Guns, Girls and Gadgets: Sixties Spy Films Uncovered

[mikey]

http://quoitmedia.co.uk/gunsgirlsgadgets.htm

After working on this project for several years, my sixties spy film book, now called Guns, Girls and Gadgets: Sixties Spy Films Uncovered will eventually see light of day, hopefully being printed in December by Quoit Media.

The book covers 50 films in detail, (all the movies of the main sixties spy film franchises Bond, U.N.C.L.E., Matt Helm, Harry Palmer, Derek Flint, Bulldog Drummond) including behind the scenes, alternate casting choices, filming locations, production dates, censorship and merchandising.

Each chapter begins with a teaser of the film’s storyline designed to interest the reader and make them continue reading, but not giving away the ending so readers can still watch and enjoy the movie, even using the book as a guide while watching. The chapter then continues, giving information on the original novel that the picture is based on, or if the production featured an original character and screenplay then how the concept came into being. All the chapters give an overview of chronological events, which continue with an explanation on how the senior production crew came together and how financial backing for the movie was obtained.

The story of how the picture was assembled continues with writing and rewriting the script and how the project was developed, before progressing into pre-production and casting. From here things continue with location filming (both in the UK and worldwide), behind the scenes and studio-bound interior filming. Going further, tailored effects are highlighted including the hero’s vehicles and firearms that are all name-checked. Attention is also given to censorship issues and in all instances the original UK cinema release dates are given.

There is also a listing of the credited cast and production crew, plus uncredited cast and crew. This section is then followed by the listing of merchandise associated with the film including spin-off paperback books, 7 inch vinyl singles, soundtracks on both LP record and CD, plus DVD and Blu-ray releases all complete with dates of issue.

CONTENTS

01 DR NO (1st James Bond film)

02 FROM RUSSIA WITH LOVE (2nd James Bond film)

03 HOT ENOUGH FOR JUNE

04 TO TRAP A SPY (1st The Man from U.N.C.L.E. film)

05 GOLDFINGER (3rd James Bond film)

06 CARRY ON SPYING

07 MASQUERADE

08 THE SPY WITH MY FACE (2nd The Man from U.N.C.L.E. film)

09 THE IPCRESS FILE (1st Harry Palmer film)

10 THE INTELLIGENCE MEN

11 WHERE THE SPIES ARE

12 THE SPY WHO CAME IN FROM THE COLD

13 THUNDERBALL (4th James Bond film)

14 OUR MAN FLINT (1st Derek Flint film)

15 THE LIQUIDATOR

16 ARABESQUE

17 A MAN COULD GET KILLED

18 THE SILENCERS: (1st Matt Helm film)

19 MODESTY BLAISE

20 ONE SPY TOO MANY (3rd The Man from U.N.C.L.E. film)

21 ONE OF OUR SPIES IS MISSING (4th The Man from U.N.C.L.E. film)

22 THE DEADLY AFFAIR

23 FUNERAL IN BERLIN (2nd Harry Palmer film)

24 THE DOUBLE MAN

25 THE VENETIAN AFFAIR

26 THE QUILLER MEMORANDUM

27 DEADLIER THAN THE MALE (1st Bulldog Drummond film)

28 THE SPY WITH A COLD NOSE

29 IN LIKE FLINT (2nd Derek Flint film)

30 THE MILLION EYES OF SUMARU

31 YOU ONLY LIVE TWICE (5th James Bond film)

32 MURDERERS’ ROW (2nd Matt Helm film)

33 THE NAKED RUNNER

34 THE SPY IN THE GREEN HAT (5th The Man from U.N.C.L.E. film)

35 OPERATION KID BROTHER

36 ASSIGNMENT K

37 BILLION DOLLAR BRAIN (3rd Harry Palmer film)

38 THE KARATE KILLERS (6th The Man from U.N.C.L.E. film)

39 A DANDY IN ASPIC

40 DANGER ROUTE

41 THE AMBUSHERS (3rd Matt Helm film)

42 ICE STATION ZEBRA

43 THE HELICOPTER SPIES (7th The Man from U.N.C.L.E. film)

44 HAMMERHEAD

45 HOW TO STEAL THE WORLD (8th The Man from U.N.C.L.E. film)

46 OTLEY

47 SOME GIRLS DO: (2nd Bulldog Drummond film)

48 THE WRECKING CREW (4th Matt Helm film)

49 THE CHAIRMAN

50 ON HER MAJESTY’S SECRET SERVICE (6th James Bond film)

[mikey]

15 points of interest. The answers can be found in Guns, Girls and Gadgets: Sixties Spy Films Uncovered.

