Part of Arkadin’s FILMED IN THE LOU series, spotlighting movies made in and around St. Louis

In 1953, veteran stick-up man Fred William Bowerman—then one of the FBI’s 10 most wanted criminals—led a heist of Southwest Bank, located at the intersection of Southwest Avenue and Kingshighway Boulevard that would end in a deadly standoff between the small band of criminals and over 100 cops. Six years later, director Charles Guggenheim traveled to the scene of the crime to tell the story of that fateful day in rigorously fact-based detail. Starring a fresh-faced Steve McQueen, The Great St. Louis Bank Robbery also features local cops, bank employees, and other local residents in the very parts they played during the actual events. With locations including Tower Grove Park, Magnolia Avenue and the old Southtown Famous-Barr, the film is a rare treat for anyone interested in St. Louis and its history. The film will be preceded by a brand-new short film directed by local filmmaker Mike Gualdoni comparing the locations used in the film to how they look today. —Keith Watso