Bulldog Drummond's Revenge (1937)

Another in the long-running Bulldog Drummond series, more exciting spy adventures in a Britain which always seems covered in fog.

Drummond (John Howard) is ready to head to Switzerland with Algy (Reginald Denny) and Tenny (E.E. Clive) so he can finally marry Phyllis (Louise Campbell). However, a evil (if somewhat inept) group of plotters are planning to steal a terrible new explosive and of course Drummond and company get dragged into Neilson's (John Barrymore) case. 

The gang steal a suitcase of the explosive from an aeroplane but the suitcase ends up in Drummond's hands. The gang steals it back but everyone ends up on the same boat train to Paris for confusing escapades on a train and then a boat...

A good fast paced adventure though containing nothing you haven't seen before (especially if you have seen other films in the series). The character ensemble perform their usual quips or faints. A perfectly enjoyable film.

Geisha Girl (1952)

This could have been a decent enough spy drama though is let down by whimsy and stereotypes.

Rocky (Steve Forrest) and Archie (Archer MacDonald) are two American soldiers on leave from the Korean War. They head to Tokyo, there they find their uniforms keep them out of interesting bars. They instead buy some clothes from a Japanese tailor, by coincidence the shop is the front for a diabolically evil scientist who had developed a bomb so powerful it makes the atom bomb look like a firework. Archie heads off with an example of this new bomb (which is pill sized) in his pocket...

The gang leader Nakano (Tetsu Nakamura) invites the guys back to his home, where he just so happens to have a geisha school. The guys also bring along flight attendant Peggy (Martha Hyer) who is secretly an Allied agent. Nakano and his inept thugs try repeatedly to get back the pill-bomb...

Fairly light hearted and quite ridiculous, this could though have been a solid enough spy film but is let down by the ridiculous Archie character. Obviously used for comic relief though he mostly succeeds in being pretty annoying. The bizarre hypnotist Zoro (Dekao Yokoo) is quite something though.

The Cape Town Affair (1967)

A bit slow but very stylish.

Skip (James Brolin) steals a woman's purse on the bus, unknown to him the woman is being tailed by the secret service. Candy (Jacqueline Bisset) is carrying stolen plans for the Communists. When the police (Gordon Mulholland) track down Skip he refuses to play ball (and for some reason they don't search him as he has the stolen plans on him all along!) Now Skip must stay one step ahead of the police, the Communist cell and Candy...

All set against a backdrop of late 1960s South Africa, Apartheid is never mentioned but can't be ignored especially as this is a film set in South Africa with no black characters. The pacing is glacial at times and the plot a bit dull but it does have some late 60s cool. I enjoyed the British made cars and buses too.

The Spy Who Loved Me (1977)

This isn't just Bond, it is Bond at it's most bonkers. Total genius!

British and Russian ballistic nuclear submarines go missing. James Bond (Roger Moore) joins forces with a top KGB agent in the Bond-friendly form of Major Amasova (Barbara Bach) to investigate. As usual the trail leads to exotic locations, in this case Egypt where Bond and Amasova first encounter the man mountain Jaws (Richard Kiel) who has a mouthful of iron.

Bond and Amasova soon discover that mega rich industrialist Stromberg (Curd Jürgens) is somehow behind the plot, he is obsessed with creating a new society living under the seas. Bond wonders why has he got a new gigantic oil tanker with a curious bow which looks like it could open. Why the tanker looks big enough to be able to store two large submarines...

It is completely over the top of course. The gadgety and gimmicks are dialled up to the max. The film includes one of Bond's most iconic cars, the Lotus that could become a submarine. So many British boys (including myself of course) in the late 70s / early 80s had model versions.

The World Is Not Enough (1999)

Some men want the world, but for some women the world is not enough.

