Matt Helm – James Bond's Cinematic Cousin

A disagreement regarding whether one set of novels involving a spy led to a break-up of a long cinematic partnership, the creation of new production companies and the bringing about of one of the better Spy film Series from the USA.

In the early 1950's a Production company had been set up with Irving Allen a the senior Producer and Albert R Broccoli as the junior partner. The name of the company was Warwick Films. Generally their films were released by Columbia. They generally specialised in action films, shot in Technicolor and featuring an American star to give the film appeal in the USA. Alan Ladd made many of his films for them and even now they are fun to watch and often have some very meaty action.

As the fifties progressed they shot many of their films in Cinemascope and colour. These bigger productions included The Cockleshell Heroes (directed by its star – Jose Ferrer and featuring a host of British Stalwarts including Trevor Howard, Victor Maddern, Anthony Newley and David Lodge), Safari starring Victor Mature and Janet Leigh and Fire Down Below (this starred Jack Lemmon, Robert Mitchum and Rita Hayworth with support from Bernard Lee). Although those films had limited budgets by Hollywood standards, the production design stunt work and second unit work was far better than normal and used many people who would later become featured names in the Bond films. Intriguingly they also produced a film which had as one of its title “No Time to Die” - no connection.

Euan Lloyd, who had worked for Warwick Films in their publicity department would later on became a producer himself – more about him later.

The start of the rift between Irving Allen and Albert R Broccoli started in 1959. Albert R Broccoli had read and wanted to buy the rights to the Novels of Ian Fleming – the First Novel was not available as it had been bought by Columbia and had already been produced as a television programme with Barry Nelson as “Jimmy Bond” - the Story was “Casino Royale” - but Irving Allen did not agree at all, even going as far as stating that Fleming's novels weren't even "good enough for television".

But what really brought Warwick Films to an end was the film “The Trial of Oscar Wilde”. The film should have been more successful, but Warwick Films took the unusual step of producing the film themselves. Photographed in Technirama by Ted Moore, sets designed by Ken Adam, colour by Technicolor and starring Peter Finch. The film was efficiently made and put together in less than two months. However it also had the misfortune that another film about Oscar Wilde starring Robert Morley had been released at about the same time and they were both excellent films. The subject matter was one which would not have played well in the USA, and although it garnered BAFTA and Golden Globes recognition it lost money at the box office.

Warwick Films went into liquidation in 1961.

While history would show Albert R Broccoli's faith in the Bond films would prove to be right, Irving Allen would himself, after a hiatus, return to epic film-making with films like The Long Ships and Genghis Khan (in partnership with Euan Lloyd).

Matt Helm

Irving Allen stated that he had bought one of the Matt Helm novels (written by Donald Hamilton) at an airport and then proceeded to buy the movie rights using his own money within 24 hours. A deal was made with Columbia Pictures to finance and distribute the films.

The books, written by Donald Hamilton, were about an assassin called Matt Helm who had to be coaxed out of retirement by a Government Agency. In the films this agency was given the acronym ICE (Intelligence and Counter Espionage). Matt Helm's mission is to stop an evil organization called "BIG O" (the Bureau for International Government and Order) (Any similarity to the World Economic Forum is purely coincidental – hopefully).

Whereas the books were hard-boiled and realistic it was decided that the films would be light-hearted romps. A deal was made for five film to be made. In the end four were produced.

Irving Allen took on the main producing role however, as part of the casting of Dean Martin, Martin's own production company would co-produce them (Meadway-Claude Production company). This made Dean Martin an Executive Producer but he chose to be uncredited in this role. This decision had a direct impact on the Bond Films as Sean Connery learned that Dean Martin was paid considerably more than him.

The Silencers (1966)

This was the first film to be made. The plot concerned the sinister Tung-Tze, played by Victor Buono, who is masterminding a diabolical scheme to drop a missile on an underground atomic bomb test in New Mexico and possibly instigate a nuclear war in the process. Helm's assignment is to stop him, armed with a wide assortment of useful spy gadgets, plus the assistance of the capable femme fatale, Tina (played by Dahlia Lavi before she appeared in Casino Royale (1967), and the seemingly incapable Gail Hendricks played ably by Stella Stevens, a beautiful but bumbling possible enemy agent.