01 What legal action in both the UK and USA prevented The Liquidator from receiving its planned cinema release in November 1965 and delayed proceedings until screenings began in August 1966?

02 Having travelled to Switzerland with an Aston Martin DB5 for location filming for Goldfinger, what occurred with the vehicle that prompted a second Aston Martin to be quickly dispatched from the UK?

03 Which of The Man from U.N.C.L.E. feature films was originally going to co-star the characters April Dancer and Mark Slate from the spin-off television series The Girl from U.N.C.L.E.?

04 Which British comedy actor was almost killed while driving a car during the filming of The Spy with a Cold Nose?

05 In an attempt to stop location filming on the second Harry Palmer movie Funeral in Berlin what did East German border guards frequently do?

06 Which actor almost drown on the enclosed tank submarine set at MGM Culver City Studios while filming Ice Station Zebra?

07 What happened to the fight scene between James Garner and Anthony Franciosa in A Man Could Get Killed?

08 Which actor broke a heel bone after falling from a wall on location in Portugal and caused the temporary suspension of filming on Hammerhead?

09 The production crew of which film hastily departed Hong Kong after the authorities warned them that they could not guarantee their safety in the city after months of rioting there?

10 Who was the first actor cast to portray Commander James Ferraday in Ice Station Zebra?

11 Before production began on Dr No, which actor turned down the opportunity to screen test for the James Bond role, believing that the first 007 film would be nothing more than a B-movie?

12 While in West Berlin the production crew of The Quiller Memorandum were going to film on location at the Chez Nous bar and nightclub, but something caused a change in the shooting schedule?

13 In addition to Deadlier Than the Male and Some Girls Do, how many other Bulldog Drummond properties were originally planned back in 1964?

14 Why does The Naked Runner finish so abruptly?

15 Examples of obsolete reel to reel magnetic tape computer cabinets seen in the movie In Like Flint, had been previously seen regularly in which science fiction television series?

[mikey]

I’m pleased to announce that Guns, Girls and Gadgets: Sixties Spy Films Uncovered has now been printed and that ordered copies will be dispatched in the next few days.

Anyone wishing to obtain a copy just follow the link.

(Quoit Media Limited - Guns Girls and Gadgets 60s Spy Films Uncovered - Bespoke Book DVD CD Media Publishing)

[mikey]

I have just completed an interview with Jason Whiton over on his blog SpyVibe covering the hows and why I wrote Guns, Girls and Gadgets: Sixties Spy Films Uncovered. Plus, I also go into detail about choosing the 50 spy movies that I look at in the book and the ones that got away, basically the films I considered for inclusion, but that I ultimately decided against covering.

[SpyVibe: INTERVIEW: GIRLS GUNS GADGETS]

[mikey]

Now available on Amazon UK.

[mikey]

SpyHards Podcast

Agents Scott and Cam, along with guest operative Michael Richardson author of Guns, Girls and Gadgets: Sixties Spy Films Uncovered discuss the book and turn the spotlight on The Liquidator featuring the only feature film outing of John Gardner’s anti-hero Boysie Oakes played by Rod Taylor.

The Liquidator, number 79 and the latest in a long list of SpyHards Podcasts is now available as I talk with Scott and Cam regarding the writing of the book, The Liquidator and spy films in general.

https://www.podpage.com/spyhards/079-the-liquidator-1965/

[mikey]

Now available as a Kindle.

https://www.amazon.co.uk/Guns-Girls-Gadgets-Sixties-Uncovered-ebook/dp/B09ZLSZ2R1/ref=sr_1_1?crid=3QOOIMWBCJJ9A&keywords=michael+richardson&qid=1653414727&s=books&sprefix=michael+richardson%2Cstripbooks%2C236&sr=1-1