James Bond (Pierce Brosnan) is tasked to protect oil heiress Electra (Sophie Marceau) after her father (David Calder) was killed in a terrorist attack at MI6. Bond discovers that Renard (Robert Carlyle) - who has a bullet in his brain - is planning to destroy an oil pipeline with an atomic bomb by stealing ex-Soviet plutonium. With the help of nuclear scientist Dr Jones (Denise Richards), James foils that plan but the real plot is far more deadly, and the true mastermind behind the plot highly unexpected...

This is a good Bond film (but can't be said to be amongst the very best) though when he is fighting Renard inside a live nuclear reactor you might consider that Bond (even by his prior standards) has jumped the shark! Despite that the action mostly stays the right side of plausibility and the various set pieces are pretty spectacular.

Thunderball (1965)

A classic James Bond film, with much underwater action.

SPECTRE steal two British atomic bombs and hold London to ransom, James Bond (Sean Connery) is one of a number of agents sent to find out where the bombs are, naturally James' assignment is to the Bahamas and not, say, Hull. Naturally James does not do much actual spying, preferring to appear in plain sight and let SPECTRE boss Largo (Adolfo Celi) come to him.

Largo of course has a swanky mansion complete with a pool of sharks. James, with the help of Domino (Claudine Auger) - Largo's mistress whom James soon seduces, manages to foil the SPECTRE plot to nuke Miami after a long (maybe too long to be honest) battle underwater...

A highly enjoyable film though not without flaws, at times the action is rather slow. However, the story and SPECTRE plot is top notch making this a very good entry in the Bond canon.

GoldenEye (1995)

A new Bond and a good reboot with Pierce Brosnan now in possession of the Walther PPK.

Years before 007 and 006 raid and destroy a Soviet secret weapon factory, though 006 (Sean Bean) doesn't make it out alive. Now the Soviet Union has collapsed, but the top secret space weapon system GoldenEye is still in operation... until it is stolen by Ourumov (Gottfried John) and the rather psychotic Xenia (Famke Janssen). GoldenEye can destroy electronic systems. Now the GoldenEye is being readied to attack London and destroy the world financial system.

Along with Natalya (Izabella Scorupco), the only survivor of the raid on the GoldenEye base, Bond must discover who is really behind the plot to steal the weapon. The identity of whom is a surprise even to James...

A slightly harder and more serious Bond than the films of the 1980s, a very good return to form. The action scenes, especially the tank car chase in St Petersburg are pretty spectacular, but Bond still has his quips.

Bullet to Beijing (1995)

It is the end of the Cold War, and Harry Palmer is out of a job!

Retired by MI5, Palmer (Michael Caine) is recruited by a Russian called Alexei (Michael Gambon) to stop the North Koreans getting ahold of a biological weapon that could kill millions. Palmer is helped by Nikolai (Jason Connery) in a rather confusing mix involving former operatives (from both sides) and the Russian mafia.

Much of the film takes place on a Russian train to Beijing, though Palmer and Nikolai end up marooned in Siberia and have to get back to their train by various forms of transport in some kind of bizarre Top Gear-like sequence. There are various double crosses made, the trip to Beijing seems rather pointless in the end as they head straight back to Moscow by plane. By now, though, Palmer knows there is more to this than a weapon, and Alexei can't be trusted...

It doesn't make a huge amount of sense (and can't really be compared to real Harry Palmer films based on actual Len Deighton books) but makes the most of post-Soviet Russia for all sorts of crumbling Soviet nonsense including rusty old Aeroflot airliners and a car chase with Ladas! All highly enjoyable if you like that sort of thing!

You Only Live Twice (1967)

One of the best James Bond films, so wonderfully over the top.

An American space capsule is gobbled up by a mysterious other capsule and disappears, the Americans accuse the Soviets but British Intelligence think the other capsule landed near Japan. Bond (Sean Connery) is sent to work with the Japanese secret service led by Tiger (Tetsuro Tanba). Bond discovers a link to a chemical company and a ship which makes an unusual cargo stop at a volcanic island...

