Diamonds on Wheels is a 1973 British family comedy film directed by Jerome Courtland and starring Peter Firth, Patrick Allen, George Sewell, Derek Newark, George Woodbridge (in his last film, released five months after his death), and Barry Jackson. It was written by Pierre Castex and William R. Yates.
Contents
Plot
Diamond thief Billy double-crosses his gang and drives off with the proceeds of a robbery but is killed when his car crashes. Subsequently Robert Stewart, his sister Susan and his friend Charlie find the wrecked car and use one its seats for a new sports car they are building, unaware of the stolen diamonds hidden in its lining. They enter the car in a 24-hour rally and Mercer, the gang's leader, sends his henchmen to retrieve the diamonds from the car.
Cast
Peter Firth as Robert "Bobby" Stewart
Patrick Allen as Insp. Cook
George Sewell as Henry Stewart
Derek Newark as Mercer
Dudley Sutton as Finch
Barry Jackson as Wheeler
Christopher Malcolm as Jock
Richard Wattis as Sir Hilary Stanton
Allan Cuthbertson as Gus Ashley
Ambrosine Phillpotts as Lady Truesdale
Maggie Hanley as Mrs. Maggie Stewart
George Innes as Insp. Timothy
George Woodbridge as PC Andrew
Patrick Holt as steward
Andrew McCulloch as Billy
Arthur Hewlett as Benjy
Patrick McAlliney as junkman
Mark Edwards as Whiteman
John Savident as steward
Robin Langford as Peter Pitt
Spencer Banks as Charlie Todd
Cynthia Lund as Susan Stewart
Reception
The Monthly Film Bulletin wrote: "Disney's first British production for some considerable time (efficiently directed by Forties matinee idol Jerome Courtland) fares well enough as a children's thriller, while the rally itself provides the setting for multiple ambushes and some diverting riddles. Unfortunately, the film runs out of steam once it leaves the racetrack, and the long slapstick sequence in the warehouse brings everything to a rather tired and arbitrary conclusion, making very scrappy use of the possibilities of the location. There is, however, plenty of amusement to be had from the performance of Dudley Sutton, playing Peter Lorre to Barry Jackson's Raymond Massey in a partnership strongly reminiscent of Arsenic and Old Lace."