"The Assassination Bureau" has an amusing premise and for the most part executes it ably enough. Oliver Reed stars as the head of a consortium of international assassins who takes on an interesting assignment. Crusading reporter Diana Rigg contracts his organization to kill him. Reed takes up this proposal because he feels that it will enable him to weed out the weaknesses in the organization. Assistant Chairman Telly Savalas has other ideas, however. The film starts off well enough, has kind of a clunky midsection. This portion of the film feels more slapsticky than darkly comic. The film recovers and delivers a slam-bang ending. Oliver Reed is charismatically suave as Ivan, the head of the Bureau. Savalas and Curt Jurgens as a German associate are sublimely villainous. Diana Rigg, however, isn't given much to do as Miss Winters. The high point for her in this film is a scene where she is required to walk around in a bath towel. Not classic comedy but not a bad way to wile away a few hours.
DIANA AND TELLY - TOGETHER AGAIN
1969 was a good year for the inimitable Diana Rigg and the ubiquitous at that time Telly Savalas. They appeared together in the essential James Bond "On Her Majesty's Secret Service" and in this little-seen but wonderfully done "Assassination Bureau."
Dame Diana was an icon of the late sixties, having charmed us for three years as Emma Peel in the exquisite AVENGERS TV series. After leaving the series, Rigg appeared in these two movies and also in George C. Scott's "The Hospital" and Vincent Price's "Theater of Blood." Cooly beautiful, unassumedly British and elegant, Diana Rigg became one of our most underappreciated screen presences.
Her buoyant performance as the feminist Sarah Winters in this film is delightful; never has she appeared so coy and kittenish as in this role. The also underappreciated Oliver Reed is dashing as the hero/villain, and of course, Savalas is triumphant as the quinessential villain. Add Curt Jurgens in a delightfully daffy role as a crazy German and you have a delightful drawing room black comedy. The special effects for a late sixties movie are predictably shoddy, but this is like watching one of those delightful Jules Verne movies---it doesn't matter, the cast is so good. Definitely a minor classic.
Zeppelins, bombs, and bordellos, oh my...
The Assassination Bureau (1969), directed by Basil Deardon, is a wonderfully funny dark comedy, full of suave, sophisticated characters, lush settings, and wry humor, the kind we just don't see made anymore as it treats its' audience with intelligence and respect while not being too smart for its' own good, as opposed to many comedies of the present that focus on toilet humor, foul language, and just the general need to try and be a gross as possible, dumbing things down as much as possible for the broadest audience. Don't get me wrong, I am not trying to be a film snob as I like most all kinds of movies, but I just wish along with what we have, we could also have more films along the lines of this one.
The film stars a very handsome Oliver Reed and the exceptionally beautiful Diana Rigg as Ivan Dragomiloff and Miss Winter, respectively. The story, set in what seems to be early 20th century, begins with Miss Winter desires to gain employment within a newspaper, one own by Lord Bostwick, played by Telly Savalas (Who loves ya, baby?). Her method for getting her foot in the door comes in the form of information she's uncovered about a mysterious international organization of hitmen, secretly called The Assassination Bureau, Limited, that takes commissions to execute people for money. Bostwick agrees to hire her, and in order to get a better handle on the story, she makes contact with the group, with the purpose to commission them to do a killing for her. She meets Ivan, and requests that he be the target. Ivan, who inherited his position and the company from his father, is of the idealistic sort, and sees this as a real opportunity to not only test his organization, but to strengthen the idealistic principles which his father brought forth when he started the bureau, as Ivan feels the current bureau has become to focused on the monetary gains from their lucrative business. He accepts Miss Winter's commission, and presents it to the board, and soon the challenge begins. Ivan must survive against some of the world's most deadly killers, taking them out before they do him in...with Miss Winters in tow, as she follows the story for her newspaper. Will the bureau be successful? Or will Ivan manage to elude his own murder, one which he accepted a commission for himself? I'm not going to tell, but I will say it's worth watching to find out. There's actually a lot more within the plot that I didn't detail, as I didn't want to give too much away for those who haven't seen the film.
As I said, the movie is a lot of fun and very enjoyable. Reed is especially charming and witty, and the chemistry between him and Diana Rigg's character comes through in nearly every scene they appear. Both actors bring a natural sophistication to their characters that just a real treat to watch. The film has the overall feel of a really well done comedy thriller with plenty of twists and turns to keep the viewer on his/her feet. The supporting cast did an excellent job, and there seemed to be a strong effort to choose suitable actors to fill out the international cast of characters. While the story was complex, yet easy to follow, some of the relationships between the characters seemed a little light, but this was such a minor nitpick to me, given the films strengths. Also, great attention was given to the look and feel of the scenes and the wardrobe, and also the scenes shot on location, as to convey a sense of the time period during which the film takes place. Speaking of place, the film travels from England throughout Europe, visiting countries like Switzerland, Germany, Italy, to name a few, providing a wonderful, lush, adventurous backdrop to an interesting story. One of the things I really liked about the movie that the story sticks to its' plot, offering little in the way of diversions that only cause the viewer to be removed from the film. The pacing may slow a bit at some points, but it does move along at a comfortable, even pace. While some elements may be predictable, I found overall that the story appeared to original and engaging. The special effects in the film will appear extremely obvious, but given when the film was made, this was about the level one could expect. I would say just go along with it, and appreciate the movie as a whole, and forgo focusing too much on these elements. Also, when is the last time you saw a zeppelin in a movie? Okay, maybe that not so entertaining James Bond flick A View to a Kill (1985), but this film is much better.
