11 Harrowhouse

5/27/2023

This is another of those films that I recalled fondly from childhood. "Chesser" (Charles Grodin) is a small time diamond dealer who, along with girlfriend "Maren" (Candice Bergen) finds himself ensnared in a cunning plot to rapidly increase the value of diamonds (though without the aid of "Pussy Galore's Flying Circus") by removing around $18bn from the global reserves. The trading centre for these jewels is the eponymous, unremarkable, London townhouse occupied by the imperious Sir John Gielgud ("Meecham") and his dedicated assistant "Watts" (James Mason). We learn quickly that "Watts" is a man on borrowed time, and that his boss couldn't really care less - so this makes the former character ripe for co-operation with "Chesser". Their scheme is ingenious, and their planning and implementa