Murderers' Row (1966)

A secret agent (Dean Martin) is sent undercover to Monte Carlo to locate a missing scientist (Richard Eastham) who has been kidnapped by a secret organization intent on world domination. The scientist is the key to a powerful weapon that uses the sun as a weapon of mass destruction. Very loosely based on the novel by Donald Hamilton and directed by Henry Levin (WHERE THE BOYS ARE). This was the follow up to THE SILENCERS which had been a popular hit earlier in the year. Martin's Matt Helm is sort of a lazy James Bond, more concerned with sex than spy work. The Matt Helm films (there were a total of four of them) doesn't sit well with 21st century mores in its regard toward women. In these films, women are scantily clad sex objects lusting after Martin's boozed up secret agent. Granted, even in 1966 it was just a joke but it's just not funny in 2018. That aside, this is a very sloppily made (and edited) film. Ann-Margret gets to dance a lot and Karl Malden and Camilla Sparv make for a persuasive pair of villains. The energetic score is by Lalo Schifrin. With James Gregory, Beverly Adams, Tom Reese and Corinne Cole.