Along with local diver Kissy (Mie Hama) - whom James tries to seduce of course, having already managed with Japanese agent Aki (Akiko Wakabayashi) - Bond discovers a secret base hidden in a volcano and a plot by Blofeld (Donald Pleasance) to start the Third World War... 

The film is completely ridiculous of course. but so much fun with incredible action scenes. Connery disguised as a Japanese fisherman is nonsense of course but so much else is in this film. Which makes it so superb.

Dick Barton Strikes Back (1949)

Fast moving, and bonkers, spy capers.

Secret Agent Dick Barton (Don Stannard) and his partner Snowey White (Bruce Walker) uncover a plot (by dastardly foreigners of course, led by the devious Sebastien Cabot) to kill everyone in the kingdom using a sonic weapon. The plotters have a secret leader (who is so obvious it is laughable). Dick and Snowey, who seem to operate by bungling their way into one dangerous situation after another, are assisted by the tragic Tina (Jean Lodge). A final showdown and heroic fight by Dick takes place atop the Blackpool Tower!

This is very early-post war British stuff, plucky and ridiculous in equal measure. It is a very Boy's Own Adventure with straight forward plotting and very one dimensional characters. It's fun and exciting, and should be enjoyed for what it is.

Creature from the Haunted Sea (1961)

A horror spy comedy which combines several genres to produce something truly awful. After the Communists have taken over Cuba, the regime are fleeing with the state gold reserves. They hire a criminal in Renzo (Antony Carbone) to get the loot overseas, but he wants the money for himself and concocts a bizarre plot to start killing off the Cuban guards with an invented sea monster... unfortunately there is a real sea monster who is also bumping them off.

All this is being observed by secret agent XK150 (Robert Towne) who is part of the crew, though is pretty clueless. Renzo schemes to get the boat caught on the rocks so he can get the loot. However, he didn't plan on there being a real monster...

This is pretty strange stuff, an obvious parody but the problem is that it just isn't very funny. The best humour is provided by sardonic moll Mary-Bell (Betsy Jones-Moreland), plus also the sheer ridiculousness of the monster. There is also a gang member who brays like a animal instead of speaking. Very weird.

Across the Mexican Line (1911)

Wartime melodrama. During the Mexican-American War, the Mexicans send Juanita (Francis Gibson) across into the American lines to seduce the enemy and find out their secrets. Juanita hits it off with Lieutenant Harvey (Romaine Fielding) who proceeds to... teach her telegraphy. An interesting first date.

However, Juanita is unable to discover the Americans' plans. She sneaks a Mexican officer into the telegraph office who captures Harvey and takes him back to Mexican lines. By now though Juanita is in love with Harvey and as he faces execution, she calls for help from the Americans thanks to her new telegraph skills...

An interesting little film directed by one of the first female filmmakers in Alice Guy Blanche. The film is rather static with the narrative driven mostly by the inter-titles. Not that unusual for it's day.

The Net (1953)

A bit melodramatic and uneven but an exciting enough aviation spy drama. Michael (James Donald) is the developer of the top secret research aircraft M7, he devotes so much time he neglects his wife Lydia (Phyllis Calvert) who briefly finds solace in the arms of fellow scientist Alex (Herbert Lom). Meanwhile, there is a spy in the base whom Sam (Robert Beatty) is hunting for...

We know who the spy is though, the doctor Bord (Noel Willman), who plans to steal M7 and Michael along with it. After a near disastrous first flight, he manipulates Michael into taking him with him on an unauthorised second flight and that is when he will strike...

The film isn't sure what it should be. It could be a spy drama, aviation adventure or melodramatic romance and if it had chosen one of those and stuck with it it probably would have been an excellent film. Unfortunately it tries to be all three with varying degrees of success. 

The special effects with M7, which is a classic British 1950s style vision of the future of flight (basically a Victor bomber with nuclear engines), are pretty good. The tension, when it is there, is good. The padding kind of ruins things a bit, but overall a decent watch.

