Aka  - Requiem per un agente segreto

To some degree Euro spy/crime films were the graveyard for American and British stars who were just past their prime back home but still recognizable names in Europe. Stewart Granger had been a big star in the 1950s but that was starting to slip by the 1960s and he joined the exodus to Europe in such films as the German Target for Killing, the German Western Old Surehand, The Italian Swordsman of Sienna and a few more. He still looks great in this film - in some ways better than he did ten years before. Perhaps being married to Jean Simmons from 1950 - 1960 kept him fit. He is good in this and I have never been a Granger fan. I can take him or leave him. He dubs his own voice here which helps.



Here he hooks up with Italian director Sergio Sollima to make a steady though never flashy spy film. Sollima had already broken his virginity in this genre with two Agent 3S3 films (under the name Simon Sterling) right before this and after he was to go on to a few well regarded Westerns and a few crime films. Here he just seems to follow the script without adding any razzle dazzle. No spy gadgets, fabulous lairs, plans to take over the world or crazy evil masterminds. Just a spy film. Kind of old fashioned for a Euro-Spy film which loved all that stuff, sometimes to a silly degree.


There are a few beautiful women of course. It was Daniela Bianchi in fact who I came to see. She had been First Runner Up in the 1960 Miss Universe Contest (up on YouTube) and this led to her being chosen to be a Bond Girl. After From Russia with Love she basically only appeared in Euro genre films - a few spy ones like this, Special Mission Lady Chaplin and Operation Kid Brother. And I just noticed that she was in three episodes of Dr. Kildare! How the hell did that happen and how do I track those down. She was actually on the cover of TV Guide November 7th 1964 with Chamberlain. Unfortunately, though second billed after Granger she is only on the screen for about 15 minutes. And not really good minutes - looking lovely for sure but I always look forward to her fashionable hats and Italian high couture and we only get a little of that.



An American agent is killed in Morocco on the trail of Rubeck (Peter van Eyck) who is part of a syndicate of crime and murder. Is there any other kind. He is also wanted by Norway for bombing a plane years before. Along with his Norwegian partner, Merrill (Granger) closes in on him through a stripper and then Daniela. The typical nightclubs, beatings, killings take place. At 53 Granger may be a tad old for all the hits he takes and gives but damn, the man was Allan Quatermain, The Prisoner of Zenda and Beau Brummell once upon a time. Solid but not inspired with some nice location shooting in Morocco. Needed more Daniela needless to say. A lot more.