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 | Island | Spy | Sheik | Playing Footsie

Awards:

Nominated for BAFTA Film Award. Another 1 nomination

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

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)

Special Effects by
Les Bowie	....	special effects (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:

At one point Modesty Blaise is shown looking at copies of the real-life Modesty Blaise comic strip, which originally appeared in the London Evening Standard.

Goofs:

Revealing mistakes: When Modesty shoots an arrow at the guard on the island, when watched in slow motion you can follow the arrow as it flies over the arch to the right as the guard is "hit" by an arrow from the left.

Movie Connections:

Referenced in Kill Bill: Vol. 1 (2003)

Soundtrack:

The End (We Should Have)

Clive Revill as Mc Whirter makes this movie.

Clive Revill as the Scottish book keeper is superb. His depiction of the stereotypical penny-pinching Scot is a comic highlight of this film. In one scene, he and Gabriel sit at a table while Mrs Featherstone is hanged in the background. Gabriel is self absorbed in soliloquy and McWhirter is lost in his financial analysis. Neither sees the action behind them. Later, he even tells one of Gabriel's men not to waste ammunition in the midst of a gun battle! And in the closing scene of the movie, his loyalty to Gabriel is comically both touching and courageous. While Gabriel, staked out in the sun cried out for "champagne", McWhirter, dressed in a kilt, sneaks up indian-fashion on the arab camp to rescue him. Sure the film was disjointed, but Clive Revill's McWhirter made it all worthwhile.