The popularity ofspy comedymovies has varied over the years, with many great films being produced in the James Bond era of the 1960s. Few of these movies have received critical acclaim, but they each succeed in providing audiences with a fun time. While some of these movies aimed to be outrightJames Bondparodies, others only incorporate identifiable characteristics of such films in a movie that is something humorous and entirely brand new.
Manyspy movies are intenseand showcase the day-to-day challenges that arise on the job.However, spy comedies are instead appreciated for their lighthearted approach to the grueling job with narratives that don’t take high-stakes missions too seriously. Such films combine the expected thrills and action of the spy genre, with goofy villains, slapstick humor, and seriously inept agents. There continue to beentertaining spy comedy filmsmade, but the ’60s has some of the best and these movies are proof.
In Like Flint, a follow-up to Daniel Mann’sOur Man Flintincreases the zaniness of its predecessor.James Coburn and Lee J. Cobb both return as their original characters and this time, the former’s Derek Flint is tasked with uncovering the plans of Fabulous Face, an organization intent on giving women control of the world.
John Wayne’s Funniest Movie Is This Underrated 1960 Western With Stewart Granger
This 1960s Western starring John Wayne and Stewart Granger, proved itself to be the funniest movie of the genre’s poster actor’s entire career.
Admittedly, the movie’s slow pace has led it to be deemed inferior toOur Man Flintand underrated among spy comedies in general. In an attempt to recapture the first film’s success,In Like Flintgoes overboard with its absurdity, which is entertaining for audiences familiar with the film’s title character, but makes for an isolating viewing experience for those stepping into Flint’s world for the first time.
Modesty Blaise
Cast
Modesty Blaise follows the titular secret agent, played by Monica Vitti, as she’s used by the British government as a decoy to prevent a diamond heist. With her sidekick Willie Garvin, played by Terence Stamp, she navigates a web of intrigue against the thief Gabriel, portrayed by Dirk Bogarde.
Loosely based on Peter O’Donnell’s comic strip of the same name,Modesty Blaiseopened to heavy amounts of criticism in the mid-60s but has since earned a cult following.The spy comedy sees the titular character (Monica Vitti), a former criminal mastermind, embark on an assigned mission from the British Secret Service.
The film plays up everything one could want in a spy movie to a ridiculously high level, which includes an absurd villain (Dirk Bogarde) and stylish settings. However,Modesty Blaisedoes differ greatly from the eponymous comic strip it’s based on, and the clashing of creative visions behind the scenes is apparent in the film’s continuity errors and off-beat tone.While these elements don’t make for an acclaimed spy movie, they are sure to provide audiences with a solid amount of entertainment.
The Liquidator
The Liquidator is a 1965 spy spoof featuring Boysie Oakes, a British secret agent who contracts out his assignments while posing as an operative actively executing his missions. His reliance on others to fulfill his duties leads to a series of complications.
As one of the manyJames Bondrip-offs from the ’60s,The Liquidatorperfectly captures the essence of the locations and supporting characters that made the series a hit.LeadingThe Liquidator, Rod Taylor does a fine job of approaching his character’s ineptitude with just the right amount of humor. The spy spoof is based on John Gardner’s Boysie Oakes novels, specificallyThe Liquidator.
The only problem is that Boysie is unable to kill anyone himself, so he comes up with an unusual solution —hiring a professional assassin to do the job for him.
While the film leans more toward the thriller genre, it’s still a great source of entertainment that will get a well-earned laugh from audiences.In the film, Taylor’s Boysie Oakes is hired by British secret agent Mostyn (Trevor Howard) to take out rogue spies he believes are leaking crucial information. The only problem is that Boysie is unable to kill anyone himself, so he comes up with an unusual solution —hiring a professional assassin to do the job for him.
The Wrecking Crew
The Wrecking Crew, released in 1968, stars Dean Martin as secret agent Matt Helm. He is tasked with stopping Count Contini’s plan to sabotage the global economy by stealing $1 billion in U.S. gold. The film blends espionage and action as Helm undertakes his mission.
Though it’s often seen as the least successful of the Matt Helm series,The Wrecking Crewstill has plenty going for it.The film sees Dean Martin’s Matt Helm called back into action once more. This time, he is tasked with tracking down the villainous Count Contini (Nigel Green), who is suspected of stealing $1 billion worth of gold.
Making his way to Copenhagen, Matt teams up with a guide, Freya Carlson (Sharon Tate), and together they rush to capture Contini before he gets away.The mixture of humor and action throughout the film is charming, though admittedly weaker compared to earlier entries in the film series.With each film being loosely based on Donald Hamilton’s series of the same name, the Matt Helm film series had plans to continue with another movie, but Martin declined to return.
Casino Royale
Casino Royale, released in 1967, is a comedic adaptation featuring Sir James Bond, who devises a plan where multiple agents adopt his name to confuse SMERSH. Among them, Evelyn Tremble faces off against Le Chiffre in a baccarat game, leading to unforeseen challenges for the various Bonds involved.
Before 2006’sCasino Royale, a parody film was made under the same name, acting asa loose adaptation of Ian Fleming’s novel.David Niven stars in the film as James Bond, who is forced out of retirement to take down SMERSH, an organization that has killed multiple agents. In an attempt to confuse the organization and get to them before any more lives are lost, Bond requests that all remaining agents go by “James Bond.”
It’s a fun premise that doesn’t quite live up to its potential.
