Michael Relph and Basil Dearden were best known for their socially conscious melodramas. They decided to go for the loot with his one, a kind of a spy spoof. I was meant to star Rex Harrison but he dropped out and Cliff Robertson steps in... he brought in William Goldman to do the script, his first.
That's the film's main point of distinction. Watching this I kept thinking "Robertson's not a star. A good co star but he can't carry the action." He tries... but he hasn't got It. He used to blame the fact he missed out on big screen versions of roles he'd played on TV eg The Days of Wine and Roses but producers were right not to use him. I'm sure he was the star they could get but they picked wrong. Sorry, Cliff! I do like him in films, just don't think he's a star.
His co star is Jack Hawkins who is puffing away in a cigarette in some scenes. He'd lose his voice in about a year because of those smokes.
The film has some clever twists and is reasonably entertaining once the clunky exposition of the first bit is past. Marissa Mell is a surprise packet - great fun, sexy and full of energy. I liked the final shoot out on the bridge and the stuff in the circus.
But the film is hollow at its core. This is because of several reasons:
- the mission is so pointless... it's so the British can get an oil concession... there's no real solid reason... the young Arab should at least be a good ruler or face an evil ruler;
- there's no sense of accomplishment at the end... the bad Arab isn't really defeated... Hawkins is revealed to be a traitor but he gets away with it... Robertson doesn't get with Marissa Mell... there's no point except a little bit of money for Robertson;
- there's no emotional core. Hawkins and Robertson are meant to be old friends but feel like strangers... so when Hawkins betrays Robertson it feels nothing. Mell throws away her relationship with Robertson, reveals she's married the end. Robertson doesn't even bond with the young sheik.
Very minor league Bond. Too smart arse for its own good.
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