A master thief known as the Ace of Diamonds decides it's time to retire before he gets caught, so he teaches everything he knows to Jeff Hill, his protege. Jeff begins pulling off heists, singling out glamorous film stars like Zsa Zsa Gabor, Carroll Baker and Lilli Palmer and stealing their precious jewels. On a luxury liner, Jeff, now nicknamed the "Jack of Diamonds", discovers he has a competitor aboard, another burglar pulling the same kinds of thefts. After the boat docks in Munich, Jeff goes to see the Ace, who advises him to do the same thing he did, quit while he's ahead. Jeff encounters a woman named Olga who introduces him to Nicolai, and after discovering that Olga was the other thief aboard ship, Jeff schemes with them to rob a bank vault in Paris. They are caught, but the Ace shows up and claims responsibility for the crime, sacrificing himself for Jeff and the others. The thieves agree to return the stolen jewels, but when Jeff and Olga decide to marry, Nicolai reveals he has withheld one gem to present Olga as a gift.
The 1949 Paramount film about jewel thieves, Copper Canyon, was originally known as Jack of Diamonds. It is unclear whether this film has any connection with the George Hamilton film. The film was based on a story by the producer, Sandy Howard, who said before filming that the movie "may be reminiscent of other films, but we feel, even though we have no releasing deal as yet, that it will be different in style and its budget – $1.3 million – makes it an honest and safe bet." The film was originally meant to be directed by Herschel Daugherty. Oscar Homolka was meant to play Nicolai but was replaced by Maurice Evans. The plan was to film in New York for a month and then 12 weeks in Europe in Paris, the Bavarian Alps, Genoa and a Munich studio. Producer Sandy Howard described George Hamilton before filming as "a fine actor, I'm convinced, and he's a hot commodity these days", due in part to the fact he was dating the President's daughter. Reports put his fee around this time at $100,000 a movie. He was drafted into the army but received a 3-A deferral notice on the grounds he was the sole financial provider for his mother.
Reception
Reviews for the film were mixed to negative. In his review for the New York Times, Bosley Crowther wrote, "Unless you have a particularly urgent reason for wanting to watch George Hamilton modeling a dazzling assortment of the most beautifully cut men's clothes...you may safely skip Jack of Diamonds, which turned up in neighborhood theaters yesterday. It is strictly low-grade 'Topkapi' done up in expensive high-style. Roger Ebert wrote in his review, "Jack of Diamonds is a harmless exercise in how not to make a suspense adventure. I can't think of any reason to go and see it, unless you're a George Hamilton fan. He's pleasant enough, I guess.
