Missione speciale Lady Chaplin

This is Ken Clark's most Bondian adventure and it is a hoot. Despite the fact that the numbers `077' are prominently featured on the door of a taxi taken by Ken at one of the many airports in this movie, this is not a Coplan flick. Ken is CIA agent Dick Malloy and although he looks slightly uncomfortable in his designer duds, he's still mighty dapper. SMLC was Ken's fourth spy flick and it's one of the most enjoyable especially for those who want to come down easy from Bond. It's full of gadgetry and has a Fleming feel to the plot.

Don't miss this fun adventure. It's easily as entertaining as any Bond flick despite the absence of a charismatic villain.

This film essentially begins with an American nuclear submarine experiencing a catastrophic accident resulting in the death of the entire crew and subsequently sinking to the bottom of the North Atlantic Ocean. Although everyone in the American government assumes that the submarine is too deep to be recovered, officials quickly become alarmed when it is learned that a dog tag from one of the dead submariners is being auctioned off in Spain--highlighting the possibility that those 16 Polaris missiles have also been recovered as well. So, to get some answers to this question, the CIA sends an agent named "Dick Malloy" (Ken Clark) to retrieve the dog tag in order to determine its authenticity. However, immediately after buying the item, the man who sold it to him is wounded in an assassination attempt, thus temporarily preventing him from divulging any information concerning how he came acquired that particular item in the first place. Still needing answers, Agent Malloy then goes to the hospital to question him further. Unfortunately, once he gets there, he discovers that somebody has murdered him--and an attractive woman named "Lady Arabella Chaplin" (Daniela Bianchi) soon becomes his prime suspect. But even more important, he still needs to find the key person behind the organization that hired her, as failure to do that could result in a hostile nation acquiring 16 nuclear missiles. Now, rather than reveal any more, I will just say that this turned out to be an okay international spy film due in large part to the performance of Daniela Bianchi who, in my opinion, dominated every scene she was in. Even so, unlike any of the more popular James Bond films, the lead character (Ken Clark) wasn't nearly as polished and lacked the on-scream charisma of any of the actors who have played Agent 007. Likewise, the film quality in this film wasn't nearly as good either. In short, while this film was clearly not a first-rate production, those looking for a cheap James Bond clone might find some entertainment value with it, and I have rated it accordingly. Average.

Daniela Bianchi is perfect for her role as fashion designer, and assassin on the side, (Lady Chaplin) while old Pal (Dick Malloy), reprized by dependable Ken Clark, shares the top billing with Ms.Chaplin. This is a terrific Eurospy which gets off to a fast start and doesn't slow down for an hour. By the time the plot setting scenes take place you will be ready for a break from the wild and well done action sequences. Even the fighting scenes are excellent by Euro standards anyway. Director Al De Martino did a great job with some beautiful and talented lady's. Including, Evelyn Stewart (Constance Day) who plays Lady Chaplin's assistant in both the designing and killing realms. The two beauties have a lot of chemistry and make us believe they have been friends for years. Another bad girl (Hilde) played by Helga Liné is great as a euro version of a gun mole. Mabel Karr as good girl agent (Jacqueline) is in my humble opinion the scene stealer in the film. The plucky and sexy Jacqueline's part is well written and Mabel lights up the screen. The male cast. other then handsome Ken, were not quite up to snuff with the lady's. Alfredo Mayo as the very English (Sir Hillary) is the exception. Jacques Bergerac plays the mean and crazy head bad guy (Kobre Zoltan). The problem with this is Zoltan is supposed to be an America, but The Latin Lover Jauques exudes Europe and I never believed for a second he was an America. Too bad they didn't write his part as a French Bad Guy then it would have been fine. The only other minor complaint is that a beautiful old Citroen Panel Van was sacrificed over a cliff. At least it died in a fine Eurospy.

I would highly recommend this . Very fun and extraordinary . Rec. from Eurospy Guide by Matt Blake/David Deal.

"Lady Chaplin, in her touch, there is something that means much..." says the song sung by Bobby Solo early in the film, as Daniela Bianchi appears only in some turquoise panties, very sexy, and we see the yellow car rolling down the rocks, when she might as well keep it, she had no reason to push it into the sea. Ken Clark is better than in "Tiffany Memorandum", the story is better(actually, we got a story), we even have an original hanging scene at minute 15.24. So, when disguised as a nun, when as an old lady in a wheelchair, Lady Chaplin-Daniela Bianchi (the beautiful from "From Russia with Love") kills in cold blood everyone she has to. Actually, they are a team of two sexy young women killers, exactly like in Deadlier Than the Male. The gadgets are not missing: if Elke Sommer kills with a bullet-cigar, Bianchi(who looks like a twin sister of Jill Ireland) kills with a gun disguised in the wheelchair. All the fight scenes look very real and, overall, it is pleasant to watch.