The wide screen print provided on this DVD looks exceptional, providing a clear and crisp image that really shows of the vibrant and beautiful colors throughout the film, especially highlighting the finer details of the costuming (I don't usually notice the costuming within a film, unless it's really off base or the film is a presenting a certain period in time. This particular period just happened to include colorful, elaborate, and intricate costumes, which were, at least in my opinion, really well done). There is a noticeable absence of special features, even lacking the customary theatrical trailer, but there are English subtitles available, which I found handy at times as the accents within the film sometimes were a bit thick and not easily understood. I would have enjoyed a little more in the way of special features, but I really can't complain, as the film looks excellent.
Greenwich Village satirist Theordore J. Flicker made one of the zaniest spy spoofs of the '60s--the ultimate in paranoia and conspiracy. James Coburn stars as a hip New York psychiatrist recruited by his mentor to take on the president as his exclusive patient. After quitting his job because of the stress, he's forced to go into hiding when spies from all sides want to know his secrets. The social and political satire never lets up, as the usually unflappable Coburn becomes completely neurotic. Godfrey Cambridge is hilarious as his cohort and former patient (his opening monologue about self-hatred is a classic), and so is Severn Darden, who plays a charming Russian agent. A true original with the utmost retro appeal today. --Bill DesowitzMore Info about this DVD Actor(s): James Coburn Director(s): Theodore J. Flicker DVD Release Date: Released the 08 June 2004 Usually ships in 24 hours
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Audrey Hepburn was never more sleek and glamorous than in this delightful romantic caper costarring Peter O'Toole and directed by William Wyler. She's the chic daughter of a renowned art collector and covert forger (the always eccentric Hugh Griffith) who's deposited his best work, a famous statue, in a Paris museum. Trouble is, technology can now detect such forgery, so Hepburn plots to steal the statue with the help of O'Toole, an amateur thief and covert inspector. Of course, neither of them knows the whole truth about the other. They make an utterly charming couple, with O'Toole stealing the show in an uncharacteristically lighthearted turn. --Bill DesowitzMore Info about this DVD Director(s): William Wyler DVD Release Date: Released the 07 December 2004 Usually ships in 24 hours
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The swashbuckler had been around long before Errol Flynn drew a cutlass, but the Tasmanian-born bit player reinvigorated the genre with his mix of dashing good looks, haughty insolence, and alluring confidence. Adapted from the novel by Rafael Sabatini (who also penned The Sea Hawk), this rousing adventure chronicles the travails of Peter Blood (Flynn), a righteous doctor unjustly sold into slavery for treating the wounds of rebels, a kind of British Dr. Mudd. Sent to a Jamaican plantation where he toils under the brutal whip of Lionel Atwill and seethes with passion for his fair niece (the astonishingly beautiful Olivia de Havilland), he escapes from bondage with his fellow prisoners and becomes the gentleman rogue pirate of the Caribbean. Director Michael Curtiz builds from one... More Info about this DVD Actor(s): Errol Flynn - Olivia de Havilland - Lionel Atwill Director(s): Michael Curtiz DVD Release Date: Released the 19 April 2005 Usually ships in 24 hours
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Adventure yarns don’t come more ripping than King Solomon’s Mines, the classic Great White Hunter tale. Novelist H. Rider Haggard’s hero, Allan Quatermain (Stewart Granger), reluctantly agrees to lead an Englishwoman (Deborah Kerr) and her brother (Richard Carlson) deep into uncharted territory in Africa, in search of the lady’s lost husband. What follows is a cavalcade of boys’ adventure stuff: charging rhinos, cannibals, an incredible wildlife stampede, and the back-of-the-neck-tingly thrill of venturing into unmapped lands. The location shooting, including tribal rituals, is marvelous throughout, and the movie manages to pack a great deal of material into 102 minutes without ever seeming rushed. A remake of a 1937 film, King Solomon’s Mines... More Info about this DVD Actor(s): Deborah Kerr - Stewart Granger Director(s): Andrew Marton - Compton Bennett DVD Release Date: Released the 11 January 2005 Usually ships in 24 hours
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An air race from London to Paris provides the premise for this marvelous comedy, which features thrilling aerial photography and some stupefying stunt flying. It's set in 1910, when the (lovingly re-created) airplanes of the period were likelier to sputter and crash than they were to go in a straight line. The international contest requires an international cast, including Stuart Whitman as a cowboy American interested in the ladylove (Sarah Miles) of an English ace (James Fox). Alberto Sordi and Gert Frobe represent the Italian and German nations; Terry-Thomas plans frightful sabotage for race day. From the jaunty opening song and the great opening-credits drawings by Gerald Searle onward, the movie has a pleasingly breezy tone that sits well with the meticulous flying sequences. This is... More Info about this DVD Actor(s): Stuart Whitman - Sarah Miles Director(s): Ken Annakin DVD Release Date: Released the 16 March 2004 Usually ships in 24 hours
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