What Ifs...If the heist was successful. Some thoughts

I'm liking this movie more and more with repeated viewings and getting into the characters minds.

We can assume even the "safest" robbery can turn bad, but by the same token it could well have worked for them. Earl's stubborness on not letting Johnny be the wheel man was a hindrance but that might not have mattered if they approached the bank side-door but a minute or two earlier. We know they were a few minutes off as the guard noted in the delivery of the food. They could have been out of there just before the actual delivery man arrived, and before the police cruiser showed up, though it's not clear what effect the tripped alarm would have at that point.

Anyway, lets say they blow town in their sleeper hot rod chevrolet station wagon ( curious though the use of a souped up flathead Ford V8 rather than a more easily adaptable and more powerful SB Chevrolet V8 engine ) and make the switch to Dave Burke's 1956 Plymouth and high-tail it back to NYC, with the hope they aren't stopped at a roadblock checkpoint. Mission accomplished.

Still, some thoughts and questions:

- The actual cafe owner/deliveryman may be at first a suspect but evidence corroborated from the bank employees would show otherwise.

- The infusion of cash would doubtless improve each of their situations, IF they were careful about how they spent it. As Dave and Earl didn't seem gainfully employed ( or employed at all ) an obvious display of sudden wealth would ring alarm bells. The cash helped Johnny the most as he was in the most desperate need of it but his habits raise concerns of how he'll handle it. A lingering suspicion I have is that his addiction to gambling may get him in even worse trouble with even larger debts due to his new found liquidity making him reckless on a grander scale

- I get an inkling that that's not the last they'll hear of the fallout from the robbery. While technology of forensic evidence might not have been as good as today's, dogged determined police work was. I have to believe they'll check EVERYthing, from their hotel stay casing the job, eyewitnesses in town and in rural hunting areas ( where the vehicle switch takes place ) and it's possible one or more of them might be interviewed.

Very intriguing film with great photography and acting.