Solemplex To me, this movie is perfection.

Platicsco Good story, Not enough for a whole film

Lollivan It's the kind of movie you'll want to see a second time with someone who hasn't seen it yet, to remember what it was like to watch it for the first time.

Ezmae Chang This is a small, humorous movie in some ways, but it has a huge heart. What a nice experience.

bkoganbing Apparently someone had a really good idea to save 11 Harrowhouse. They added a voice-over narration by star Charles Grodin, sharp and laconical that really lifts the film from the mediocre to the good. There seems to be another version of the film without it, but I can't imagine it being as good as this.11 Harrowhouse is the name of the address where a few people headed by John Gielgud control the diamond market of the world. They have billions of dollars or English pounds if you will of gems in their vaults and manipulate the world market value like a yo-yo. Gielgud is a cold and forbidding man and he's one who delights in screwing the little people in his employ. One of them is diamond cutter James Mason who is as reliable as Alec Guinness was in The Lavendar Hill Mob. He's also got a plan. When Grodin and Candice Bergen come up short with 'the System' as Gielgud's consortium is called, Mason has them as allies.The three of them have the backing of billionaire Trevor Howard who also likes messing with people. He messes with Grodin and Grodin has no choice but to aid in the robbery.The best part of the film is the robbery itself. Someone has to be sacrificed, but the idea is incredibly ingenious and bloody simple.Mason comes off best in this, a little man who just wants to get even with those who have treated him like a doormat all his working life.An enjoyable caper film, diamond exchange in Amsterdam, take note.

tomsview This is a pretty good caper film, stylish and witty, but it loses its grip a little in the last 15 minutes.Charles Grodin plays a small time jewellery dealer, Howard R. Chesser, who travels to London to conduct business with 'The System' located at 11 Harrowhouse, an enormously prestigious and snooty diamond trading house. 'The System' is run by the equally snooty Mr Meecham, played by John Gielgud – one of the film's trio of top British actors who were a fair way along in their careers by the mid 70's.Chesser is offered a big diamond deal by mega-wealthy Clyde Massey, played by Trevor Howard with the ham gauge set on the highest level. Events lead to Chesser breaking into 11 Harrowhouse to steal the entire stock of diamonds. He is helped by Charles Watts, an unassuming Harrowhouse assistant out for revenge. Watts is played by James Mason, an actor with one of cinema's most distinctive voices, like George Sanders, he was smooth from the start to the finish of his career.Chesser is also helped by his girlfriend, Maren Shirell, played by Candice Bergen in a role that is reminiscent of Grace Kelly in "Rear Window" – glamorous, poised, and adventurous.The film is in the same spirit as "Arabesque", "How to steal a million" and "Charade" and quite a few others of the 60's and 70's. It features an inventive jewel robbery, much of it played out on the rooftop of 11 Harrowhouse; although that sequence is marred by bad matching between the location and the studio shots.Charles Grodin's offbeat style was not unlike Bob Newhart's – a bland, milquetoast exterior concealing underlying insolence. Grodin also supplies droll, running commentary on the action in voice-over, somewhat like someone showing home movies. This works pretty well up until the end where the commentary seems disconnected with what is happening on screen. When Grodin says at some length that he can't understand why Howard and his associates are chasing him, it's obvious why they are.Apparently there was another version of the film without Grodin's voice-over, but I suspect it was added because it was felt something was needed – the long chase sequence at the end is as drawn out and tedious as those things often were in this kind of film.Despite the odd lapse, the film still has much that works – an ingenious robbery, the tongue in cheek delivery of Grodin, a dazzling Candice Bergen, and a line-up of legendary, albeit aging, British stars of the period.

Dr. David L. McAfee (Ghtrdr) Now I don't share the views of that other critic. Many of Grodin's movie characters have similar traits.(See him in Catch-22) Really this is a worthwhile film and a good show. He seems to have left out one of James Mason's darker performances,as he sticks it to his stiff employer! Trevor Howard is delightful as a psychotic,eccentric billionaire.(How much money does the guy need?) The film is narrated by Grodin in a matter-of-fact way that adds to the dry humor. All of the actors pull off their characters well...P.S. I watch a great deal of movies.

BOUF Charles Grodin, who co-wrote is almost always self-conscious, and it's self-consciousness that ultimately sinks this otherwise entertaining diamond heist caper. The excellent starring and supporting cast can't quite prevent the audience from being confused as to whether this is supposed to be a smart parody or a complicated thriller. The director was an excellent film editor of "Jazz On A Summer's Day", "Lilith", "The Miracle Worker", etc