Mitternacht - Canale Grande

In 1967, when the spy genre became well and truly a parody of itself, there were only some spy films that were serious attempts in the genre. "The Venetian Affair" is one such film. It's a very well made, suspenseful and dramatic work, based on Helen MacInnes' novel of the same name. Still TV's super-spy Napoleon Solo, Robert Vaughn plays the anti-hero, antithesis of Solo/Bond/Flint etc, as former-CIA man, now downtrodden journalist Bill Fenner. He plays Fenner extremely well, a perfect role for Vaughn's sensibilities as a thoughtful, intellectual man. Aided magnificently is a strong European cast - Elke Sommer, Boris Karloff, Luciana Paluzzi and Karl Boehm to name just a few. Also prominent is Edward Asner as the tough CIA chief Rosenfeld.

Overall, this is an excellent and often misunderstood film. Most people and critics alike, expected the any spy film from this era to be more glamorous and fun a la "In Like Flint" or "You Only Live Twice" which came out the same year. However, looking in retrospect some thirty-years on, one can appreciate a fine dramatic work, one which stands up to the test of time much better than any of its more outrageous competitors.

Being in high school at the time my friends and I read all the spy novels we could get our hands on. I had read 'The Spy Who Came in From The Cold'. The book and movie were both first class. Then I read 'The Venitian Affair' and it was also top notch, a first class suspense novel with all the twists and turns, very dark. When they announced that Robert Vaunghn was going to play the lead we were ecstatic. Unfortunately, the movie, while not bad, just didn't live up to the billing. Why, well the book was almost 500 pages and the movie was 89 minutes. The movie skips a lot of details and worse, it tries to rush to fit as much as possible in. James Bond thrillers are non-stop action, but most realist spy movies are slower and paced, as is most real spying. It feels like they tried to do this on a budget and use TV pacing. Hiring Vaughn was probably due in part to his television background, thinking he would be more acceptable to this approach. He wasn't and it shows. Being a real actor with the chops to really shine in a great role, he must have been very disappointed when he got the final script. It lacked much of the character development and brooding pace. As I said, it's not a bad movie, just far short of it's potential. And, there is the classic line from the airport scene when he first lands in Veinna. Read the book after seeing the movie, it's a classic spy novel with tension that crackles.

"The Venetian Affair", based on Helen MacInnes bestseller, is one of the seemingly endless number of James Bond-inspired spy films that flooded cinemas in the mid to late 1960's. Despite a pedestrian script and direction, the film benefits from some great on-location scenery in Venice as well as a talented and eclectic cast. Robert Vaughn plays against type as an alcoholic reporter who is swept into an espionage case with international repercussions. Vaughn delivers the goods with a convincing, world-weary performance that was at odds with his weekly heroics as The Man From UNCLE (despite popular belief, this is not an UNCLE-related film). Karl Boehm is fine as the obligatory charming villain, Roger C. Carmel provides some light moments in the otherwise downbeat script, Boris Karloff has one of his last quality roles, and Thunderball Bond girl Luciana Paluzzi, queen of the '60's spy films, makes a brief but welcome appearance. Only Elke Sommer gums up the works with a typically wooden performance that is little more animated than the stone gargoyles that adorn the ancient Venetian buildings. In summary, an unremarkable, but entertaining film. Rarely seen in recent years, TCM has recently begun telecasting it in a glorious widescreen version. One hopes that a video release will eventually take place.

Dr. Robert Vaughn (Ph.D Communications), one of the Hardest Working Television and Screen Actors, Stars in this Low-Key Spy Thriller that Manages some Intrigue, a Beautiful Landscape, and a Decent Score from Lalo Schifrin, a few Good Supporting Actors like Ed Asner, Boris Karloff, and Karl Boehm do Good Work, and Elke Sommers Doesn't Do Much.

The most Interesting Part is Not well Integrated, the Secret Psychotronic Weapon. The Third Act Picks Up the Pace that Lingered and Stalled previously. It's a Slow Burner for sure. The Plot can be Hard to Follow for a While, but there is just Enough Professionalism on hand to make this Worth a Watch.

Don't Expect James Bond's High Tectonics and a Silky Smooth Platte and You Might Like this, another Sixties Spy Thriller, one of the Super Serious Ones. Karl Boehm Almost Steals the Show in a Small Part.

An American diplomat sets off a suicide bomb in a peace conference. It's a confounding case. The Americans and the Soviets are nominally working together but both suspect each other. CIA chief Frank Rosenfeld (Ed Asner) recruits former agent Bill Fenner (Robert Vaughn) to investigate. Bill's ex-wife Sandra Fane (Elke Sommer) is a suspected communist and the CIA has her filmed suggesting involvement in the case. The cause may be connected to Dr. Vaugiroud (Boris Karloff).

After an explosive start, this slows down to a crawl. Despite some interesting espionage material, this movie is stagnate. The tone is hushed and lacking in kinetic energy. It generates no tension. The filmmaker is not injecting any intensity into the picture. It's basically a casual stroll through an espionage park with some interesting scenery. It's also interesting to see Karloff nearing his end but everything moves too slowly including the story.