O Agente OSS 117

While vacationing at a ski resort OSS Agent 117 "Hubert Bonnisseur de la Bath" (Frederick Stafford) is contacted and told about a series of assassinations in South America that need to be investigated. As a result, he assumes a new identity as a news reporter by the name of "Hubert Delacroix" and takes the next available flight to Brazil. Upon landing he is met at the airport in Rio de Janeiro by a pretty woman named "Consuela Moroni" (Perrette Pradier) who claims to be the secretary of the person he was told to meet. However, because of the manner in which Consuela managed to get his attention, he becomes somewhat wary and upon arriving at their destination takes the car keys out of the ignition just in case. Minutes later he is attacked by three thugs and after disposing of them finds that Consuela is no longer in the car where he left her. To further add to his suspicions, he later meets another woman who also claims to be "Consuela Moroni" (this one played by Annie Andersson) who gives him a set of keys and some valuable information. What he still doesn't know, however, is who he can trust in his search for those responsible for the assassinations. Now rather than reveal any more I will just say that this film started off as a really good EuroSpy movie but it seemed to lose a bit of its momentum toward the end. Admittedly, this picture didn't have the financial resources that the "James Bond" films did during this time and it shows to a certain degree. Even so, it did an interesting plot, an exotic location and a couple of attractive actresses in Mylene Demongeot (as "Anna-Marie Sulza") to brighten the scenery so it definitely has some things in its favor. That being said, while not a great spy film by any means, it managed to pass the time well enough and I have rated it accordingly. Slightly above average.

1965's French-Italian "OSS 117 Mission for a Killer" (Furia a Bahia pour OSS 117 or Fury in Bahia for OSS 117) finds the completely unknown, Czech-born Frederick Stafford replacing Hollywood's Kerwin Mathews in the role of Colonel Hubert Bonisseur de La Bath, better known to international audiences as secret agent OSS 117, cast only after a chance meeting with director Andre Hunebelle on location in Bangkok for previous entry "Shadow of Evil" ("how would you like to make movies with me?" "why not!"). Stafford acquits himself well considering this was his screen debut, similar to George Lazenby when called upon to use his fists in various well choreographed encounters, shooting in both Rio de Janeiro and the neighboring state of Bahia (hence the original title). A series of suicide deaths by hand grenade are perpetrated against political figures by trusted associates of each victim, under the evil influence of some type of mind altering drug, putting Hubert on the trail of a Brazilian organization seeking world domination. There's no shortage of action or pretty girls, and its production values are on par with the early James Bond titles. One hair breadth escape finds Hubert fending off a lighted blowtorch, while locations like Sugarloaf Mountain and the Iguazu Falls foreshadow the 1979 "Moonraker." It may be the best of Hunebelle's three OSS 117 films thus far, though perhaps a bit too leisurely at 99 minutes. Stafford only completed one other OSS film ("OSS 117 Mission to Tokyo") before starring in Alfred Hitchcock's "Topaz," whose box office failure was typically placed at his feet.

Andre Hunebelle was the odd-job man of the French cinema.He made lousy comedies ("taxi roulotte et corrida"which featured Louis de Funes before he became the biggest comic actor of his time) .But I remember him best as a swashbuckler specialist :between 1959 in 1962,he directed Jean Marais -who had seen better days with Jean Cocteau's works- in four of those flicks .

By 1963,winds had shifted ,with the coming of James Bond."Furia à Bahia" was Hunebelle's third "OSS 117" effort.Unlike James Bond which was always played by Sean Connery till 1969,OSS 117 was the three- faced spy.First there was Kervin "Sinbad" Matthews and then John "imitation of life" Gavin,in the Italian episode.Hunebelle hired Frederick Stafford whose part may or may not help him become the lead in Hitchcok's "Topaz".

Hunebelle's movie can boast a nice cinematography.The magnificent Brazilian landscapes make up for the triteness of the story:another man who wants to rule the world.Mylene Demongeot (check her name :they tried to make her another BB)and Catherine Rouvel are gorgeous ladies.Raymond Pellegrin is an excellent villain ( although this earnest thespian deserves much better!) However ,I like Hunebelle's swashbucklers best ,for they were part of me and my best friend 's childhood.

For a while, "OSS 117: Mission For A Killer" looks like it could be one of the very best of the 1960's Eurospy thrillers: Frederic Stafford actually makes a better James Bond-ish hero than either George Lazenby or Timothy Dalton, Mylène Demongeot is lovely, the fight scenes are often surprisingly technical (the one in a surgery room is the standout), and the production seems to be a bit more expensive than usual for the genre. Unfortunately, the film fizzles out in its last third, when the action moves from Rio to the Amazon jungle and the main villain's headquarters. The villain himself is one of the problems: everything about him is too vague, from his ultimate plan to his ultimate fate (the ending is unsatisfying). The print I saw was worn-out to the point of dis-coloration; this film needs a remastered DVD to do justice to its extensive on-location Brazilian shooting. **1/2 out of 4.

The third entry in the French OSS 117 movie series in the 1960s should have worked a lot better than it actually does. It had what looks like a decent budget, and much of the movie was shot on location in Brazil. But this attempt to emulate the world wide popular British James Bond movies falls flat for the most part. The biggest reason the movie fails is that it is really boring. The movie's story moves at a snail's pace, and you never get the feeling that lives are at stake. There is also very little action, and while there are a couple of okay hand to hand combat sequences, otherwise the action is flatly staged and directed. Even the climatic sequence feels slow and unexciting. Another reason why the movie fails to engage the viewer is the casting of Frederick Stafford as the secret agent. While some of the blame has to do with how the director told him to act, he has to share some of the blame for coming across as annoyingly smug. This is the weakest OSS 117 movie so far in the series, but I have two more entries to watch, and I won't be surprised if the quality continues to weaken as it goes along further.