Les Plus Dingues des Agents Secrets

This little spy spoof has been universally put down by the critics. One wonders if any of them actually saw it or just read the credits. This ahead-of-its-time little picture is very much the precurser of the Zucker/Brooks school of many years later, with many inspired, singularly off-beat gags.

Marty Allen and Steve Rossi have been described as everything from a couple of borscht-belters who got lucky, to the ultimate '60's Vegas lounge act, to the poor man's Martin and Lewis. I don't know much about that, but I do know that they're very funny here, Rossi sometimes more so than Allen, whose whiney delivery ("Hello, dere[sic]!") tends to grate sometimes. The late John Williams ("Some of the great popular songs were actually written by the great masters" for you retromercial fans!) was one of those actors who could shine in a broom closet, and he doesn't disappoint here. Neither does Theo Mercuese, who could play some of the slimiest villains of all time (Remember "The Night of the Bottomless Pit" on the original "Wild, Wild West?" A tru e classic.). He plays one with a light touch here, and does so delightfully.

A hidden alternate comedy treasure. If you can't find the video, look for it on American Movie Classics, where it's run fairly frequently.

I really enjoyed this movie. Don't listen to the critics. The few reviews I've seen bash this film. I watched it before seeing any reviews and thought it was great. It's like a cross between Abbot & Costello and a Mel Brooks film with a little Marx Brothers thrown in there. The intro to the film was genius. You couldn't see anyone's face.

The first half hour is awesome, then it slows down a bit. Still, there's tons of slapstick nonsense comedy running through the film. Plus, there's a scene in a restaurant that I don't even want to talk about because I loved it too much. It's worth a look.

As a kid, I really enjoyed this movie. But that was the 70s. While still having positive feelings for it, that is from memory. I don't blame Allen and Rossi. Their humor did not translate to the big screen and were let down by a script written by someone who had no understanding of the spy genre, nor how to spoof it. It seems to me you have to have a plot that makes sense within the context of the story and then introduce humorous characters and twists that have no business being there. After an entertaining opening sequence, which goes on a bit longer than it should, the first half hour is fun, introducing Allen and Rossi and setting up the story. What follows after is slow, unfunny and nonsensical. More staid 50s than the hip 60s. Too bad Mel Brooks wasn't brought in to save it.

This is one of the old "B" type films which have been too easily forgotten. I remember this film from my childhood, and had to search for years to find it again. Don't run away because of my rating. This is one of those quirky little 'lost gems' which just didn't rate a sequel. Admittedly, I was more impressed with this film as a child - back before the more modern Star Wars like gadgets of today, but it can still be a fun flick for those of us who like to root for the "underdog" films. Allen and Rossi are a couple of the fun comedians of days gone past. It's unfortunate that they didn't make more movies. Marty Allen is a screwball - to say the least. He goes through the film looking as though he had stuck his finger in a light socket. There is another added bonus to this film. Nancy Sinatra as the girl interest - who is out to land Steve (Rossi). The song of the same name was made for this film - and, unfortunately, has had a far better following. These off-the-wall films are too precious to take no notice. I would like to see this one make it to our TV screens again.

My family took us to the drive-in to see this when I was around six years old. Needless to say, I was not quite as tough on it as the junior John Simons around here. In fact, we all thought it was a masterpiece. Well, we didn't say that; but we thought it was funny. My Dad probably even knew the connection to "Your Show Of Shows."

Now it is impossible to see, though I guess it turns up on T.V. now and then. It sounds like the historic significance as a precursor to the now played out "Airplane" school of comedy might make it fun. Martin and Rossi continued to play Vegas for many years after the film. Harvey Korman must have just been getting started.