The Venetian Affair (1967)

Director:

Jerry Thorpe

Writers:

Helen MacInnes (novel)
E. Jack Neuman (writer)

Genre:

Action | Thriller

Tagline:

Vaughn! Venice! Vooom!

Plot:

Former CIA man, Bill Fenner, now a downbeat, loner journalist, is sent to Venice to investigate the shock suicide bombing by an American diplomat at a peace conference.

Plot Keywords:

Explosion | Beautiful Woman | Secret Agent | Based On Novel

Cast

Robert Vaughn	...	Bill Fenner
Elke Sommer	...	Sandra Fane
Felicia Farr	...	Claire Connor
Karlheinz Böhm	...	Robert Wahl (as Karl Boehm)
Luciana Paluzzi	...	Giulia Almeranti
Boris Karloff	...	Dr. Pierre Vaugiroud
Roger C. Carmel	...	Mike Ballard
Edward Asner	...	Frank Rosenfeld
Joe De Santis	...	Jan Aarvan
Fabrizio Mioni	...	Russo
Wesley Lau	...	Neill Carlson
Bill Weiss	...	Goldsmith

Runtime:

89 min | 89 min (Turner library print)

Country:

USA

Language:

English | Italian

Color:

Color (Metrocolor)

Aspect Ratio:

2.35 : 1

Sound Mix:

Mono

Certification:

Australia:G | Finland:(Banned) (1967)

Filming Locations:

Venice, Veneto, Italy

Company:

Jerry Thorpe Productions

Quotes:

Bill Fenner: Wait -- what's your hurry?
Guilia Almeranti: What's yours?

Movie Connections:

Referenced in Italy's in Season (1967)

Soundtrack:

Our Venetian Affair

Under-rated dramatic, 60s spy film

In 1967, when the spy genre became well and truly a parody of itself, there were only some spy films that were serious attempts in the genre. "The Venetian Affair" is one such film. It's a very well made, suspenseful and dramatic work, based on Helen MacInnes' novel of the same name. Still TV's super-spy Napoleon Solo, Robert Vaughn plays the anti-hero, antithesis of Solo/Bond/Flint etc, as former-CIA man, now downtrodden journalist Bill Fenner. He plays Fenner extremely well, a perfect role for Vaughn's sensibilities as a thoughtful, intellectual man. Aided magnificently is a strong European cast - Elke Sommer, Boris Karloff, Luciana Paluzzi and Karl Boehm to name just a few. Also prominent is Edward Asner as the tough CIA chief Rosenfeld.

Overall, this is an excellent and often misunderstood film. Most people and critics alike, expected the any spy film from this era to be more glamorous and fun a la "In Like Flint" or "You Only Live Twice" which came out the same year. However, looking in retrospect some thirty-years on, one can appreciate a fine dramatic work, one which stands up to the test of time much better than any of its more outrageous competitors.