Niente rose per OSS 117 (1968)

Directors:

Renzo Cerrato
Jean-Pierre Desagnat

Writers:

Jean Bruce (novel)
Renzo Cerrato (writer)

Release Date:

20 August 1968 (Italy)

Genre:

Action | Drama

Plot:

A secret agent is sent to the Middle East to destroy a gang of assassins.

Plot Keywords:

Middle East | Secret Agent | Assassin | Acronym In Title | Code Name

Cast

John Gavin	...	Hubert Bonisseur de La Bath, alias OSS 117
Margaret Lee	...	Aïcha Melik
Curd Jürgens	...	The Major
Luciana Paluzzi	...	Maud
Robert Hossein	...	Dr. Saadi
Rosalba Neri	...	Conchita
George Eastman	...	Karas
Guido Alberti	...	Melik
Piero Lulli	...	Van Dyck
Renato Baldini	...	MacLeod
Luciano Bonanni
Romano Moschini
Raf Baldassarre
Seyna Seyn
Giovanni Pallavicino

Also Known As:

Murder for Sale (Australia) (video box title)
No Roses for OSS 117 (USA) (literal English title)
OSS 117 - Double Agent (USA)
OSS 117 Murder for Sale (UK)
Pas de roses pour O.S.S. 117 (France)

Runtime:

USA:91 min | France:105 min

Country:

Italy | France

Language:

Italian | French

Color:

Color (Eastmancolor)

Sound Mix:

Mono

Certification:

West Germany:16 (nf) | Finland:K-16 | Norway:16 (1969) | Sweden:15

Company:

Da.Ma. Cinematografica

Trivia:

John Gavin played secret agent OSS 117 in this Eurospy picture and when it came to re-cast the character of James Bond after George Lazenby's departure from the part after On Her Majesty's Secret Service (1969), Gavin initially won the role of James Bond to first appear in Diamonds Are Forever (1971). At the last minute Sean Connery agreed to return as Bond for the sixth time in a two-picture deal and at an astronomical salary for the time. Producer Albert R. Broccoli insisted that Gavin be paid the full salary called for in his contract.

Movie Connections:

Follows OSS 117 se déchaîne (1963)

Life is not a bed of roses ....

....So OSS 117 has nothing to complain about.Director André Hunebelle ,who used to direct Jean Marais in watchable swashbucklers had become a spy thriller drudge. It's his fourth Hubert Bonisseur de la Bath (OSS 's real name ,for those who care) .He used first Kevin Connors ,then Frederick Stafford .

The cast of "Pas de Roses..." is by far the most interesting: gathering one of his talented compatriots (Robert Hossein) earnest German thespian Jürgens,an ex-James Bond Girl (Luciana Paluzzi,remember Fiona Volpe?)and John Gavin ,the hero of Douglas Sirk's last great works ("Imitation of life" (1959) and " a time to love and a time to die") not to mention "psycho" where he was completely overshadowed by Perkins anyway.

The story is routine itself but there are some good ideas ,such as the poison .More somber than "furia à Bahia" but,unlike the precedent 0SS, humorless.

Like this?Try these (James Bond " A La Française")

"OSS 117 se déchaine" Hunebelle 1963

"Banco à Bangkok pour 0SS 117" Hunebelle 1965

"Furia à Bahia pour 0SS 117 " Hunebelle 1965

"Atout coeur à Tokyo pour OSS 117" Boisrond 1966