The Diamond Trap (1988)

When he gets the word on the street that a big diamond heist at an auction gallery is in the planning stages, a New York City detective (Howard Hesseman) coerces a gallery employee (Brooke Shields) into helping him thwart the robbery. But everything is not as it seems and it all goes horribly wrong! Based on the novel THE GREAT DIAMOND ROBBERY by John Minahan and directed by Don Taylor (DAMIEN: OMEN II). It's a pity that the movie's lead is the charmless uncharismatic Hesseman because his dreary presence aside, it's an entirely watchable if predictable heist caper. The first half is set in New York (though mostly shot in L.A.) but the second half takes place in England. The film's lame attempts at humor only hinder the movie and it would have been better if they had kept it straight down the line. I've not read the book the film is based upon but I suspect it's grittier and the humor has been (misguidedly) added here. With Twiggy, Darren McGavin, Ed Marinaro, Nicholas Pryor and Dick O'Neill.