I'd like to transport you back to the year 1961, right in the heart of the captivating city of Paris, France. The city was bathed in its timeless allure, known for its art, history, and an exceptionally rich culture. However, something incredibly audacious and exhilarating happened in one of its iconic establishments, the Hôtel Ritz Paris, which forever left an indelible mark on its annals. The famed hotel, which opened its doors to the public in 1898, stood tall and elegant at the Place Vendôme and had established itself as a sanctuary for those in the high echelons of society: the famous, the powerful, and the royals. Little did Paris or the opulent patrons frequenting the grand hotel know, the tranquility surrounding the Hôtel Ritz would soon be shattered by the unfolding of a meticulously orchestrated robbery, one that would be written in the annals of the city's history as a daring feat that both stunned and captivated its populace.
 
Behind the scenes of this audacity was Jacques Lepage, a master thief whose life story bore the elements of a classic crime thriller. An individual who strategized each robbery as a game of chess, Lepage had painstakingly plotted this masterpiece for months, and when the time finally came on that fateful early evening in 1961, the gears of the elaborate machine started turning into action. The hotel vault contained treasure beyond comprehension - jewelry, precious stones, and cold, hard cash - each piece belonging to the illustrious guests who thought their wealth was perfectly secured within the Hôtel Ritz.
 
Assembling an experienced crew with unmatched expertise, Lepage managed to breach the hotel security dressed as members of the hotel staff, silencing alarms as they ventured deeper into the fortified vault. Timed impeccably with an extravagant gala raging just above the scene of the crime, the gang had successfully created the perfect distraction so that none suspected the audacity of Lepage’s master plan. They were there not to blend with Paris' high society - they were there for a robbery, and it was clear from their precision that it was no child's play they were undertaking.
 
In mere hours, the seemingly impossible theft unfolded, and the thieves successfully snatched a mind-numbing total of 5 million francs, or just over one million dollars at that time's rates. The booty consisted of priceless jewelry, cash, and precious gems that belonged to elite families across Europe. As the criminals sped away under the cloak of the early morning, their stomachs filled with nerves of the success, Paris awoke to an earth-shattering crime, leaving the local law enforcement bewildered as this was no ordinary robbery they were dealing with - they were on the trail of the mastermind that would become folklore.
 
In the end, despite the allure and intrigue of Lepage’s crime, justice would catch up to him, as the elusive robber would finally be apprehended in 1964. He and several accomplices were captured and tried for the theft of the decade; part of the loot was recovered, though notably, a good portion of the plunder still remains missing and likely lost to history, only to leave conspiratorial theorists fantasizing about it for the generations that followed. Thus is the saga that continues to surround the Hôtel Ritz Paris’s legendary 1961 robbery, never fading into obscurity. It was not only one of the most intricately planned and daringly executed heists ever recorded but also an event that forever tainted Paris’ glitzy society, entrenching it in folklore, films, and urban mythology in equal measure. It marked the audacious history of Jacques Lepage: an illusive mastermind whose genius can never truly be understood.

Retro clips filmed in Paris? 

1961 in Paris, France