1975: Murph the Surf (aka Live a Little, Steal a Lot)
This is a surprisingly good little heist film with the recently departed Robert Conrad in the title role. It is based on an actual robbery at the American Museum of Natural History in New York. (No wonder they haven’t let a film crew in their galleries in decades—not even Night at the Museum, which the filmmakers worked hard to replicate in a studio in Vancouver.)
Stars: Robert Conrad, Don Stroud, Donna Mills
Plot Summary by IMDB
Based on a true story, details the daring 1964 theft of the J.P. Morgan jewel collection from New York’s American Museum of Natural History. Called “The Greatest Jewel Heist of the 20th Century”, the robbers took twenty-two precious gems, including the Star of India, the 100.32-carat de Long Ruby and the 16.25-carat Eagle Diamond, stones so famous they would be impossible to sell.
Mary Malloy is the author of both historical novels and non-fiction history. She has a Ph.D. from Brown University and infuses her books with well-researched details and richly textured writing. As a teacher and writer, she works to bring the past alive by exploring the lives of both ordinary and extraordinary people. 
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