I recall seeing this as a kid on TV. It was in black and white and I’m pretty sure it was an episode of an anthology show, not a stand alone movie.
Plot summary:
Two people (probably boyfriend and girlfriend) rob someone who turns out to be a powerful criminal. I don’t recall if they kill him or not. One thing he had was a personalized lighter, but it wasn’t a bic it was a very large lighter (I’m not sure if all were that size back then).
In the end someone who worked for the criminal took them at gunpoint and implied he was going to kill them because he realized them having the lighter means they were the ones that robbed the criminal.
Any ideas? I’m pretty sure it was alfred hitchcock, but maybe not.
Sounds like the inverse of a short story I have a dim recollection of where someone decided not to kill the guy who had stolen the mob boss’s lighter because he thought it must be a gift and the guy was connected.
*While Dora’s babysitting, her boyfriend and two of his pals show up. They clearly intend to rob the house but are caught in the act when the owner returns home unexpectedly. They steal a large sum of money but one of the young hoods, Gino, stabs the owner and Dora offers to call the police with a good story. Gino agrees but is worried that they not give themselves away but soon realizes that one of his gang has already fenced a lighter stolen from the house. Turns out the homeowner had a reason for having a large sum of money on hand. *
Yup, thanks. I checked keywords like Alfred Hitchcock lighter but nothing came up. Google kept implying the episode was Man from the South for some reason.
Apropos of nothing: it was probably a Zippo lighter. My father had one and so did my late husband. I love the sound they make when you snap them closed. And the smell of the lighter fluid is very evocative.