Salt and Pepper

Rat Packers Sammy Davis Jr. And Peter Lawford went to London to produce and star in this swinging, puke-a-delic spy spoof -- although their real aim, no doubt, was to make whoopee with all the mini-skirted dollybirds their middle-aged testes could stand.

Here's hoping the dear boys got their jollies; I know I did (metaphorically speaking, that is) watching them do the Frug, hit on chicks, and dodge bullets as they make like Matt Helm times two, commit fashion crimes unto God and Armani, hit on some more chicks, get cheeky with the coppers, and smoke, smoke, smoke themselves silly as if courting lung cancer was a badge of coolness.

Written by the great Michael Pertwee (LAUGHTER IN PARADISE, LADIES WHO DO) and directed by Richard Donner, who would later attempt to re-work the Salt and Pepper formula in LETHAL WEAPON, minus the groovilicious trappings. (Danny Glover in love beads? Perish the thought!)

Salt and Pepper (1968)

** (out of 4)

Charles Salt (Sammy Davis, Jr.) and Christopher Pepper (Peter Lawford) are friends who own a nightclub in Soho and after a woman is found dead there they are held on suspicion. Pretty soon the two are working as undercover spies to try and track down why so many other agents are being killed.

The 1960s were full of various spy movies and Rat Pack member Dean Martin was having a major success with his series. It was an obvious idea to try and get others into the mix and with SALT AND PEPPER both Davis and Lawford got to get back up on the big screen. Sadly, the end result isn't nearly as good as one would have hoped for.

For the most part SALT AND PEPPER is a mildly entertaining film that works largely because of the two leads and their performances. There's no question that they've got a nice chemistry together and their timing bouncing off each other is quite good. Davis is given an extended music sequence and Lawford gets to be that classic British charmer. The two of them make the film worth watching and especially if you're fans of theirs.

With that said, outside of them there's really not too much going on here. The plot itself is rather routine, boring and it never offers up any fresh or original. I'd also argue that the direction is rather lackluster and there's not really much humor to be found in the screenplay. Technically speaking the film is well-made but there's just not enough entertainment here to make it worth recommending.

This movie actually has a very witty script. Several people have complained they didn't laugh. It's SATIRE, the slapstick may be lowbrow humor, but the script has several witty moments - you really have to pay attention closely to the dialogue. A humorous take on the spy movies and tv shows that were barraging the airwaves and theaters of 1968. This was a classic form of camp humor films of the mid 60's through early 70s. Unfortunately, the humor is a bit dated for those who did not live through the insanity of the times. Two nightclub owners are sucked into a web of espionage in which they must save the entire country of Britain. A bit convoluted, the film could have been edited down by a good 20 minutes and been a better film. That said, it was still a fun romp. Vaudeville, meets burlesque, meets 007, meets Rocky and Bullwinkle. James Welch Henderson, Arkansas 3/30/2021.

An attempt to bring back the glory days of the Rat Pack. Both Davis and Lawford were middle aged men at that time. That's a little long in the tooth to play swinging cats in England. The plot is something about the men fighting off false charges after their hip night club is closed down. Full of jokes that probably would have worked better on Laugh-In, but then, maybe not.

Surely this was one of Mike Myers' favourite movies from his childhood? 'Salt & Pepper' was produced by its stars Sammy Davis Jr. and Peter Lawford. 'Charles Salt' and 'Christopher Pepper' are owners of a seedy Soho nightclub who get into trouble when a beautiful Chinese agent dies in Salt's dressing room. Then, one by one, V.I.P.'s start dropping like flies. Despite continual interference from the law, Salt and Pepper manage to uncover a diabolical plot by extremists to take over the country using a stolen nuclear submarine, H.M.S. Hercules. Its like watching a 'Matt Helm' picture without Dino. The opening scenes are atrocious, but as soon as Salt and Pepper are kidnapped by fake policeman, it perks up. Some of the action is surprisingly violent for a lightweight comedy, particularly the finale in a military academy in which an M.P. dies when Pepper removes the pin from one of the grenades hanging from his belt. The excellent British cast are a big help - Michael Bates as the incompetent 'Inspector Crabbe', Ernest Clark as 'Colonel Balsam', and John LeMesurier as the eye patch-wearing villain 'Colonel Woodstock'. Johnny Dankworth's swinging music catches the mood of the film perfectly. Michael Pertwee went on to write for 'The Persuaders!' starring Tony Curtis and Roger Moore. Financially successful though the film was, it didn't lead to Sammy and Peter becoming 'the new Hope & Crosby'. A sequel, 'One More Time' ( directed by Jerry Lewis ) was an unmitigated disaster. Richard Donner went on to make 'The Omen', 'Superman' and 'Lethal Weapon'.