Sam Carter (Nigel Patrick) is a jeweller's clerk who dreams of stealing a fortune in diamonds and eventually does so, but he kills a man in the process. He then embarks on the high life, but is pursued across Europe by a private detective, Milo March (Jack Palance); a woman named Trudi Hall (Anita Ekberg); and two thugs, Martin Lomer (Bonar Colleano) and Gerard Heinz (Robert Stone). These characters end up trying to outwit each other over the largest diamond, which is worth $700,000, on a train travelling to London. March describes the diamond as "$700,000 of unhappiness" because people are willing to do anything to get it.
Alan Ladd was originally announced to play the lead,[3] and later it was announced that Victor Mature was going to play it.[4]
In October 1957 filming for the project was pushed back from November 1957 to April 1958 in order to allow for Warwick's challenged cash flow following the box office disappointment of Fire Down Below.[1]
^Edwin Schallert, 'Alan Ladd Gets Huge England Deal; Hunting Film Stars Prime Trio', Los Angeles Times 16 Sep 1957: C11
^STUDIO SUSPENDS KIM NOVAK PACT: Columbia Acts After She Refuses Paramount Role-- Debbie Reynolds to Star Nature Has Its Way New York Times 31 August 1957: 18.
