March has begun. The movies of James Bond really took movies and TV by storm and especially after the release of
Goldfinger . For the rest of the decade the studios scrambled to capitalize on its success. And that meant either spoof the success or make films that were entertaining. In this section I spotlight movies in the shadow of 007 and in this first part; how they spoofed them for laughs. Starting with series and ending up with individual films.
DEREK FLINT
After a string of supporting and co-staring roles, James Coburn hit it big by playing spy Derek Flint in 20th Century Fox's comedy spoof of the Bond series.
Our Man Flint Released at the start of 1966,
Our Man Flint was a surprising hit. The movie begins with the world in trouble (how fitting) and the organization Z.O.W.I.E. (Zonal Organization World Intelligence Espionage) is looking for somebody to change it. They go to their computers and pick Derek Flint
much to the dismay of boss Lloyd Cramden (Lee Cobb).
He doesn't like his guts but has to let him take the case of scientists taking over the world. That's when they try to kill Flint and take several of the girls that he knows of hostage.
I have seen the movie and I really liked it a lot. My favorite scene is early on when one of the people gets knocked out and Flint comes with the idea of shocking him back by letting Cramden puts his hand in the light socket (while still turned on) and hold his hand and his other on the man's chest. Gila Golan co-stars
as does Irish actor Edward Mulhare and Benson Fong as one of the scientists.
Here is a scene early on in which Golan's character strangles the harp player and takes over and she tries to kill Flint with a poison dart from the harp string.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cTn6hQehxiY
In Like Flint . This time around Flint (Coburn) is called by his boss Lloyd Cramden (Cobb) Our Man Flint and when the movie was released in the late winter of 1967, the film was sub par. As a result Fox pulled the plug on a third movie and I heard that The President's Analyst (with Coburn) was supposed to have been the Flint adaption. The Silencers 4 For Texas and Robin and the Seven Hoods ); who works for an organization called "The Big O". He plans to hold the United States hostage and take over their nuclear and atomic bomb testing. Along the way, Helm gets help from Tina (Israel actress Dahlia Lavi), Barbarella. Murderer's Row Murderer's Row . In this film Helm follows ICE's commands by faking his death (while in his swimming pool-style bathtub!) The Silencers there was one foreign actress: Dahila Lavi. Now in the follow-up Murderer's Row there was TWO: Ann-Margret Dead Heat on a Merry-Go-Round , which featured Derek Flint himself James Coburn! The Ambushers The Ambushers , the third Matt Helm film, came out in the fall of 1967 it was starting to become clear that the series was getting a little bit tiring. The Wrecking Crew The Wrecking Crew would turn out to be the last in the series; fitting as "The Decade" was ending. Deadlier Than the Male Deadlier Than the Male begins with two women: Irma Eckman (Elke Sommer again) and Penelope (Yugoslavian born actress Sylvia Koscina). The Ipcress File and would co-star with Sommer in the last Matt Helm film) Some Girls Do Deadlier Than the Male was released in the U.S. a sequel followed: Some Girls Do . This time around Drummond (Johnson) Deadlier Than the Male he was knocked unconscious by his life-sized chess pieces) who wants to buy a airplane company that is developing a spy plane. For this to happen he's built robots that look like women. It's up to Drummond to stop this before it gets worse. The sequel was so-so while it marked the debut for Joanna Lumbly. Both movies were directed by Ralph Thomas.The Liquidator The Liquidator was a spy spoof that was based on a novel. Released in 1965 Rod Taylor stars as Boysie Oakes-an ordinary man and former World War II pilot, who is given the job as 'The Liquidator' and to kill bad people after when the British security organization loses some of their men because they suddenly quit. Oakes' next target is Macintosh (the always stunning Jill St. John) Modesty Blaise Modesty Blaise is somewhat important to know that it marked the return of the heroine on screen. Released in 1966 and directed by Joseph Losey, it begins with Blaise (Italian actress Monica Vitti) Casino Royale (since that Bond producers Albert Broccoli and Harry Saltzman didn't own it) he knew that the only way to spoof James Bond was to do James Bond. With a catch: Hired a big cast. What's New Pussycat? (Sellers, O'Toole, Andress, and Allen).Fathom Fathom she naturally took it. Welch plays Fathom HarvillModesty Blaise ) a mysterious, bearded scientist who wants the dragon. I saw this movie and I liked it. Welch wearing a lime bikini,