The opening of the film takes its time showing Matt Helm living the rich life with every gadget known (and a few which were pure invention) as an in-demand photographer. They played with Dean Martin's reputation for drinking and carousing – along with jokes about or including Frank Sinatra's singing. The look of the film was American suburban wealthy rather than rich which meant the production design aged very quickly. The film was shot in colour but not widescreen.

It was said that Dean Martin liked to stop filming at 5.00 o'clock and distinctly disliked doing multiple takes. But to be fair to Dean Martin, he had trained in clubs and worked with Jerry Lewis, which meant he had to absorb complex changes to a fast script with little notice and then perform them live with little or no rehearsal. In truth he was on the set on time and knew his lines – he expected everyone else to be the same.

The film did well at the box office even though it was not considered a family film in the USA.

Murderer's Row (1966)

Irving Allen, to help spread the load as this as the second Matt Helm film to be produced in 1966, brought in Euan Lloyd as an additional Producer. Euan Lloyd was already proving to be an effective producer in the Anglo-French exploration of the drugs trade “The Poppy Is Also a Flower” - a film worth catching.

The film concerned the use of a solar powered death ray, designed by Dr Solaris but under the control of Julian Wall played by Karl Malden. Matt Helm was assigned to locate Dr Solaris and deal with Julian Wall.

The idea was that much of the photography was to be completed in the South of France but Dean Martin refused to travel so many of the shots were completed using helicopter shots and ensuring the camera as far enough away so people couldn't see that Dean Martin was not there. Then the studio work was completed using “process” (rear projection) and it showed – badly.

Ann-Margaret played the daughter of the scientist and potential love interest. She was at the time half the age of Dean Martin and unfortunately it shows in so many ways – not least being the choice of clothes for Dean Martin.

Even the gadgets were somewhat lame, one being a gun with a 10-second delay – which is how the main villain as eventually dispatched. The final chase using hovercraft, remember this is supposed to be the South of France and sunny, was shot at the Southampton water and Isle of Wight on a cloudy day.

The film was confused and weak yet still managed a good return at the box office.

The Ambushers (1967)

According to IMDB the synopsis as follows:-

“Without a doubt, there's a mole in the secret Intelligence and Counter Espionage agency. Right after the successful launch of the first state-of-the-art USAF flying saucer, the powerful tractor beam of a nefarious criminal organisation forces the experimental vessel to crash-land in the lush Central-American jungles. As a result, having no recollection of the mysterious incident, the amnesiac test pilot, Sheila Sommers, will have to join forces with the spy extraordinaire and suave photographer, Matt Helm, and travel to sun-kissed Acapulco to shed light on this thorny case. Nevertheless, their luxurious Mexican resort is rife with deadly traps and crafty double-agents, bent on stopping the prying intruders. Will Matt and Sheila unearth the dangerous conspiracy? Can they retrieve the top-secret spacecraft?”

The short turnaround and rushed productions show itself in this film. The initial idea was potentially interesting, that the US Government was experimenting with a type of UFO (strangely enough it was found to be true when some projects were declassified).

Senta Berger was adequate as the agent sent to seduce Helm but she was not given much material to work with. Janice Rule was actually surprisingly good in her role displaying vulnerability, confusion and genuine sexiness as the amnesiac pilot. However the film generally suffered from a lack of care in all departments.

The main villains were played by Albert Salmi and Kurt Kasznar, and while they were not totally inadequate – they had often played the similar characters on television – and that proved to be part of the problem. This issue was accentuated by the film's lighting, colour and general photography – it looked like it had been made for television with even the make-up looking like it had been put together with leftovers from The High Chaparral. The levitation effects had been carried out using visible wires. It was like everyone had just turned up one day and said “whatever!”.

Janice Rule became a psychotherapist.

