The Thief Collector

If you recall the last proper edition of the BBC sitcom "Only Fools and Horses", you''ll remember that "Del" and "Rodney" discover an old watch that turns out to be worth millions at auction. Well this is a real take on that scenario, as house clearance folks are brought in to clear the ranch of a deceased, ostensibly middle-class, American couple. On the wall in the bedroom they discover a painting. These guys are pretty knowledgable, and suspecting it might be worth something contact the experts who identify it as a long-missing painting by Willem de Kooning that was stolen from an Arizona museum. On further exploration of their home, the inspectors soon discover that this couple had quite a collection of things that had "gone missing" and we are soon presented with some rather fascinating facts around just how they went around the world "collecting" as they went. Their photographs offered an ideal portrait of a typically unassuming American couple, yet they seem to have been astonishingly adept at relieving owners of just about everything from artwork to rugs. With contributions from their friends and neighbours, the FBI and the incredulous (and engaging) clearance men this is actually quite an entertaining look at the sheer audacity of their behaviour and of their successful "in plain sight" attitudes that served both well. Can't say I cared too much for the painting - but now worth a nine figure sum, I'm sure the museum were glad to get it back - even if it took 30-odd years.