DEADLIER THAN THE MALE 1967

"These are the women to put up a man's pulse rate - and stop it..... stone dead!"

Cool 1960's Euro-Spy featuring Richard Johnson along 
with Elke Sommer & Sylvia Koscina as bikini-clad assassins!!

 

    One of the countless Bond-inspired spy knock-offs that flooded movie screens post- GOLDFINGER, 1967's DEADLIER THAN THE MALE sometimes sadly gets lost in the shuffle. My favorite non-Bond 60'spy film, it's been woefully neglected in terms of home video in the U.S. and desperately needs a nice region 1 Blu-ray.
   Directed by Ralph Thomas (who directed the "Doctor" comedies for Rank), it was written by Liz Charles-Williams, David D. Osborn, and Hammer scribe Jimmy Sangster - which makes me wonder if it was perhaps an unused Hammer project that had been lying about? Although not up to the spectacle (or budget) of the Connery Bond series, it stands as one of the best of the wanna-be's and is boosted by a great cast, some nice location work, and most of all by the presence of Elke Sommer (BARON BLOOD) and Sylvia Koscina (THE ITALIAN CONNECTION) as the main villain's two master assassins.
   Playing insurance investigator Hugh Drummond (the literary name Bulldog was dropped here), Richard Johnson (ZOMBIE FLESH EATERS) was one of many male British actors of the period who could say he was "almost Bond". Johnson, however, could rightly say "he could have been Bond" as he was producer Albert Broccoli's first choice to play 007, but he turned it down as he didn't want to commit to a series.

   The character of Bulldog Drummond was first created by author H.C. McNeile (writing under the pen name "Sapper") in 1920. A kind of "gentleman adventurer", a series of films followed in the '30s and '40s with the character being revived in this film in an attempt to turn him into an international spy.  Although referred to as an insurance investigator working for Lloyd's of London in the film, this is put to rest quickly in the plot as Johnson's Drummond is involved in much more than checking accidents and actuary tables. You wonder if fashioning him as an international spy traveling to exotic locations and hanging out with Elke and Sylvia caused an upswing in insurance investigator job applicants?
    Opening with the spy movie de rigueur pre-credit sequence as we see stewardess Irma (Elke Sommer) in a private jet who kills the sole passenger with a booby-trapped cigar (which she pulls out of her garter no less!!) and then placing a bomb on the plane she skydives off and is picked up in a speedboat by Penelope (Sylvia Koscina) which then segues into the great title song performed by The Walker Brothers (which is the best Bond title song never done in a Bond movie). In a scene reminiscent of DR. NO. and used extensively in the film's promo material, we next see the pair emerge from the water onto a beach of a Mediterranean villa where after a bit of flirtatious dialogue they spear gun Wyngarde (John Stone YOU ONLY LIVE TWICE) whose been on the case of high-ranking executives around the world meeting mysterious deaths.
    Drummond is introduced by practicing karate and living in a swanky London bachelor pad as he's called into the case after the death of his friend Wyngarde. We're also introduced to his nephew Robert (Steve Carlson) who drops in unexpectedly and was probably added to the cast for the American market and his role is like Robert Wagner's in THE PINK PANTHER. At one point, Robert is busy romancing Brenda (Virginia North THE ABOMINABLE DR. PHIBES) while she's having eyes for his Uncle Hugh.