The Wrecking Crew (1968)

The Wrecking Crew should have been a huge shot in the arm for the series. The supporting actors were all much more memorable and suited their roles. Sharon Tate, in what would be her last released role almost stole the film from Dean Martin – and he was happy enough to allow it to happen, but even he was much better in this role actually having some action. The series finally had a film villain worthy of the title with Nigel Green with his vampish assistant excellently played by Elke Sommer (Nigel Green and Elke Sommer had worked together as main villain and assistant previously in the Ralph Thomas and Betty Box production – Deadlier than the Male - in 1967).

Nigel Green was an intense and physically imposing actor who had used this to great effect playing military figures who only had to look a certain way and it was clear the men would obey or else. He was also excellent as a villain in the IPCRESS File not by his snarling but by his calmness. Had he lived he would have made a excellent Scaramanga if Christopher Lee had not been available.

Even behind the camera the quality took a huge leap forward. The fight coordinator was Bruce Lee and he spent considerable time training Sharon Tate for her fights – and the effort paid off as the fights looks like a fight not the usual girl brawl which sufficed at that time. Dean Martin did more of the stunt work and his previous experience as a useful boxer was allowed to come through as his fights had more realistic flavour. The photography showed a distinct improvement and the humour was more evident without being forced.

The plot is fairly standard. Matt Helm is assigned to bring down an evil count named Contini, who is trying to collapse the world economy by stealing a billion dollars in gold. Helm travels to Copenhagen, where he is given a guide, Freya Carlson, whose clumsiness is spectacular.

A pair of Contini's accomplices, the seductive Linka Karensky and Wen Yurang, each attempt to foil Helm's plans. The former is killed in an ambush intended for Helm, the latter in an explosion. On each occasion, Freya's clumsy attempts to assist Matt are helpful, but not particularly appreciated.

McDonald, turns up to aid Helm, but is wounded. McDonald confides to Helm that Freya is actually a top-secret British agent. They go to Contini's Chateau for a showdown, and Helm creates chaos and destruction with a variety of unique gadgets. Contini escapes with the gold on a train bound for Luxembourg, but Helm and Freya are able to catch up to him in a mini helicopter. Freya is almost killed by Contini, but Helm rescues her, then kills Contini by throwing him through a trap door onto the railroad tracks. Successful and alone at last, Helm finally has an opportunity to thank an appreciative Freya as only he can. Unfortunately during the gesture of gratitude (ahem), Freya pulls on the emergency brake and the film ends with them both flying along the train.

But tragic events would bring an end to the Series with the murder of Sharon Tate. Dean Martin was upset by this and decided he no longer wanted to continue with the series, which lead to Columbia withholding his share of the profits on the second film.

Irving Allen retained the rights to the stories and in 1975 he tried to revive the Matt Helm stories in a television series where Helm no longer worked for the government but acted more as a private eye. It only lasted a dozen episodes.

There have been attempt to reboot the stories by studios including Dreamworks. But which would be better, proper adaptations of the books set in their proper time periods, or would a series matching the original books in tone be more entertaining. Then again which actor around now could carry off that middle aged charm?

Irving Allen when on to produce some interesting films including Cromwell in 1970 but retired after the reboot of Matt Helm stalled.

The Matt Helm films were a product of their time and the attitudes. Dean Martin played the character he had created working with the Rat Pack even though he actually performed sober and kept himself in reasonable physical shape for his age (49 when he commenced the role) – particularly in comparison with the standards of the time. He would only make 6 more films between 1969 and 1984.

These films also showed why Bond Films went over to a two-year cycle as they found they could not cheapen the films but had to invest more time and money into getting the product to look right.

A huge part of the eventual downturn in box office returns is the films felt the same and were looking cheaper all the time – with a studio-bound look which audiences were starting to see through. Even many of the Lew Grade action series from England seemed to have better production values and film stock than what was being presented by Columbia. That too was part of the problem – television was catching up and even exceeding what studios used to think they could get away with.

But now Matt Helm's cinematic cousin has his own problem – how to resurrect!