11 Harrowhouse – 1974 | 94 mins | Comedy | Colour

Plot Synopsis

Engaging if overeager comic crime caper adapted from the novel by Gerald A Browne, which attempts to breathe new life into the tired heist format. Despite Aram Avakian’s slapdash direction there are some pleasingly fantastical notions and witty dialogue, the heist caper was already a self-parody, and as it progresses the quirky story degenerates into direly facetious face. The excellent and underrated Charles Grodin faultlessly portrays the nervy hero, and interjects an ironically deadpan narration at key moments throughout the offbeat film. The venerable supporting cast includes urbane British stalwarts James Mason, Trevor Howard, John Gielgud and Jack Watling unashamedly hamming it up.

A nonchalant young American merchant, Howard R. Chesser, travels to London on one if his frequent trips to 11 Harrowhouse; the offices of the world’s largest clearing house for diamonds. Joining Howard is his wealthy girlfriend, the daring and vivacious Maren Shirell. Cheeser has to deal with, and accept what’s offered, by Harrowhouse’s snobbish and pompous manager, Meecham.

Chesser is subsequently called to the mansion of crooked tycoon, Clyde Massey, who wishes the American to purchase a £1m uncut diamond to be known as ‘The Massey’. Meecham likes to control the diamond market, and Harrowhouse is part of a cartel dubbed ‘The System’, so it comes as no surprise when Chesser is robbed of his expensive diamond whilst travelling to Belgium to have it cut. It transpires that £5 billion worth of jewels are held at Harrowhouse to artificially inflate the market, and the barnstorming Massey proposes they take out retribution by emptying the vault at Harrowhouse.

Chesser finds an ally in Charles Watts, an embittered Harrowhouse employee who is terminally ill and feels he is being cheated out of a pension that would take care of his family after death. With Watts acting as the inside man, the heist is accomplished effortlessly. When Massey double-crosses Chesser and Maren, the duo is soon on the run with billions worth of diamond to do with what they wish.