The Last of the Secret Agents
Encyclopedia
The Last of the Secret Agents? is a 1966
film that spoofs the spy film
genre starring the then-popular comedy team of Allen & Rossi
.
(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
.
In addition to the then popular spy film
genre, the film spoofs
many other item of the day such as cigarette commercials
.
. Paramount Pictures
had highly successful comedy teams of Bob Hope
and Bing Crosby
in the 1940s and Dean Martin
and Jerry Lewis
in the 1950s 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. Steve Rossi wanted to incorporate material from their comedy routine into the film but his ideas were refused.
Nancy Sinatra
had made several film appearances previously, but a planned song written for her by Paramount's Famous Music
Burt Bacharach
and Hal David
was cut due to budget constraints. 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
.
1966 in film
The year 1966 in film involved some significant events.-Events:Animation legend Walter Disney, well known for his creation of Mickey Mouse, died in 15 December 1966 of acute circulatory collapse following a diagnosis of, and surgery for, lung cancer...
film that spoofs the spy film
Spy film
The spy film genre deals with the subject of fictional espionage, either in a realistic way or as a basis for fantasy . Many novels in the spy fiction genre have been adapted as films, including works by John Buchan, John Le Carré, Ian Fleming and Len Deighton...
genre starring the then-popular comedy team of Allen & Rossi
Allen & Rossi
Allen & Rossi was a comedy team composed of Marty Allen and Steve Rossi, active from 1957 until 1968. They appeared on over 700 television shows including 44 appearances on the Ed Sullivan Show, including three of the four Ed Sullivan episodes on which The Beatles appeared...
.
Plot
Two Americans in ParisParis
Paris is the capital and largest city in France, situated on the river Seine, in northern France, at the heart of the Île-de-France region...
(Allen & Rossi) are reluctantly recruited by the Good Guys Institute (GGI) led by John Williams
John Williams (actor)
John Williams was an English stage, film and television actor. He is remembered for his role as chief inspector Hubbard in Alfred Hitchcock's Dial M For Murder, and as portraying the second "Mr...
to thwart the plans of the evil crime and espionage organisation THEM led by Theo Marcuse
Theo Marcuse
Theo Marcuse was an American character actor who appeared frequently on TV in the 1950s and 1960s. His sinister, hulking countenance was enhanced by a shaven head that accentuated his elephantine ears.-Biography:...
. THEM has plans to steal priceless international art treasures, most notably the Venus de Milo
Venus de Milo
Aphrodite of Milos , better known as the Venus de Milo, is an ancient Greek statue and one of the most famous works of ancient Greek sculpture. Created at some time between 130 and 100 BC, it is believed to depict Aphrodite the Greek goddess of love and beauty. It is a marble sculpture, slightly...
.
In addition to the then popular spy film
Spy film
The spy film genre deals with the subject of fictional espionage, either in a realistic way or as a basis for fantasy . Many novels in the spy fiction genre have been adapted as films, including works by John Buchan, John Le Carré, Ian Fleming and Len Deighton...
genre, the film spoofs
Parody
A parody , in current usage, is an imitative work created to mock, comment on, or trivialise an original work, its subject, author, style, or some other target, by means of humorous, satiric or ironic imitation...
many other item of the day such as cigarette commercials
Us Tareyton smokers would rather fight than switch!
"Us Tareyton smokers would rather fight than switch!" is an enduring slogan which appeared in magazine, newspaper, and television advertisements for Tareyton cigarettes from 1963 until 1981. It was the American Tobacco Company's most visible ad campaign in the 1960s and 1970s.-Beginnings:The slogan...
.
Production
Allen & Rossi were a popular comedy team in their nightclub and television appearances, notably on The Ed Sullivan ShowThe Ed Sullivan Show
The Ed Sullivan Show is an American TV variety show that originally ran on CBS from Sunday June 20, 1948 to Sunday June 6, 1971, and was hosted by New York entertainment columnist Ed Sullivan....
. Paramount Pictures
Paramount Pictures
Paramount Pictures Corporation is an American film production and distribution company, located at 5555 Melrose Avenue in Hollywood. Founded in 1912 and currently owned by media conglomerate Viacom, it is America's oldest existing film studio; it is also the last major film studio still...
had highly successful comedy teams of Bob Hope
Bob Hope
Bob Hope, KBE, KCSG, KSS was a British-born American comedian and actor who appeared in vaudeville, on Broadway, and in radio, television and movies. He was also noted for his work with the US Armed Forces and his numerous USO shows entertaining American military personnel...
and Bing Crosby
Bing Crosby
Harry Lillis "Bing" Crosby was an American singer and actor. Crosby's trademark bass-baritone voice made him one of the best-selling recording artists of the 20th century, with over half a billion records in circulation....
