Código 7, víctima 5

Prolific producer & writer Harry Alan Towers concocted the story for this lightly entertaining, eminently forgettable action-thriller set in South Africa. Lex Barker ("The Torture Chamber of Dr. Sadism") stars as "Steve Martin" (!), an American private eye hired by copper mine owner Wexler (Walter Rilla, "The Scarlet Pimpernel") to find out who murdered his valet, and why. It turns out that the crime has a connection to the men in a key photograph left by the victims' body.

The main novelty here is the Cape Town setting. It's very attractively photographed by Nicolas Roeg, and the scenery is often breathtaking. The story is enjoyable enough, but nothing special. It doesn't help that the ending is kind of clumsy, as the antagonist basically reveals themselves in a rather abrupt manner.

Still, the second unit work is first-rate. Those scenes of driving by the sea are excellent, and the film actually stops cold for about three or four minutes for a major underwater sequence that, much like the scenes on land, is very well photographed. The jazzy score by Johnny Douglas is jaunty and fun to listen to.

The cast is enjoyable to watch. Barker is a charismatic hero who of course always has time for the ladies. But then, so does jovial police inspector Lean (Ronald Fraser, "Fathom"). Fraser and French babe Veronique Vendell ("Barbarella") are most amusing, with the latter playing Wexlers' hot-to-trot stepdaughter who practically throws herself at Steve. Danish beauty Ann Smyrner ("Reptilicus") is appealing as Wexlers' secretary. Dietmar Schonherr (who also acted for director Robert Lynn in "Mozambique") and Gert van den Bergh ("The Naked Prey") also co-star.

All in all, this is the kind of non-challenging, easygoing, amiable entertainment that you throw on if you just want to relax for an hour and a half.

Six out of 10.

Here we have another fine script by the very talented Peter Yeldham. The dialogue is crisp and often witty. As for the actors, they are all good. As an American, I noticed a lot of European accents, but that was interesting, not a flaw.

The plot has good action and it never drags. And, there is great South African scenery throughout the movie! The music is also very good, bouncy and zestful. Lex Barker does very well in the lead role. Having just watched a superb blu-ray print, and having really liked the movie, I have no hesitation in recommending it. The action, mystery and love interest elements are nicely balanced. This is a very watchable movie.

CODE 7, VICTIM 5 is now available in a cheap DVD, and for a few dollars (mine cost $3 US), it's passable entertainment, mostly for the presence of Lex Barker as private eye "Steve Martin" (same name as Raymond Burr's character in GODZILLA). This is a typical Harry Alan Towers production--find an out-of-the-way country where the pound/dollar goes a long way and without powerful unions, hire a lot of locals in small roles, use a lot of free locations to give the film "color," have Towers himself pen a by-the-numbers script over dinner or during a flight. South Africa photographs well (the film was shot by Nicholas Roeg, so it's no surprise), and is so unfamiliar to this American that the background almost becomes a character. The plot is the standard "someone is killing off one by one the members of a group from a previous time" and ex-Nazis are even dragged in. Ronald Fraser (best known in the USA for FATHOM, with Raquel Welch and the late great Tony Franciosa) does a good job as the local police inspector who finds jet-setting detective Barker to be a bit of a pest, but eventually realizes Barker's honesty and professionalism--Fraser and Barker are the perfect foils for each other. Nothing special here--probably of interest mostly to the Barker fan (or those who want a quick three-dollar travelogue of South Africa).

Entertaining thriller,part adventures and part whodunit; nice cinematography with a good use of wide screen; the photograph trick is a variant on the "and then there were none" pattern but it provides private eye Barker with vital clues ;some scenes are pretty good for a B-movie: the prologue where the butler is pursued by three masked men who look like clowns is effective ;besides the directing takes advantage of the magnificent caves and the shadows on the wall increase the suspense ; on the other hand ,the cable car sequence is not fully exploited. The official cop serves as a foil to sleuth Lex.,then very popular in Germany thanks to the "Winnetou " movies.

Looks as if the otherwise meaningless 'Code Seven' in the title was there solely to try and tie this in with the then burgeoning spy craze, as producer Harry Alan Towers' script (as Peter Welbeck) is, for by no means the last time, in the mode of Edgar Wallace in a tale of murder and revenge. Some superb filming of the picturesque South African backgrounds from Nic Roeg is matched by the underwater photography of Egil Woxholt who worked on several of the Bond films. Lex Barker is ideal as the New York investigator looking into threats on the life of wealthy businessman Walter Rilla, Ronald Fraser is a quirky police chief with an eye for the ladies and Ann Smyrner makes an attractive heroine. Victim Five has no pretensions other than to be an enjoyable 'B' picture and succeeds.