Spy films flourished
like never before in the 1960s driven by the success of the Bond films. There
were so many imitators that eventually a different style of spy film emerged.
Not dependent on action set pieces, flashy spies or Dr. No styled villains,
they were cynical, harsh and a bit more realistic. The first two Harry Palmer
films come to mind as well as The Quiller Memorandum and The Spy Who Came
in from the Cold. Based on novels from Len Deighton, John le Carré
and Adam Hall. This film clearly falls into this latter category based on
a novel by Helen MacInnes, who was a very successful writer of espionage
books from the 1940s through the 70s.
To some degree these films don't resonate
with modern audiences like the Bond styled films still do. They tend to be
much slower, plot heavy and fall into morally grayer territory. This film
admittedly was no gangbusters upon its release but it is fairly dark and
intriguing. Its biggest mistake might have been selecting Robert Vaughn as
the protagonist. He was in the middle of his Man from Uncle TV series and
I imagine many thought it was one of the films released from that series.
It isn't and his constant unshaven look makes that clear. For me it is a great cast. Besides Vaughn there
is Elke Sommer, Luciana Paluzzi, Ed Asner, Roger Carmel, Felicia Farr, Wesley
Lau and the great Boris Karloff. It also is beautifully shot in as the title
suggests, Venice - nearly devoid of tourists. The music is from Lalo Schifrin.
A solid production.
Vaughn plays an ex-CIA officer now a drunken
reporter. After a peace conference is blown up by an American diplomat he
is sent over to get a story. He gets more than that. He is met by the CIA
head (Asner) who plays it gruff and unfriendly. Vaughn was kicked out after
becoming a drunk. He became a drunk when the woman he was married to turned
out to be a Russian spy. Dear Elke. She is somehow involved in this and Asner
tells Vaughn to find her. But he still loves her. Can anyone blame him. Karloff
is the MacGuffin in the film. He has written a report describing how and
who blew up the conference and the Americans, Russians and Chinese are after
it. Solid if unexciting. I have never been a fan of Vaughn in the Man from
Uncle Show and that didn't change. I liked it that when the gorgeous Paluzzi
delivers something to his hotel room, he tries to hit on her, "Don't leave.
What's your hurry?", to which she replies, "What's yours" and walks away.
