11 Harrowhouse (1974)

With the help of a wealthy playgirl (Candice Bergen) and an angry employee (James Mason), a small time diamond merchant (Charles Grodin) attempts a daring robbery of the world's largest clearinghouse for diamonds. Based on the novel by Gerald A. Browne and directed by Aram Avakian (END OF THE ROAD). I'm partial to a good heist film but this one is a mess. It's supposed to be a heist comedy/thriller but there are no laughs and no tension. Everything seems so haphazard (reputedly the movie had many rewrites) and unfocused and Avakian never directed another movie. Clearly, he was the wrong director for a movie like this. As the film's leading man, Grodin is also a problem. He was never leading man material and this movie shows why. He doesn't have a strong screen presence, he's rather unpleasant in fact. Not to mention the most tedious and endless car chase that brings the movie to its near close. Only James Mason manages not to embarrass himself. With Trevor Howard, John Gielgud, Helen Cherry and Peter Vaughan.