Posted on July 17th, 2010
I admit to having a large affinity for Dean Martin. To me he was the essence of chilly in the 1960’s. Considering he was 49 years broken-down when he did the first Matt Helm movie, The Silencers, that’s really saying a lot about his popularity and influence serve during that period. I Objective loved watching these films on TV as a kid. My brother always preferred the Bond films, but even as a youngster I appreciated the humor and charm that martin brought to his role as Orderly Watch Matt Helm. The plots of the four films are almost secondary to Martin’s scenery chewing, and that’s impartial how I like it.
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In “The Silencers” Helm, an agent for ICE (Intelligence and Counter Espionage) is out to cessation the usual baddies The Enormous O from detonating a nuclear bomb and starting world war III. The glowing Stella Stevens is along for the prance as is dancer Cyd Charisse. Victor Buono best know as Batman villian King Tut, plays a Chinese baddie!
“Murderer’s Row” is the second Matt Helm film and this time Karl Malden plays the villian role as Julian Wall who has kidnapped a scientist with the draw of using his modern arrangement to blow up Washington D.C. This time Dean is joined by the glowing Ann-Margaret who plays the scientist’s daughter, Suzie.
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“The Ambushers” is up next and there’s a lot of debate on if this film is better or worse than Murderer’s Row. I rate them this one a bit below the previous one due to there being no loyal top name female co-star this time. An experimental U.s. location ship has been stolen and it’s up to Matt to glean it encourage…in-between drinking and lusting after the ladies!
The “Wrecking Crew” is the last Matt Helm film and I consider one of the best. It contains a bevy of 1960’s beauties including Gilligan’s Island’s Tina Louise, along with Elke Sommer, and the slack Sharon Tate. As usual the place of Helm trying to recover a fortune in stolen gold, is secondary to the hi-jinks of martin’s character. Bruce lee choreographed the fight scenes.
Anyone who goes into the Matt Helm films trying to assume them seriously is in for misfortune. These were pure, tongue-in-cheek spoofs of gaze films and a vehicle for Dino to romp with a lot of stunning women. Examine anything more and you will be disappointed. But if you admire Dean’s 60’s cold then this is a mammoth place to have.
It wasn’t until 1971’s DIAMONDS ARE FOREVER that the James Bond films decided to slash loose and have some fun, but Dean Martin had already started the Sixties leer party four times with the Matt Helm series. The OUR MAN FLINT movies (2 of them) with James Coburn seemed hipper, partly because of Coburn’s serious convinction as he went through the stare motions, but Dino’s spoofs mixed the eye film with the party atmosphere of a Rat Pack indicate and the casual cold comedy of his TV indicate.
The films go from best (first) to worst (last) –but who’s squawling, baby?
One of my current moments happens in MURDERER’S ROW, when Dean wanders into an apartment, plays a represent (where he sings “I’m Not the Marryin’ Kind”), and helps himself to the bar–until a tiring, girl falls out of a refrigerator. Not a mountainous deal, but there was something incredibly hip about it.
And another review points out the purely Sixties moment when Dean, driving a wood-paneled status wagon, pushes a button to pop out a fully-stocked bar–while he’s driving!
The only portion of these films that rises to the level of the Bond films–hear me out–is the ladies.
Stella Stevens, already a magnificent Playboy model and the incredibly sexy actress who appeared in THE NUTTY PROFESSOR, THE POSEIDON ADVENTURE, and a couple of other Dino flicks, SHOULD have been a Bond girl. Daliah Lavi and Beverly Adams (as Lovey Kravezit) . Ann Margaret and Senta Berger. Wow.
In the least film of all, THE WRECKING CREW, you have Elke Sommer, Tina Louise, Nancy Kwan, and Sharon Tate.
A Sixties Babe-a-thon Hall of Fame proper there.
If you’re designate unique to these films, you’ll probably be a cramped disappointed: they’re really not that salubrious. You’ll either be mystified as Dino pulls a bag out of his trunk and builds a helicopter out of it in WRECKING CREW–or you’ll laugh out loud.
But for pure Swingin’ Sixties nostalgia, establish on one of these DVDs, shake or streak your martini, and pick a rush wait on to the crazy, hip universe of the super-spy Austin Powers wishes he was.
Female Libido Enhancer
Eye Cream For Wrinkles
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