The Karate Killers (aka The Five Daughters Affair) (1967)

A scientist (Jim Bowles) has discovered a process to extract gold from sea water but he is murdered by an operative (Herbert Lom) of a secret organization, who has been having an affair with the scientist's wife (Joan Crawford) in the hopes she will have access to the formula. When she doesn't provide the necessary information, she is killed and the search goes on to the man's five daughters who together may have the key to the formula. Directed by Barry Shear (WILD IN THE STREETS), this was originally a two part episode of the TV series THE MAN FROM UNCLE under the title THE FIVE DAUGHTER'S AFFAIR. The two episodes were cobbled together and released as THE KARATE KILLERS theatrically with just a tad more violence and nudity than the TV cut. It remains a tongue in cheek pastiche, not unlike the Matt Helm or Flint spy spoofs of the 1960s. It's a passable if silly entertainment but what works on the small screen doesn't necessarily transfer to the big screen. Crawford, quite briefly, brings a movie star presence to the proceedings before she's bumped off. With Robert Vaughn, Kim Darby, David McCallum, Telly Savalas, Curt Jurgens, Terry Thomas, Diane McBain, Jill Ireland, Leo G. Carroll, Danielle De Metz, Philip Ahn and Irene Tsu.