Modesty Blaise (1966)

User Rating:

5.1/10   

Director:

Joseph Losey

Writers:

Stanley Dubens (story)
Jim Holdaway (comic strip)
(more)

Release Date:

4 July 1966 (Norway)

Genre:

Comedy | Crime | Thriller

Tagline:

Nothing can faze Modesty Blaise, the world's deadliest and most dazzlingly female agent!

Plot:

Modesty Blaise, a secret agent whose hair color, hair style, and mod clothing change at a snap of her...

Plot Keywords:

Diamond | Spy | Island | Sheik | Handcuffs

Awards:

Nominated for BAFTA Film Award. Another 1 nomination

US TV Schedule:

Fri. July 17

3:15 AM

AMC

Cast

Monica Vitti	...	Modesty Blaise
Terence Stamp	...	Willie Garvin
Dirk Bogarde	...	Gabriel
Harry Andrews	...	Tarrant
Michael Craig	...	Paul
Clive Revill	...	McWhirter / Sheik Abu Tahir
Alexander Knox	...	Minister
Rossella Falk	...	Mrs. Fothergill (as Rosella Falk)
Scilla Gabel	...	Melina
Michael Chow	...	Weng
Joe Melia	...	Crevier
Saro Urzì	...	Basilio
Tina Aumont	...	Nicole (as Tina Marquand)
Oliver MacGreevy	...	Tattooed Man
Jon Bluming	...	Hans
Lex Schoorel	...	Walter
Max Turilli	...	Strauss (as Marcello Turilli)
Giuseppe Paganelli	...	Friar
Wolfgang Hillinger	...	Handsome
Roberto Bisacco	...	Enrico
John Karlsen	...	Oleg
Aldo Silvan	...	Pacco (as Silvan)
John Stacy	...	Tyboria Captain
Robin Hunter	...	Pilot
Denys Graham	...	Co-Pilot
Patrick Ludlow	...	Under Secretary
rest of cast listed alphabetically:
George Fisher	...	(uncredited)
Robin Fox	...	Man Who Pushes the Doorbell (uncredited)
Jack Lambert	...	(uncredited)

Directed by
Joseph Losey

Writing credits (in alphabetical order)
Stanley Dubens		story
Jim Holdaway		comic strip
Evan Jones		screenplay
Peter O'Donnell		story

Produced by
Michael Birkett	....	associate producer
Stanley Dubens	....	associate producer
Joseph Janni	....	producer
Norman Priggen	....	associate producer

Original Music by
John Dankworth

Cinematography by
Jack Hildyard		(director of photography)

Film Editing by
Reginald Beck

Casting by
Miriam Brickman		(uncredited)

Production Design by
Richard Macdonald

Art Direction by
Jack Shampan

Costume Design by
Beatrice Dawson		(uncredited)

Makeup Department
Marissa Martelli	....	makeup artist: Monica Vitti
Neville Smallwood	....	makeup artist
Pearl Tipaldi	....	hair stylist

Production Management
Mara Blasetti	....	production manager
Ed Harper	....	production manager

Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
Gavrik Losey	....	first assistant director
Claude Watson	....	first assistant director
Stuart Black	....	second assistant director (uncredited)

Art Department
Roger Cain	....	draughtsman (uncredited)
Norman Dorme	....	assistant art director (uncredited)
Gilbert Wood	....	scenic artist (uncredited)

Sound Department
Buster Ambler	....	sound recordist
John Cox	....	sound recordist
Gordon Daniel	....	sound editor
John Aldred	....	sound editor (uncredited)
Peter Dukelow	....	boom operator (uncredited)

Camera and Electrical Department
Davis Boulton	....	photographer: Amsterdam (as Dave Boulton)
Gerry Fisher	....	camera operator
Wally Fairweather	....	focus puller (uncredited)
Norman Hargood	....	still photographer (uncredited)

Costume and Wardrobe Department
Evelyn Gibbs	....	wardrobe mistress
Douglas Hayward	....	costumes: Terence Stamp
Marissa Martelli	....	additional costumes: Monica Vitti

Editorial Department
Alan Bell	....	assistant editor (uncredited)
Jim Roddan	....	second assistant editor (uncredited)
Mike Round	....	assistant editor (uncredited)

Music Department
Roger Cook	....	musician: "Modesty" (as David and Jonathan)
John Dankworth	....	conductor
Roger Greenaway	....	musician: "Modesty" (as David and Jonathan)
David Lindup	....	orchestrator (uncredited)

Other crew
Carlo Lastricati	....	personal assistant to director
Ann Skinner	....	continuity
John Goldstone	....	production assistant (uncredited)
Catherine O'Brien	....	unit publicist (uncredited)

Production Companies

• Modesty Blaise Ltd.
• Twentieth Century-Fox Productions

Distributors

• Twentieth Century-Fox Film Corporation (1966) (USA) (theatrical)
• American Broadcasting Company (ABC) (1972) (USA) (TV) (original airing)
• Twentieth Century Fox Film Company (1966) (UK) (theatrical)
• CBS/Fox Video (1988) (UK) (VHS)

Runtime:

119 min

Country:

UK

Language:

English | French | Italian

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.66 : 1

Sound Mix:

Mono (Westrex Recording System)

Certification:

UK:A (original rating) | UK:PG (video rating) | Canada:PG (video rating) | Finland:K-16 | Sweden:15 | USA:Unrated

Filming Locations:

Amsterdam, Noord-Holland, Netherlands

Company:

Modesty Blaise Ltd.

Trivia:

Peter O'Donnell was invited to write a novelization of this film. The book, based upon O'Donnell's original screenplay rather than this film, was a huge success and spawned a series of best-selling novels that O'Donnell wrote until 1996.

Goofs:

Revealing mistakes: Modesty's body double in the knife fight scene between her, Willy and the two villains is obviously much bulkier and taller than she is.

Movie Connections:

Referenced in Le streghe (1967)

Soundtrack:

The End (We Should Have)

Great spoof, lame adaptation.

I have been a fan of the Modesty Blaise comic for as long as I can remember, so when I stumbled across this movie adaptation a few years back, I just had to see it. I did, and I liked it a lot. Not as an adaptation, because it's nothing as it's comic and novel counterparts, but as an hilarious spoof of the whole sixties spy movie phenomena.

Terrence Stamp as Willie Garvin is funny and cute, but he wouldn't stand a chance against the original. The same goes for Monica Vitti's Modesty who lacks the strenght of the real Modesty, but makes up for it in quirkiness.

This movie is perfect for everyone who like the concept of a Bond-parody, but was disappointed with the crudeness of Austin Powers. It will also appeal to Modesty Blaise fans with a sense of humor, and of course to lovers of pop art.