The task of squeezing a large cast and numerous satirical elements into one coherent film isn’t easy to pull off.While critics have been more disapproving of the film over the years, audiences are sure to have fun indulging inCasino Royale’s strong comedic tone and numerous parodied Bond tropes.
The Silencers
The Silencers is a 1966 spy film that follows Matt Helm, portrayed by Dean Martin, as he comes out of retirement to thwart a sinister plot by the Big O organization. The organization aims to detonate an atomic bomb over Alamogordo, New Mexico, in a bid to instigate World War III.
Donald Hamilton, who is best known for his spy fiction novels, had his Matt Helm series adapted into film for the first time withThe Silencers.The movie, and those that followed, are only loosely based on Hamilton’s work, presenting the titular spy’s story much more humorously than what’s in writing.
Dean Martin brings the spy to life on the screen inThe Silencers, which follows Matt as he’s pulled out of retirement and made to stop Big O, a villainous organization with plans to instigate a nuclear war.Matt is often accompanied by women and carries unusual gadgets with him,but the film doesn’t go above and beyond to stand apart from the many spy comedies of the decade. Still, Martin’s charming performance adds to the film’s appeal, resulting in three follow-up movies, includingThe Wrecking Crew.
Dr. Goldfoot and the Bikini Machine
Dr. Goldfoot and the Bikini Machine is a 1965 spy comedy film featuring Vincent Price as the titular villain, Dr. Goldfoot, who creates bikini-clad robots to charm wealthy men into relinquishing their fortunes. Secret agent Craig Gamble, played by Frankie Avalon, teams up with millionaire Todd Armstrong to thwart this scheme.
Utilizing the popularity of both spy and beach party films at the time,Dr. Goldfoot and the Bikini Machineis a satisfying combination of the two thanks to its packed cast.On top of its name being a spoof of twoJames Bondfilms,the movie is also full of amusing characters and jokes that poke fun at tropes within the spy genre.
It is evident that Price, who is known best for his villainous roles, is having fun as the wacky mad scientist building an army of robot women tasked with robbing wealthy men.
Though the response from critics has been mixed over the years,Dr. Goldfoot and the Bikini Machinehas achieved cult status thanks toVincent Price’s performance as the titular villainand the film’s well-executed combination of action and comedy. It is evident that Price, who is known best for his villainous roles, is having fun as the wacky mad scientist building an army of robot women tasked with robbing wealthy men.
Our Man Flint
Our Man Flint is a 1966 spy film featuring James Coburn as secret agent Derek Flint. Tasked by Intelligence Chief Cramden, Flint must thwart a group of scientists who employ eco-terrorism to manipulate global weather patterns for their own agenda.
Our Man Flintis one of the more direct parodies ofJames Bondmovies, with an exaggerated protagonist that embraces everything known about the famous spy to a higher, more absurd degree. Despite being so transparent with its nods toJames Bond,Our Man Flintdoesn’t solely rely on them to produce an entertaining, solid spy movie. These moments are instead cleverly dispersed throughout the film, which follows James Coburn as former agent Derek Flint.
Called out of retirement, Derek works to stop an organization led by three mad scientists who seek to take control of the weather and cause chaos.With large sets filling the screen and Coburn’s confident performance keeping hold of the audience’s attention, it’s no wonder how the film found success. A year afterOur Man Flintwas released, a sequel,In Like Flint, was made with Coburn and Lee J. Cobb reprising their roles.
The Glass Bottom Boat
The Glass Bottom Boat is a romantic comedy released in 1966 featuring Doris Day and Rod Taylor. The film follows Bruce, an aerospace company owner who hires Jennifer to be his biographer, amidst suspicions that she might be a Russian spy seeking corporate secrets.
A leading actor during Hollywood’s Golden Age,Doris Day starred alongside Rod Taylor in the spy comedyThe Glass Bottom Boat.While Day led a handful of comedies during the decade, the strong use of slapstick humor throughout the film wonderfully sets it apart from her other work in the genre. In the film, Day’s Jennifer Nelson is mistakenly assumed to be a soviet spy by clumsy agents.
Despite its relatively familiar premise,The Glass Bottom Boatmanages to flourish thanks to its strong ensemble of comedic actors.Appealing to a wider range of audiences beyond her longtime fan base, Day is a delight in the film, delivering one of her best performances. Day is supported by actors likeThe Liquidator’s Rod Taylor and comedian Dom DeLuise in one of his earliest film roles.
Carry On Spying
Carry On Spying, released in 1964, marks Barbara Windsor’s debut in the Carry On series. This comedic film follows agents Desmond Simpkins and Charlie Bind, together with Agents Honeybutt and Crump, as they confront the malevolent international organization STENCH, parodying the spy genre epitomized by James Bond.
The British comedy franchiseCarry Onconsists of 31 movies, many of which aim to parody films in the spy, western, and horror genres, including the ninth entry in the series,Carry On Spying. Series regular Kenneth Williams appears in the film as the humorous Agent Desmond Simkins, who teams up with a handful of trainees for a mission in which they must recover a stolen top-secret formula.
Carry On Spyingwas one of the first films in the franchise to poke fun at another genre, and did so successfully. In addition to making reference to a handful of spy movies, theCarry Onfilm also manages to stand apart as something entirely of its own making. This is accomplished partially due to the performances of familiar stars like Williams and Charles Hawtrey, and the introduction of Barbara Windsor in the franchise.
