekend:
$39,019 (USA) (26 February 2010)Gross:
$541,027 (USA) (21 May 2010)Company Credits
Show detailed
company contact information
on
IMDbPro »
Technical Specs
Runtime:
Color:
Color
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Written by Ozzy Osbourne (as John Osbourne), Tony Iommi, Geezer Butler and Bill Ward
Performed by The Bad Plus
Courtesy of Sony
See more »
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Connections
Featured in The Rotten Tomatoes Show: Dinner for Schmucks/Charlie St. Cloud/Get Low (2010) See more »Soundtracks
Iron ManWritten by Ozzy Osbourne (as John Osbourne), Tony Iommi, Geezer Butler and Bill Ward
Performed by The Bad Plus
Courtesy of Sony
See more »
This documentary, while reasonably well-made and engaging, is essentially a piece of agitprop. It was produced and directed by, and stars, the loose connection of former Barnes teachers and other Friends of the Barnes who opposed the reorganization and relocation of the Barnes Museum of early modern masterpieces to downtown Philadelphia. Sure, politics was played and facts may have been concealed, but the counterargument for not moving the museum and opening it more broadly to the public never really surfaces in this film.
The Barnes was undercapitalized, the last of the original trustees had passed, the trust beneficiary, a struggling state college, did not want manage it actively, the residential neighbors in Lower Merion, Pennsylvania were crying "NIMBY" over the arrival of busloads of out-of-state visitors, and there were no living lineal descendants of the trustor, a quirky pharma pioneer described in the film as a "misanthrope," who died in a 1951 automobile accident at the wheel of his old Packard convertible. The art collection was literally and figuratively orphaned. No wonder the case was brought in Orphans Court.
The film convinced me, but it convinced me only to visit Philadelphia and take in the art collection in its new downtown home.