Rough Cut Reviews

As he approaches retirement Scotland Yard inspector David Niven is determined to nab his longtime nemesis, diamond thief Burt Reynolds. Niven blackmails Lesley-Anne Down, a wealthy kleptomaniac, into helping, and together they set a trap for Reynolds, baited with $30 million in jewels. Reynolds' attempt to emulate Cary Grant (or "Tony Curtis doing Cary Grant," as he says in the picture) falls flat, though the picture is entertaining in spots, especially those with Niven. First conceived in 1977, ROUGH CUT (which looks more like a rough cut than a final product) was to be directed by Blake Edwards and scripted by Larry Gelbart. Don Siegel was then given the helm, fired, rehired, and after shooting was finished, replaced by Robert Ellis Miller, who reshot the ending. Gelbart, meanwhile, went undercover with the pseudonym Francis Burns.