In a 33-month whirlwind, Gilbert Galvan committed 59 robberies. Sometimes he doubled, and did two in a day. He would become the most daring, if not fascinating, criminal in Canadian history. It was only a matter of time before Hollywood noticed. And they did, thanks to Robert Knuckle’s book on Galvan (“The Flying Bandit”), in which the smooth, handsome, persuasive criminal was skillfully captured.
After serving time in a Michigan prison for defrauding Western Union offices, Galvan did the unthinkable: He escaped in 1984 and fled across the border. His fame escalated in 1987 when it was revealed he was the bandit behind robberies in 14 Canadian cities — in every province except Prince Edward Island and Newfoundland. He made $2.3 million during his three-year spree, a calculated venture that often saw him fly to cities and return home the same day to his pregnant wife, who apparently had no idea about her husband’s romps. She thought he was a traveling salesman.
However, he was much more. A bona fide master in disguise. And that was one of the main reasons – along with screenwriter Kraig Wenman’s clever script – that Josh Duhamel (The thing about Pam, Jupiter’s legacy, transformers) wanted to shine Bandit, the film based on Knuckle’s book.
“I thought I would really love to get into all these different outfits and not really know how I would feel if I was disguised,” Duhamel said. “I’ve never done anything like this, pretending to be all those different people. And it’s funny what happens when you wear a big or different nose than you were used to, or a wig, mustache or whatever. Something takes over. A different person comes out of you in a weird way. You start to feel like, ‘Oh, this is what the character would sound like.’
“That was part of the fun of the movie,” he added. “I didn’t really know how to play these characters until I put on the full costume.”
About making Bandit as inventive as possible
Bandit also stars Elisha Cuthbert (Happy Endings, The Ranch), Nestor Carbonell (The Morning Show, Bates Motel), and Mel Gibson (Father Stu, Deadly Weapon). Owned by director Allan Ungar (Uncharted, Gridlocked), audiences will no doubt be charmed by Duhamel’s take on the Canadian criminal – there has never been a shortage of charm when it comes to Duhamel.
Cuthbert plays Andrea in Bandit, Gilbert Galvan’s love interest. Carbonell takes on the ruthless detective who will stop at nothing to bring in Galvan. Mel Gibson joins for the cinematic joyride as Tommy Kay, the loan shark/gangster Galvan turns to.
“We wanted this to be a thriller and have some aspects of a heist movie,” Duhamel said. “But I also felt with this character — and the whole story — that there was so much comedy to be found in the way Allan was doing this. And the circumstances Gilbert was in to feel that this… [robbery] was his only option. What does the man do when his back is against the wall? Well, I think he goes to drama school for special effects and learns how to make fake noses. I mean, this guy literally went and became an expert at disguising himself. For me that was an opportunity to make it as fun and funny as possible.”
Cuthbert said she was immediately captivated by the script.
“I was so intrigued that this heist movie had an interconnected love story,” she shared. “I hope people walk away to see how these two people met and the chaos that ensues in Gilbert’s lifestyle. I remember talking to Josh and saying that the movie is a lot of fun but that I would focus on our chemistry the whole time and make sure the movie was also a love story between two people. And he said, ‘Absolutely!’”
The actress and Duhamel create a remarkable on-screen chemistry. The script may be lighthearted and things move fast, but the director and his actors manage to capture some depth throughout too Bandit.
“Josh makes it so easy,” Cuthbert added. “We got to work and it was a lot of fun.”
In fact, the two had known each other for years.
“Elisa is just such an easy person to get along with — really,” Duhamel said. “And I’m not even saying that just because she’s sitting next to me. We had a good relationship from the start and I wanted to work on that.”
He recalled a scene where his character was disguised – this time in a fireman’s suit. “It was about 99 degrees in Thomasville, Georgia, and I come out of this couch in that suit pretending to be a firefighter. It’s hot. I’m sweating. It was just disgusting, really. And Elisa has to act like she’s all hot for me. And that’s the big kiss we have in the movie. So we kiss and they say ‘cut’. Then I look around and I see her looking at the makeup girl and saying, “ugh.” And I’m like, ‘Did you just gag?’”
He laughed. “I’ve never felt less sexy in all my life.”
“I would never gag because of you,” Cuthbert replied. “In my defense, I was five weeks pregnant – really – and had the worst morning sickness of my life. I was sweating. The gag was morning sickness.”
Duhamel smiled.
Yes. Their on-screen chemistry reflects their true friendship.
Making Bandit believable
Ungar received the Bandit script five years ago. He was at the beginning of his career at the time and, after reading countless scripts, all too often wondered what he… thought people wanted him to direct – he would go on not mapped, starring Tom Holland, to the screen. Bandit surprised him thoroughly. After reading the script, he immediately called his agent. He had to make the movie, perhaps inspired by all the crime dramas and heist movies he saw as a kid.
In fact, many of those groundbreaking films are now considered classics. But in Ungar’s eyes, they all used an inherent and organic ability to impress audiences in ways that were both exciting and entertaining—whether action, drama, or romance involved.
Bottom line: those kinds of movies were recognizable.
“I want people to run away from” Bandit appreciate the performances,” Ungar said. “I think the cast is just at the top. Ultimately, because truth is stranger than fiction, there have been times when people think, “This just didn’t happen.” So I’d like people to also appreciate how Gilbert managed to pull all that off [the robberies] from. I’m not trying to glorify crime or anything, of course, but then you have to respect it.”
Carbonell agreed, pointing to Ungar’s exceptional directing.
“Allan is an incredible man,” he said. “He did the impossible: shoot the film in 21 days with 200 scenes. That’s crazy. And in the middle of Georgia, doubling for Canada. Other than the incredible performances Allan pulled out of everyone, there was something about honoring him.” this incredible story that is a character driven piece. Studios don’t make these movies anymore. In the wrong hands, the movie would have looked very different.”
Carbonell was in Pensacola, Florida, when he was offered the part and word that shooting would begin in just three days. He quickly rearranged his schedule and jumped in.
“I started doing all my homework overnight,” he said. “One of the biggest draws for me was Kraig Wenman’s script, which is full of humor. And then to add Allan, who creates an environment where we can reef. And people like Josh and Mel Gibson. These guys are very funny, very fast. It allowed us to really play and find the humor that balanced all the underlying tension.”
Bandit running in theaters and on demand on September 23, 2022, from Quiver Distribution.