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:

This is like no robbery you've 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

In his book "It Would Be so Nice If You Weren't Here..." Charles Grodin explained that it took him a long time to find the right project after his first successful starring role in The Heartbreak Kid (1972). When he finally chose this movie, the studio offered him approval of the rest of the cast and screenplay input. But when the film flopped and Grodin's performance was heavily criticized, he found it difficult to get another acting job for the next two years.

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Goofs

At c.79 minutes the position of the bullet marks on the windscreen of the van change.

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Quotes

Howard R. Chesser: That man's been following us.
Maren Shirell: How could he be? He's in front of is.
Howard R. Chesser: I hope you've got a witty line if he shoots us.

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Connections

Referenced in The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson: Charles Grodin/Calvin Trillin/J.J. Wall (1989)

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Soundtracks

Day after Day
Lyrics by Hal Shaper
Music by Michael J. Lewis
Performed by Lennie Peters (as Peters) and Dianne Lee (as Lee)

User Reviews

Robert Morgan's review notes that there are two vastly different versions of this film

One with the Grodin narration, and one without. I suspect many of the negative reviews refer to the highly edited TV-version. Unfortunately, I'm not sure if the commercial VHS tape offered is the edited version, so caution is advised.

As a fan of heist films, I only recently learned of this rare film and had an opportunity to obtain the widescreen laserdisc presentation. And while it's true that this isn't a top-notch comedy or thriller, it's certainly better than you would think given the majority of less-than-flattering reviews here.

There are clever heist tricks - many of which have not been used again since this film. You know how much Hollywood likes to "borrow" clever ideas and use them over and over to the point where they become sad clichés. Well, you have to admire the use of cockroaches and chocolate cake to defeat an ultra-secure vault! How many times have you seen that done before? Or since?

If you're a fan of the heist genre or a Grodin devotee - this is a 'must see'. Otherwise, I'd wait 'til it gets a DVD release.