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Upon release from prison, John Dortmunder (Robert Redford) vows to the warden that he won't be back, but he didn't expect to have his old pal and brother-in-law Kelp (George Segal) meet him a few blocks from the prison and try to persuade him to lead a heist. Dortmunder resists but Kelp insists he at least listen to the guy who needs the job done, Dr. Amusa (Moses Gunn) who is the UN representative from the African country of Central Vatawi. Seems there's been a fabulous diamond that's been stolen back and forth for generations by Central Vatawi and Outer Vatawi. He wants the diamond back in possession of the diamond, the Sahara Stone, which is currently on display in a NYC museum.
Dortmunder and Kelp begin gathering a team which includes the get-away driver Murch (Ron Leibman) the mechanic and Greenburg (Paul Sand) the explosives expert, with Kelp as the locks man and Dortmunder as the logistics man.
Despite coming close to having the diamond in their hands, it's elusive and motivates Dortmunder all the more to succeed. But can he?
Also in the cast are Charlotte Rae as Murch's mother, Topo Swope as Dortmunder's sister and Kelp's wife, and Zero Mostel as Greenburg's father, an unscrupulous lawyer. Christopher Guest also appears in a minor role as a cop in one of his earliest film appearances.
Terrific jazzy music by Quincy Jones and sound track musicians that read like a who's who of jazz giants -- Gerry Mulligan, Clark Terry, Jerome Richardson, Grady Tate and more.
Directed by Peter Yates.
Run time: 1 hour, 37 minutes
Not rated by MPAA.
My personal rating: B-
"I'm not superstitious. And I don't believe in jinxes, but that stone's jinxed me and it won't let go. I've been damned near bitten, shot at, peed on and robbed. And worse is gonna happen before it's done. So I'm takin' my stand. I'm going all the way. Either I get it, or it gets me."
Upon release from prison, John Dortmunder (Robert Redford) vows to the warden that he won't be back, but he didn't expect to have his old pal and brother-in-law Kelp (George Segal) meet him a few blocks from the prison and try to persuade him to lead a heist. Dortmunder resists but Kelp insists he at least listen to the guy who needs the job done, Dr. Amusa (Moses Gunn) who is the UN representative from the African country of Central Vatawi. Seems there's been a fabulous diamond that's been stolen back and forth for generations by Central Vatawi and Outer Vatawi. He wants the diamond back in possession of the diamond, the Sahara Stone, which is currently on display in a NYC museum.
Dortmunder and Kelp begin gathering a team which includes the get-away driver Murch (Ron Leibman) the mechanic and Greenburg (Paul Sand) the explosives expert, with Kelp as the locks man and Dortmunder as the logistics man.
Despite coming close to having the diamond in their hands, it's elusive and motivates Dortmunder all the more to succeed. But can he?
Also in the cast are Charlotte Rae as Murch's mother, Topo Swope as Dortmunder's sister and Kelp's wife, and Zero Mostel as Greenburg's father, an unscrupulous lawyer. Christopher Guest also appears in a minor role as a cop in one of his earliest film appearances.
Terrific jazzy music by Quincy Jones and sound track musicians that read like a who's who of jazz giants -- Gerry Mulligan, Clark Terry, Jerome Richardson, Grady Tate and more.
Directed by Peter Yates.
Run time: 1 hour, 37 minutes
Not rated by MPAA.
My personal rating: B-