   Irma and Penelope continue offing more executives including Leonard Rossiter (THE WITCHES) whose drugged and thrown out a window. The deaths, while violent also contain a touch of dark humor to them and have a feel to them like THE AVENGERS TV show. Although nothing is going to match the spectacle of such Bond films as THUNDERBALL or YOU ONLY LIVE TWICE, DEADLIER THEN THE MALE succeeds better hen most of the other glut of spy movies in that it has just the right amount of wry humor while not going for the broad humor that was most of the other films stock-in-trade.
    Hugh and Robert end up in the sunny Mediterranean and meet up with the film's arch-villain Carl Peterson, which is the name of Drummond's nemesis from the books and sadly doesn't have quite the gravitas of Auric Goldfinger or Ernst Blofeld but is played by the great English character actor Nigel Green (ZULU). Peterson resides in a mammoth castle and it's here the film attempts some Bond-like grandeur with a huge live size mechanical chessboard along with Peterson's harem of female assassins who include Suzanna Leigh (LUST FOR A VAMPIRE). Plus he's got Milton Reid (TERROR OF THE TONGS) as his hulking henchman.
   Seeing Richard Johnson here you can really see why he was chosen for the James Bond role. He carries the requisite charm and debonair air, but still has a streak of violence such as in a sequence where he crushes a would-be hit man's leg against a wall with his car. The film has some startling violence especially in relation to other spy films of the period. There's a scene where Penelope tortures Robert with burning matches and it's heavily implied that she tore his fingernails out.
    Even though this is Johnson's film, the real stars here are Elke Sommer and Sylvia Koscina. They make a terrific team and when absent from the screen you long for their return. Sharing a flirty sexual playfulness with their soon to be victims, Elke is more cold-blooded & aloof while Sylvia in an amazing performance (and which the movie makes very clear) is a highly sexually charged nymphomaniac with a penchant for S&M. Their banter back and forth is a delight with Elke continually confronting Sylvia about stealing her clothes. "And I told you before not to wear my negligee!"
   DEADLIER THAN THE MALE is out on a Region B Blu from Network or on a DVD with the slightly inferior (but still fun) sequel SOME GIRLS DO.

All above screen caps are from the Network Region B Blu-Ray

Rosalba Neri News # 27 - OSS 117 Collection On Blu-Ray

Cool Rosalba Euro-Spy Action in HD !!

    Kino Lorber has announced a Sept. 26 release for this 5 film/3 disc set which among its contents is 1968's OSS: DOUBLE AGENT which features (albeit in a small role) the presence of this blog's favorite actress. 

    Based upon novels by French author Jean Bruce with the OSS agent Hubert Bonisseur de la Bath (which numbered 88 in total !) they were adapted to the screen a series of eight films (along with a recent two film revival) that while staring in 1956 with OSS IS NOT DEAD didn't really kick into gear until the mid '60s with the advent of the James Bond films and the ensuing glut of spy movies.
    The OSS movies (for the most part directed by Andre Hunbelle) are some better of the Bond knock-off genre as they had beefier than usual budgets and are chock full of the usual components - jet setting worldwide locations, beautiful female co-stars, gadgets and evil master criminals. It's fun picking out the various 007 connections (Terence Young was the screenwriter of OSS 117: MISSION TO TOKYO) and they're wonderfully entertaining examples of all things 60's spy grooviness.
     OSS: DOUBLE AGENT features American actor John Gavin (PSYCHO) in the title role who replaced Czech born Frederick Stafford from the previous two films. A plastic surgery plot point was worked into the story which was an idea originally broached for ON HER MAJESTY'S SECRET SERVICE. The film contains an amazing cast of supporting players (including a couple with past and future 007 linage) including Curt Jurgens (THE SPY WHO LOVED ME), Luciana Paluzzi (THUNDERBALL), Margaret Lee (SLAUGHTER HOTEL w/ Rosalba !), George Eastman (ANTROPOPHAGUS) & Robert Hossein (CEMETERY WITHOUT CROSSES). Gavin's role in this (though unreleased in the U.S. at the time) led to him being considered for Bond in ON HER MAJESTY'S SECRET SERVICE. 
     Rosalba makes an early appearance (and quick exit) as the classic spy femme fatale who first beds the title character before attempting to off him.

The above screen caps are from the Region 2 DVD.

ROSALBA NERI FRIDAY # 23 - COLPO GROSSO...GROSSISSIMO...ANZI PROBABILE 1972

Rosalba, Terry Thomas AND Luciana Paluzzi (!!) attempt a big heist with comedic results.

    Roughly translated as "Big Shot....Very Big...Indeed Probable" this Italian/Spanish co-production from 1972 stars Terry Thomas, Luciana Paluzzi, Nino Castelnuovo, José Luis López Vázquez and Umberto D'Orsi. Never released outside of Spain and Italy and from what I could discern while watching the Italian language DVD I have, it appears to be a light hearted comedy caper with a group of thieves led by Terry Thomas attempting to rob a huge dept. store.
   The plan seems to involve sneaking the large store safe out in a delivery van and even with the language barrier there was some really funny sequences. It's filled with familiar Italian character faces and being a huge Terry Thomas fan I enjoyed the heck out of this (he's one of those actors that even with just standing there can make you smile).
   Rosalba has a very small cameo in the beginning as she seems to be Terry Thomas's wife, who catches him in the act of messing around with his co-conspirator played by Luciana Paluzzi (So wait a minute - Terry is married to Rosalba AND gets to fool around with Luciana...!!!).

