The Silencers (1966)

A retired secret agent (Dean Martin), now working as a photographer, is recruited against his will back to work when enemy agents plot to drop a nuclear bomb in New Mexico for which the Russians will be blamed which will trigger another world war. Very loosely based on Donald Hamilton's novels THE SILENCERS and DEATH OF A CITIZEN, the screenplay credited to Oscar Saul abandons the serious tone of the Matt Helm books and instead turns it into a spy spoof and Matt Helm into a lecherous booze hound. Much of the film is vulgar with doses of sexism and racist humor (the Asian villain drinks diet Egg Foo Yung) but it's amiable and breezy so it's hard to take offense. Still, as a spy spoof it's more fun than the OUR MAN FLINT series. Martin, in particular, seems to be enjoying poking fun at his drunken satyr image and then there's luscious Stella Stevens to remind us what a sensational comedienne she was. The plot is pretty lame though even for a spoof. Directed by Phil Karlson. With Cyd Charisse (whose singing voice is dubbed by Vikki Carr) who gets to do one terrific number before they kill her off, Daliah Lavi, Robert Webber, James Gregory, Arthur O'Connell, Nancy Kovack and Richard Devon.