ThiefHott Too much of everything

Stevecorp Don't listen to the negative reviews

Odelecol Pretty good movie overall. First half was nothing special but it got better as it went along.

Roxie The thing I enjoyed most about the film is the fact that it doesn't shy away from being a super-sized-cliche;

blanche-2 "11 Harrowhouse" is a heist film from 1974 starring Charles Grodin, Candice Bergen, James Mason, John Gielgud, Trevor Howard, and the recently deceased Peter Vaughan.I, unfortunately, saw a bad print of this which took away from my viewing. I love heist films, and the robbery of jewels here is clever and entertaining, as is the car chase toward the end.Grodin is a diamond trader, Howard R. Chesser, though he is not a major player. The Diamond Exchange in London, address 11 Harrowhouse, monitors the control of diamonds, hoarding tons of them to keep the value high. A multi-millionaire, Clyde Massey (Howard) wants a large diamond named after him and gives the million-pound deal to Chesser. Alas, when Chesser and Maren (Bergen) go to have the diamond cut, it's stolen from them.Massey then blackmails him and orders him to steal the four tons of diamonds at the Exchange. With the daredevil Maren and an inside man (Mason), Chesser gets to work. The film painstakingly shows the planning and execution of the heist, so the real excitement is the car chase that takes place.Grodin has that wry way about him that worked for the character. Though I love Candice Bergen, I've never held her acting in high esteem - her metier turned out to be comedy. She's beautiful - it's not a great role. And you can't go wrong with people like Gielgud, Mason, and Howard, all of whom are terrific.Clever heist film, attractive stars, and entertaining.

Scott LeBrun Charles Grodin lends his distinctively dry comic persona to this somewhat tongue in cheek adaptation of a more serious novel by Gerald A. Browne. He also narrates, and does a good job at maintaining a fairly light tone. He plays a diamond merchant who regularly visits the worlds' largest clearinghouse for gems, located at 11 Harrowhouse in London. He ends up approached by a slimy, yet genial, oil baron named Clyde Massey (Trevor Howard) to steal the places' inventory, and although that usually isn't his trade he and his spirited female companion Maren (Candice Bergen) prove up to the challenge, coming up with an ingenious way to pull off the robbery. For one thing, it involves using a cockroach, but more importantly, it includes an angry employee, Charles Watts (James Mason) who they convert to their cause. At first glance, Grodin (who also is credited with adapting the story) would seem an unlikely lead for such a film, but his presence gives it a little something extra; his narration ensures that this feels like kind of a parody of the genre. Bergen is lovely, of course, and appealing as his girlfriend, a wealthy widow and ace getaway driver who's skillful, not reckless. The mostly British cast includes some very big names who give "11 Harrowhouse" some gravitas; Mason is a real standout as the willing participant in the robbery who wants to make sure that his family is provided for. John Gielgud is excellent as his serious-minded boss, and appearing as well are Helen Cherry, Peter Vaughan, Cyril Shaps, Leon Greene, Jack Watson, and Clive Morton. Director Aram Avakian handles it all in style, cranking up the excitement factor for a breathless final act involving a chase. All in all, this is pretty enjoyable; even if it's not that memorable it's hard to resist while it lasts; the climactic robbery sequence is fun and great use is made of the various locations. Worth a look for fans of the caper film and of the actors on hand. Seven out of 10.

lifegozon8 After so many years, I need to acquire a copy of this movie. I was ten years old when I saw it at (what is now) America's oldest drive-in theater (1934), Shankweiler's, in Orefield, Pa. near Allentown (this drive-in theater is still open during the summer and I encourage all enthusiasts and movie buffs to support it).I remember enjoying watching it and as the years have gone by, I seem to imagine that it was even better than I remembered it. I do recall Grodin's voice-over giving me the biggest laughs, and other moments of tension and timing during the heist made it all the more charming.I did have a crush on the younger Candace Bergen and I'm eager to see what she looked like back then. I am curious to see whether or not the 36 years in between will alter my opinion of the movie.

gridoon This could have been a fairly entertaining caper movie, but it never comes to life. It has a promising cast, but most of the performers are given nothing to do; James Mason brings the only traces of humanity to an otherwise very mechanical movie. In the last 15 minutes, the filmmakers even throw in some car chases and shoot-outs, probably hoping that the movie would gain some tension (since there are no laughs), but it remains strangely indifferent and uninvolving throughout. (**)