   Paluzzi was one of the busiest actresses of the the 60's and early 70's, appearing in over 80 movies and TV shows. She has a pretty cool resume having appeared in a James Bond film (THUNDERBALL in 1966), a "beach party" movie (MUSCLE BEACH PARTY from 1964), Japanese sci-fi (a co-production with A.I.P - 1968's THE GREEN SLIME), and a women-in-prison with Jess Franco's 99 WOMEN (which also co-starred Rosalba) from 1969.

Rosalba Neri Friday # 19 - TWO MAFIOSI AGAINST GOLDGINGER 1965

Some more Euro-Spy "James Bond" stuff with Rosalba in an Italian GOLDFINGER knock-off !

  

aka THE AMAZING DR. G

   Here’s Rosalba in DUE MAFIOSI CONTRO GOLDGINGER (TWO MAFIOSO AGAINST GOLDGINGER), a 1965 Italian/Spanish co-production comedy that was one of literally dozens (if not hundreds) of European James Bond style spy adventures that appeared in the mid to late 60’s. After the gigantic worldwide success of 1964’s GOLDFINGER these were seemingly cranked out every week as this was one of four that Rosalba appeared in from 1964-65. In addition this was one of sixteen films that she appeared in during that same period as she alternated between spy, peplums, spaghetti westerns & sex comedies.

   Starring the Sicilian comedy team of Franco& Ciccio (Franco Franchi & Ciccio Ingrassia) this was a pretty direct parody of many of the smaller plot points & details from GOLDFINGER (hence the title) and was later bought by A.I.P. and shown on American television under the title THE AMAZING DR. G.  Franco & Ciccio were one of the most popular comedy teams in Italy appearing in over 100 (!!) films starting in the early 60s with spoofs of westerns, spy, peplums and adventure movies ( among them Mario Bava’s DR. GOLDFOOT AND THE GIRL BOMBS starring Vincent Price). It’s been said that a little of them goes a long way as Franco’s excessive over the top Jerry Lewis style of mugging does get on your nerves after awhile, although some of the sight gags in GOLDGINGER are kind of amusing such as their use of the duck head disguise (from the GOLDFINGER pre-credit sequence) or their mishaps in James Bond style equipped car.

   The pair play a couple of bumbling photographers who are recruited by the British Secret Service after the death of Agent 007 (George Hilton – from bunches of spaghetti westerns) who’s been on the trail of “Goldginger” (Fernando Rey from THE FRENCH CONNECTION) the master villian who’s been using a mind control device on various leaders of the world in order to start a war between the U.S. and Russia. The first part of the film contains numerous nods to GOLDFINGER including the above mentioned ducks & car, along with a bald henchman in suit and bowler and a table top laser beam device (although here replaced by a dual circular saw).

    With about 10 minutes of screen time (and not making it past the 30 minute mark) Rosalba plays Agent 0024 who first appears as one of Goldginger’s “Gingergirls”, who are all dressed in one piece black jumpsuits and blonde wigs. She’s reveled as double agent after helping our pair of heroes initially escape and then ends up doing a Shirley Eaton impression by being painted gold from head to toe as reprisal and is even laid out in bed in the exact same position (for a comedy there’s a large amount of killing going on around here).
   As in some of her other early roles she’s credited “Rosalba Neri C.S.C.” which stand for il Centro Sperimentale di Cinematografia (The Center for Experimental Cinematography) which was a film school she attended.    

   The film jets around to various locations and Fernando Rey seems to be having a massively fun time in the role of the chess playing criminal mastermind. Also in the cast is the very pretty London born actress Gloria Paul who was up for the part as Domino in THUNDERBALL that ultimately went to Claudine Auger. For some more Euro-spy stuff please check out Dwrayger Dungeon on Wednesdays as there's going to be an ongoing series on them (and plus its a really cool blog).
  Next up on Rosalba Neri Friday will be THE FRENCH SEX MURDERS from 1972 starring Rosalba, Barbara Bouchet, Anita Ekberg, Evelyne Kraft and Howard Vernon. Holy Crap !