Furia A Bahia Pour OSS 117 (aka OSS 117 Mission For A Killer) (1965)

Under the guise of a journalist, a secret agent (Frederick Stafford, TOPAZ) is sent to Brazil to find out who is drugging innocent people and turning them into assassins. But when he arrives, he finds he's just in time to see his contact (Claude Carliez) murdered. Based on the novel DERNIER QUART D'HEURE by Jean Bruce (his 44th OSS 117 book), this was the third entry in the popular (at least in Europe) OSS 177 secret agent film series. This is a pretty straight forward spy caper, heavily influenced by the Bond series. The handsome but vacuous Stafford doesn't bring much to the role but he doesn't sink the movie either. The film benefits from Marcel Grignon's wide screen lensing of the stunning Brazilian locations, both Rio De Janeiro and the lush jungles. Its plot of a fascist mad man plotting world domination had already reached its apotheosis with DR. NO (1962) but the film is entertaining enough even as an also ran. Michel Magne's underscore could have used some punch. His samba music is fine but the action scenes remain unscored and they could have used some help. Directed by Andre Hunebelle. With the lovely Mylene Demongeot, Raymond Pellegrin and Francois Maistre.