11 Harrowhouse (1974)

Independent diamond broker and his girlfriend attempt a heist at a major Diamond Exchange house in London.

Director:

Aram Avakian

Writers:

Gerald A. Browne (based on the novel by), Jeffrey Bloom (screenplay)

Stars:

Candice Bergen, Charles Grodin, James Mason

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Charles Grodin	...	Howard R. Chesser
Candice Bergen	...	Maren Shirell
James Mason	...	Charles D. Watts
Trevor Howard	...	Clyde Massey
John Gielgud	...	Meecham
Helen Cherry	...	Lady Anne Bolding
Peter Vaughan	...	Coglin
Cyril Shaps	...	Wildenstein - the Diamond Cutter
Leon Greene	...	Max Toland
Jack Watson	...	Miller
Jack Watling	...	Fitzmaurice
Clive Morton	...	Sir Harold
Larry Cross	...	Whitman
Glynn Edwards	...	First Guard (as Glyn Edwards)
John Bindon	...	Second Guard

Storyline

A small time diamond merchant jumps at the chance to supervise the purchase and cutting of a large first class diamond. But when the diamond is stolen from him, he is blackmailed into pulling off a major heist at the Diamond Exchange, located at 11 Harrowhouse.

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Plot Keywords:

rough diamond | creme de menthe | champagne | city | killed in an explosion | 

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Taglines:

"I owed him $1,000,000. I figured I could clear it up if I did my own laundry and didn't eat again until I was 417 years old" or COMMIT THE MOST DARING ROBBERY EVER IMAGINED.

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Genres:

Comedy | Crime | Thriller

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Certificate:

PG

Details

Country:

UK USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

2 October 1974 (Sweden)

Also Known As:

Anything for Love

Filming Locations:

Ragley Hall, Alcester, Warwickshire, England, UK

Company Credits

Production Co:

Elliott Kastner Productions

Technical Specs

Runtime:

94 min

Sound Mix:

Mono

Color:

Color (Deluxe)

Aspect Ratio:

2.35 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

Trevor Howard had a reputation of having a drinking problem, so Charles Grodin requested a meeting before they began working on this movie. Candice Bergen and Director Aram Avakian, who had already began working on this movie, also joined them. Howard had been left to wait on his own in a cocktail bar, and when the others arrived they thought he was making a joke when he appeared to be intoxicated. Unfortunately, he wasn't. However, after this incident, Howard kept his word and never drank during filming days.

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Goofs

When Maren (Candace Bergen) and Howard (Charles Grodin) take the diamonds to Massey's (Trevor Howard) house after the theft, they zoom around the parking area outside the house while a couple of Massey's goons hang on the sides of the truck. The parking area is gravel, yet the truck tires squeal as if they were on a paved surface.

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Quotes

Howard R. Chesser: Slow down! You're reckless!
Maren Shirell: I'm not reckless, I'm skillful.

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Connections

Referenced in The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson: Victoria Principal/Charles Grodin/Jerry Seinfeld (1982)

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Soundtracks

Prelude
(uncredited)
Music by Johann Sebastian Bach
Arranged by Michael J. Lewis

User Reviews

'What were the dogs going to do, bite the tyres?'

This is an entertaining caper film given a little extra special something by Charles Grodin's deadpan voice-over. I'm alarmed to note from other comments that there's a version without the voice-over at large, wreaking untold damage and stopping the film gaining the cult rep it would surely otherwise enjoy. This is a desecration and those responsible must be hunted down with hounds.

Grodin is by turns funny and cool as hell as a small-time gem dealer forced to mount an ingenious large-scale heist against London's biggest diamond monopoly, the snobbish and deadly cabal at 11 Harrowhouse, enjoyably personified by an ice-cold John Gielgud and Peter Vaughan in full troll mode. James Mason is touching as the only decent man in the organisation and Trevor Howard on great form as the shady/barking-mad aristocrat who finances the robbery. Candice Bergen is adorable as Grodin's smart, beautiful, feisty paramour and accomplice.

In some ways the film is of its time (1974), mostly in a good way. In fact the only potentially laughable/winceable groovy-London moment is when Bergen casts the I-Ching while speeding along in her sports car; even that struck me as pretty cool actually. The schmaltzy piano-bar soundtrack works wonderfully, I think. London itself - buildings, vehicles, Pools-playing cockney security guards - looks gorgeously down-at-heel and I never watch this film without a twinge of nostalgia.

Catch it if it's ever on TV and you're in the mood for escapist fun - do make sure it's the version with the voice-over, though.