Agente segreto 777 - Operazione Mistero

Pensioned-off spy Mark Damon sees a chance for some money when he goes in pursuit of a scientific formula. Unfortunately for him, a lot of other espionage types are after it too... and him.

At least, that's what the dubbed English-language version of the movie seems to be. Since the set-up is done in a voice-over by Damon, giving a mildly incoherent explication, and the visuals never seem to match exactly what shows up on the screen, I got the impression a new plot was built up for the American release, like Woody Allen taking a Japanese movie and making WHAT'S UP, TIGER LILY? Although the camerawork by Bitto Albertini is interesting, bright and varied, it all seems to be pretty generic in its situations.

Mark Damon looks like a little kid in this movie, even thought he was 32 at the time. The movie starts with an aerial view of the Hotel Zone in Beirut, Lebanon as it was in 1965. There have been numerous wars there since and the area is totally devastated now. Other than a few "cars following cars" around the area, the rest of the movie was shot indoors. There are a lot of good looking stars and some gadgets but for the most part the movie is just a walk-through. Mark Damon is shown with a blonde in bed at the 8 minute mark which defies the censors of the time. (Watch the movie on Y/T and see what I mean). Seyna Seyn is gorgeous as ever. Lewis Jordan and Stanley Kent are in a gunfight and I was surprised at how "similar" "height, weight, facial look", they are. Lewis Jordan went on to make the SEQUAL to this movie. Henry Bay directs the story about "bringing the dead back to life". Good idea but still boring when told in such a straight forward motion manner. Some of it is still entertaining and worth watching.

Small budget, small budget, but it could have been something if it had a good scenario. As it is, nothing is attractive, very difficult to track to the end. Actors of the "very bad" category. Absolutely all, very bad acting. Franca Duccio is beautiful but useful. One of the worst euro-spy.