The Silencers is a quintessential 1960s spy spoof, the first (and best) of four colourful Matt Helm features, with debonair “Rat Pack” member Dean Martin cleverly cast as author Donald Hamilton’s womanising smoothie, the Man from “ICE” (Intelligence and Counter Espionage).
Criminal mastermind and Red Chinese warlord Tung-Tze (blue-eyed Victor Buono) of the evil Big O organisation plans to sabotage America’s atomic missile system and blow US missiles out of the sky.
It’s up to top fashion photographer, incorrigible ladies’ man and undercover super-agent Matt Helm – coaxed out of retirement – to prevent it from happening, provided he can keep his eyes off the ladies long enough to concentrate on the job at hand.
The attitudes may have dated – this is very much of its time – but the women continue to delight, especially red-headed Stella Stevens who steals the show as the sexy and delightfully funny klutz Gail Hendricks.
The Silencers ensured Dean Martin was the height of cool in 1966.
Also making an impact are former Miss Israel Daliah Lavi and one-time MGM siren Cyd Charisse, whose memorable opening dance sequence and title song is a highlight.
Beverly Adams, later Sassoon, wife of celebrity hairdresser Vidal, played Helm’s secretary, the brilliantly named Lovey Kravezit (“craves it”).
The Matt Helm films were notable for their colourful and creative set design and were an obvious later inspiration for Austin Powers.
Matt Helm
Dean Martin Gail Hendricks
Stella Stevens Tina Batori
Daliah Lavi Tung-Tze
Victor Buono Joe Wigman
Arthur O’Connell Sam Gunther
Robert Webber MacDonald
James Gregory Barbara
Nancy Kovack Andreyev
Roger C Carmel Sarita
Cyd Charisse Lovey Kravezit
Beverly Adams Domino
Richard Devon Dr Naldi
David Bond
Director
Phil Karlson
Related Posts
I Deal in Danger (1966) This 90-minute film was edited together from a number of episodes of the 1966 television series, Blue Light David March…
Texas Across the River (1966) This rather amusing Technicolor send-up of Westerns from Universal has beautiful and genteel southern debutante Phoebe Ann Naylor (Rosemary Forsyth)…
Spy Who Loved Me, The (1977) Two nuclear submarines – one British and one Russian – have been stolen. A mysterious person offers the submarine detection…
Last of the Secret Agents, The (1966) Matt Helm, Derek Flint, Napoleon Solo - Hollywood tried but there was no one to touch 007 in the 1960s cloak-and-dagger stakes…
Funeral In Berlin (1966) Following the success of The Ipcress File (1965), Michael Caine returned as Cockney spy Harry Palmer in this dense thriller that…
Sebastian (1968) Colourful, pungently witty tale of conservative Oxford professor Sebastian (Dirk Bogarde) enlisting hot-tempered, swinging interior decorator Becky Howard (Susannah York)…
Murderers' Row (1966) In this sequel to The Silencers (1966), Dean Martin returns as womanising photographer-turned-secret agent Matt Helm to save Washington from dastardly…
Criminal mastermind and Red Chinese warlord Tung-Tze (blue-eyed Victor Buono) of the evil Big O organisation plans to sabotage America’s atomic missile system and blow US missiles out of the sky.
The Silencers ensured Dean Martin was the height of cool in 1966.
Matt Helm
Sam Gunther