in the 1940s and Dean Martin
Dean Martin
Dean Martin was an American singer, film actor, television star and comedian. Martin's hit singles included "Memories Are Made of This", "That's Amore", "Everybody Loves Somebody", "You're Nobody till Somebody Loves You", "Sway", "Volare" and "Ain't That a Kick in the Head?"...
and Jerry Lewis
Jerry Lewis
Jerry Lewis is an American comedian, actor, singer, film producer, screenwriter and film director. He is best known for his slapstick humor in film, television, stage and radio. He was originally paired up with Dean Martin in 1946, forming the famed comedy team of Martin and Lewis...
in the 1950s and no doubt wished to recreate their success with the duo's screen debut and swan song in the film. Mel Tolkin
Mel Tolkin
Mel Tolkin, né Shmuel Tolchinsky , was a television comedy writer best known as head writer of the seminal, live TV sketch comedy series Your Show of Shows during the Golden Age of Television. There he presided over a storied staff that at times included Mel Brooks, Neil Simon, Danny Simon, and...
had written for Your Show of Shows
Your Show of Shows
Your Show of Shows is a live 90-minute variety show that appeared weekly in the United States on NBC , from February 25, 1950, until June 5, 1954, featuring Sid Caesar and Imogene Coca....
and had many other comedy credits, whilst Norman Abbott
Norman Abbott
Norman Abbott is a television director. He directed episodes of Get Smart, Leave It To Beaver, The Munsters, and The Jack Benny Program.He is a nephew of the comedian Bud Abbott.-External links:...
, the nephew of Bud Abbott
Bud Abbott
William Alexander "Bud" Abbott was an American actor, producer and comedian. He is best remembered as the straight man of the comedy team of Abbott and Costello, with Lou Costello.-Early life:...
had experience of directing many successful American television comedy shows. Steve Rossi wanted to incorporate material from their comedy routine into the film but his ideas were refused.
Nancy Sinatra
Nancy Sinatra
Nancy Sandra Sinatra is an American singer and actress. She is the daughter of singer/actor Frank Sinatra, and remains best known for her 1966 signature hit "These Boots Are Made for Walkin'"....
had made several film appearances previously, but a planned song written for her by Paramount's Famous Music
Famous Music
Famous Music was the worldwide music publishing division of Paramount Pictures, a division of Viacom since 1994. Its copyright holdings span several decades and includes music from such Academy Award-winning motion pictures as The Godfather and Forrest Gump...
Burt Bacharach
Burt Bacharach
Burt F. Bacharach is an American pianist, composer and music producer. He is known for his popular hit songs and compositions from the mid-1950s through the 1980s, with lyrics written by Hal David. Many of their hits were produced specifically for, and performed by, Dionne Warwick...
and Hal David
Hal David
Harold Lane "Hal" David is an American lyricist. He grew up in Brooklyn, New York. David is best known for his collaborations with composer Burt Bacharach.-Career:...
was cut due to budget constraints. During post-production in January 1966, Sinatra's These Boots Are Made for Walkin'
These Boots Are Made for Walkin'
Jessica Simpson recorded her own version of "These Boots Are Made for Walkin'" for the soundtrack to the film The Dukes of Hazzard . Simpson's cover was co-produced by Jimmy Jam and Terry Lewis, and was released as the soundtrack's first single in 2005)...
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
John Barry (composer)
John Barry Prendergast, OBE was an English conductor and composer of film music. He is best known for composing the soundtracks for 12 of the James Bond films between 1962 and 1987...
's Thunderball
Thunderball (soundtrack)
Thunderball is the soundtrack for the fourth James Bond film of the same name.The soundtrack was released by United Artists Records in 1965. The music was composed and conducted by John Barry, and performed by the John Barry Orchestra. This was Barry's third soundtrack for the series...
that wasn't on the Pete King soundtrack
Soundtrack
A soundtrack can be recorded music accompanying and synchronized to the images of a motion picture, book, television program or video game; a commercially released soundtrack album of music as featured in the soundtrack of a film or TV show; or the physical area of a film that contains the...
album. Neal Hefti
Neal Hefti
Neal Hefti was an American jazz trumpeter, composer, tune writer, and arranger. He was perhaps best known for composing the theme music for the Batman television series of the 1960s, and for scoring the 1968 film The Odd Couple and the subsequent TV series of the same name.He began arranging...
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
Bill Murray
William James "Bill" Murray is an American actor and comedian. He first gained national exposure on Saturday Night Live in which he earned an Emmy Award and later went on to star in a number of critically and commercially successful comedic films, including Caddyshack , Ghostbusters , and...
's The Man Who Knew Too Little
The Man Who Knew Too Little
The Man Who Knew Too Little is a 1997 American comedy espionage film starring Bill Murray, directed by Jon Amiel, and written by Robert Farrar and Howard Franklin...
.
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