Deadlier Than The Male

We know from the off that this 60s spy spoof is going to be fun! As the title suggests, two sexy and glamorous foreign agents are in the employ of an evil mastermind out to get wealthy by bumping off rival oil magnates.

At that time (we are talking 1966) there were countless films in this genre being made thanks to the popularity of the inestimable 007. After ‘Mister Bond’ and the likes of ‘Harry Palmer’, why not resurrect an old hero from the golden days: no less a man than Hugh ‘Bulldog’ Drummond (here played by Richard Johnson). Hammer vet scriptwriter Jimmy Sangster, along with two others, has brought Drummond back into the fold for an all-new adventure for the Swinging Sixties. Never fear, old enemy Carl Petersen (Nigel Green) is still here! The film gets off to a cracking start when German beauty Irma Eckman (Elke Sommer) blows up a private jet with a top oil executive on board and makes her escape via parachute. Seconds later she is rescued from the sea by her accomplice, the equally lovely and dangerous Penelope (Sylva Koscina). In no time the two bikini-clad beauties walk out of the sea and harpoon a gobsmacked British agent on a desert island. Someone somewhere is up to no good!

These girls must be working for the ‘other side’ though not quite! In fact, both are in the employment of Drummond’s arch-enemy! It would have been nice to know that these dames were working from themselves, but no it’s 1966 and they have to be working for a man, don’t they. After Irma and Penelope bumped off a number of gullible males (aren’t most of them) we are left but with one option: call for Bulldog Drummond, a man not that easily fooled and taken in by the ‘weaker’ but apparently more deadlier sex. Drummond eventually finds himself involved in a chess match of gigantic proportions, pitted against his adversary.

This entertaining caper is on a good pace, and both Sommer and Koscina provide us with a highly amusing double-act and gags a-plenty. As for the two male leads – we can have little complaints. Filmed across some nice London locations and with a nice title song supplied by The Walker Brothers, Deadlier Than The Male is not exactly intellectually challenging but provides a most enjoyable romp. Watch out for those cigars!

SPECIAL FEATURES (Standard Definition unless noted):

* Original theatrical trailer (HD)
* Archive interviews
* Archive location reports
* Extensive image galleries (HD)
* Promotional materials PDFs