Diamonds on the Silver Screen
PostBy Avi Paz Group At 01.09.2010
Gentlemen Prefer Blondes (1953): One of the few enduring musicals to come out of a studio other than MGM, Gentlemen Prefer Blondes is a much-beloved female buddy comedy that chronicles the adventures of singers Lorelei (Marilyn Monroe in one of her most iconic roles) and Dorothy (Jane Russel), who enjoy the attention of a pack of admirers as they work their way to Paris singing on a cruise ship. Lorelei's song "Diamonds Are a Girl's Best Friend," with its observation that "square-cut or pear-shaped / These rocks don't lose their shape" has been a classic ever since, and some three decades later inspired Madonna's "Material Girl" video.
Diamonds are Forever (1971): James Bond (Sean Connery) adopts the identity of Peter Franks to follow a diamond smuggling investigation to Las Vegas, where he discovers that his arch-enemy, Ernst Stavro Blofeld, is behind an extortion plot. Bond teams up with Bond girl Tiffany Case (Jill St. John) for some diamond-studded adventures.
The Pink Panther (1963): This classic madcap comedy stars Peter Sellers as the hapless Inspector Jacques Clouseau, who is on the hunt for the Pink Panther – the largest diamond in the world, so named for a tiny flaw deep in its depths that resembles a leaping panther. The pink diamond has been stolen from Princess Dala by British playboy Sir Charles Lytton (David Niven), who moonlights as a master jewel thief known as The Phantom.
She Done Him Wrong (1933). Originally titled Diamond Lil, this romantic comedy stars Mae West as Lady Lou, a saloon singer. Lou's former boyfriend is in prison for trying to steal diamonds for her. Her boss, Gus Jordan, showers her with diamonds, but trafficks in prostitution and counterfeiting to afford them. Captain Cummings (Cary Grant) is an undercover federal agent assigned to expose Jordan's criminal activity. With so many diamonds and so many men, Lou can't help but get in trouble...
The Hot Rock (1972): Robert Redford stars as diamond thief Dortmunder, who teams up with his brother-in-law Andy Kelp (George Segal), driver Stan Murch (Ron Leibman), and explosives expert Allan Greenberg (Paul Sand) to steal a valuable diamond from a Brooklyn museum. But while in pursuit of the hot rock, the four keep getting in hot water, and are forced to steal the diamond over and over. The Hot Rock is a film adaptation of Donald E. Westlake's first Dortmunder novel.
To Catch a Thief (1955): Albert Hitchcock's romantic thriller stars Cary Grant as John Robie, a retired jewel thief known as The Cat who heads for the Riviera with a list of the area's most expensive jewels, hoping to catch a thief whose modus operandi is similar to his own and has made him a suspect. Jessie Stevens (Jessie Royce Landis) and her daughter Francie (Grace Kelly) have the biggest diamonds, and Francie likes to taunt Robie with hers. But all that glitters might not be a real diamond....
Diamonds for Breakfast (1968): This British comedy about Russian jewel thieves stars Marcello Mastoianni as Grand Duke Nicholas Wladimirovitch Goduno, a Russian aristocrat who believes he should own the Russian Imperial Jewels. So when the jewels come through London as a museum exhibit, he decides to help himself.
Breakfast at Tiffany's (1961): Audrey Hepburn stars at Holly Golightly in the film adaptation of Truman Capote's novel. The consummate party girl, Holly seeks shelter at Tiffany's when she's plagued by the "mean reds." Unable to afford the firm's diamonds, she and a writer neighbor take plastic prizes from a vending machine to be engraved in Tiffany's best manner.
Blood Diamond (2006): Leonardo DiCaprio's film is devoted to exposing the human rights abuses that stem from trade in conflict or "blood" diamonds, which go to supporting corrupt and warring regimes in Africa's diamond-producing countries.
A Fish Called Wanda (1988): Two London-based gangsters and two Americans get away with stealing $20 million worth of diamonds, but having been spotted by an old lady are forced to hide out. Crosses and double-crosses comprise most of the plot, as the diamond thieves try to get away from each other with the loot. Written by John Cleese and Charles Crichton.
