Muñecas que matan

Director Ralph Thomas, whose credits include DOCTOR comedies, NO LOVE FOR JOHNNIE, HOT ENOUGH FOR JUNE, produced a masterpiece as rarely as a dud. His films tend to be quite enjoyable and DEADLIER THAN THE MALE certainly fits that description.

To that end, it is greatly enhanced by the presence of such sensational beauties as Elke Sommer, Sylva Koscina, Suzanna Leigh and Virginia North, the first three all assassins of the highest refinement and tariff. Sommer, in particular, is absolutely to die for. Lovely legs, eyes, everything.

Richard Johnson delivers a highly polished private detective, Hugh Drummond, who is every bit as stealthy and classy as James Bond, who had been firing his way around the globe since 1962 in the figure of Sean Connery. Drummond is accompanied by his young and innocent nephew, Bob Drummond (Steve Carlson), who hampers more than helps.

However, in terms of acting the cherry on the cake comes courtesy of Nigel Green, who hides his hand until emerging as the cold, classly nasty villain who pulls the strings of the three beauties, much like the inverted precursor of Charlie and his angels in the 1980s.

Great photography, beautiful locales, and a script with sharp dialogue, repartee, and light humor.

I loved it! 8/10.

This 1966 adventure flick was quite well done and Richard Johnson seems perfectly cast as the lead. The real treat of this flick is the women: Elke Sommer in a bikini with spear-gun is as attractive as any Bond moment, Suzannah Leigh, and the Italian beauty Sylvia Koscina. Nigel Green is great again as a corrupt adversary and the locations are great. This is a 7 out of 10. Best performance = Elke Sommer.

This blows away FATHOM with Raquel Welch. Tough chicks who are easy on the eyes in the mid-60's will always be a joy to watch. Don't sell this one short. Well worth the effort and a pleasant experience. This is definitely available so look for it if you dig those 60's spoofs!

The Bulldog Drummond character first appeared in Herman Cyril McNeile's 1920 novel entitled "Bulldog Drummond" and would be a film fixture throughout the 1930s. In 1967, at the absolute height of that decade's spy craze, the character (an admitted influence on Ian Fleming) was dusted off, refurbished and transformed into a very credible competitor in the James Bond arena. The resultant film, "Deadlier Than the Male," turns out to be one of the finest Bond wanna-bes I have ever seen, easily putting contemporaries such as Derek Flint and Matt Helm to shame. Here, insurance investigator, playboy and all-around tough guy Drummond tracks down the killers of a string of recalcitrant businessmen and tangles with a pair of deadly female assassins. As in the Bond films, there are ample attractive women on hand, some exotic locales (such as the Spanish Mediterranean coast), a suave and talkative villain, an Asian henchman, and well-integrated quips (although the film is devoid of the inane humor that would torpedo some of the Roger Moore Bonds); the film is even a Pinewood production, like the early 007s. Unlike a Bond film, "Deadlier Than the Male" does not feature any spectacular stunts or eye-popping FX. It is a more realistic spy outing, and rather than being merely a "poor man's Bond," is indeed more entertaining than some of the lesser 007 films, such as "The Man With the Golden Gun." Richard Johnson is quite fine in the lead role (he even looks a bit like Sean Connery at times!), and Elke Sommer and Sylva Koscina are perfect as the lethal hitwomen, the sexy Irma and adorable Penelope (perhaps never more so than when shown in microbikinis and toting harpoon guns!). Though the film's story line is a bit too dependent on coincidence, this picture--be it a Bond pastiche, send-up, homage or rip-off--is as entertaining as can be. Too bad the sequel, 1969's "Some Girls Do," is almost impossible to see....

If you watch this 1960s spy film without thinking of it as a spoof you will enjoy it more.

Reviewers say it is low budget but it look great to me.

Fun plot,pretty girls,nice cars,good cast.

Johnston is handsome and tough.

There is a lot of humour.

Great locations,Northern Italy wish I was there now.

Compared to Modesty Blaze or Matt Helm this is a much better watch.

If you are into spy movies and have never seen this I would seek it out.

This above-average Bond knockoff deserves to be better known. It's too imitative of the Bond pictures of the time (especially "Thunderball" - minus the underwater scenes), and the plot slows down at times, but Elke Sommer and Sylva Koscina make a terrific pair of sexy, teasing assassins (with Sommer being the sexier one and Koscina the more teasing one). Nigel Green also makes a smooth villain (although he should have hired more guards!). This picture should become more widely available, because although it's not perfect, it's much better than, say, the atrocious pseudo-spoof "Our Man Flint". (**1/2)