The Last of the Secret Agents

Infobox Film | name = The Last of the Secret Agents?
director = Norman Abbott
producer = Mel Tolkin
writer = Norman Abbott
Mel Tolkin
starring =Marty Allen
Steve Rossi
Nancy Sinatra
Theo Marcuse
music =Pete King
cinematography =
editing =
distributor = Paramount Pictures
released = 25 May, 1966 (U.S.)
runtime = 92 minutes
language = English
imdb_id = 0060619

The Last of the Secret Agents? is a 1966 film starring the then popular comedy team of Allen & Rossi in the then popular genre of the spy spoof.

Plot

Two Americans in Paris (Allen & Rossi) are reluctantly recruited by the Good Guys Institute (GGI) led by John Williams to thwart the plans of the evil crime and espionage organisation THEM led by Theo Marcuse. THEM has plans to steal priceless international art treasures, most notably the Venus de Milo.

Production

Allen & Rossi were a popular comedy team in their nightclub and television appearances, notably on "The Ed Sullivan Show". Paramount Pictures had highly successful comedy teams of Bob Hope and Bing Crosby in the 1940's and Dean Martin and Jerry Lewis in the 1950's and no doubt wished to recreate their success with the duo's screen debut and swan song in the film. Mel Tolkin had written for "Your Show of Shows" and had many other comedy credits, whilst Norman Abbott, the nephew of Bud Abbott had experience of directing many successful American television comedy shows.

Nancy Sinatra had made several film appearances previously, but a planned song written for her by Paramount's Burt Bacharach and Hal David was cut due to budget constraints. [p.270 Lisanti, Tom, Paul, Louis, O'Neill, Eileen "Film Fatales: Women in Espionage Films and Television 1962-1973" 2002 McFarland] During post-production in January 1966, Sinatra's "These Boots Are Made for Walkin'" composed by Lee Hazelwood was a smash hit. Paramount ordered the producer to have Sinatra sing in the film with Hazelwood quickly composing a title song for her reminiscent of John Barry's "Thunderball" that wasn't on the Pete King soundtrack album. Neal Hefti wrote the song "You Are" for Steve Rossi that does appear on the soundtrack as does the song "Don Jose, Ole" written by Tolkin and Abbott. Sinatra's title song was reused as an end title song in Bill Murray's "The Man Who Knew Too Little".

References

External links

*"The Last of the Secret Agents?" at IMDB http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0060619/
*Stills from "The Last of the Secret Agents?" at Marty Allen web site http://www.martyallen.net/
*original trailer http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=biM9p5ff8LI