Filmmaker Jules Dassin dead at 96

Jules Dassin is a name known only to the most devoted film buffs. I know him from his 1955 French classic Rififi. This hard-as-nails tale of "honor among thieves" is famous for it's half-hour heist sequence -- that's been often imitated but never surpassed -- and features a cast of hangdog faces with unforgettable names like Tony le Stéphanois and Cesar le Milanais. NPR looks back at Dassin's life and career.




UPDATED: a nice tribute from Issa Clubb at Criterion.