The Jigsaw Man (1983)

An excellent spy drama. Kimberley, a former MI6 chief now Soviet defector in Moscow is tasked with retrieving a stolen document in England, he is given a new identity and face using plastic surgery and becomes Michael Caine! Kimberley immediately gives his KGB handlers the slip and contacts the head of MI6 Sir Gerald (Laurence Olivier), he wants to exchange the document for cash.

Kimberley also contacts his daughter Penelope (Susan George) and uses her help to stay hidden, and recover from an attempted assassination by the KGB. Sir Gerald knows that Kimberley is the man behind the new identity and a game of cat and mouse begins with rival spy boss Sir James (Charles Grey) and top agent Fraser (Robert Powell) who has been sleeping with Penelope.

A fairly complicated plot line ends up with a highly enjoyable and strange car chase through a safari park. The budget was fairly low and it shows, the film is very reminiscent of TV dramas of the time like The Professionals - and that is no bad thing.

Contraband (1940)

An excellent little wartime spy drama. Andersen (Conrad Veidt) is the captain of a neutral Danish freighter which is impounded by the Royal Navy to check it's cargo. Two of his passengers, Mrs Sorensen (Valerie Hobson) and Mr Pidgeon (Esmond Knight), jump ship and head for London. Andersen goes in pursuit, he catches up with Sorensen and soon finds he is involved in a cat and mouse fight between British and German agents.

Andersen and Sorensen end up the prisoners of the Germans in a basement lair. Andersen manages to escape and enlists the help of some of his countrymen to save the day and more importantly Mrs Sorensen...

An exciting film full of derring-do that makes the most of a modest budget. Filmed when it was, just as the war was starting, the propaganda is dialled back and the Germans are mostly portrayed as doing their duty as opposed to just being evil. The growing relationship between Andersen and Sorensen is well portrayed and very believable.

Highly Dangerous (1950)

A rather far-fetched spy drama. Entomologist Frances Gray (Margaret Lockwood) is recruited by British Intelligence to go into a hostile European country to identity insects being used as a possible weapon. Despite no training and the barest of information, Frances arrives in the country - already to the attention of the chief of police (Marius Goring). Her agent contact Alf (Eugene Deckers) doesn't last very long and Frances finds herself arrested and being brutally interrogated...

However, something odd happens to Frances after she is given a truth drug. She suddenly acts like she is a daring secret agent straight out of the radio dramas she listens to! She enlists the help of an American reporter, Bill Casey (Dane Clarke), to carry out her mission...

Quite a ridiculous film though not without a degree of fun. Once Frances does change character it becomes a fast paced and exciting spy yarn, up until that point however the film is rather slow and cliched. Uneven nonsense but pretty enjoyable.

Unpublished Story (1942)

An engaging, if propaganda-ish, view of the Blitz and the fight against enemy agents in London. War reporter Bob Randall (Richard Greene) returns from Dunkirk to find London in a state of flux, though a peace group is trying to stop the war. He is sent to report on the peace group. While there, he finds his fellow reporter Carol Bennett (Valerie Hobson) is also attending and interested in the group... 

During a bombing attack, Bob and Carol discover that one of the members of the peace group, Trapes (Frederick Cooper), is distributing leaflets. Carol later tracks Trapes down to an air raid shelter where he admits he was wrong. However, when Trapes tells his superiors at the peace group of his change of heart and they arn't too pleased. While Trapes is a misguided idealist, it turns out the others in the group are Nazi agents...

At times this is a tough and realistic film which uses actual footage (then fairly recently shot of course) of bombed and burning buildings in London. Of course, due to the propaganda, everyone has the stiffest of lips and accept the destruction of everything they have held dear with a suitably chipper or matter-of-fact attitude. The Nazi agents, including Andre Morell, are also suitably sinister looking. Basil Radford plays an excellent role as the unflappable newspaper editor.

False Faces (1919)

The story of a criminal (the Lone Wolf played by Henry B Walthall) who is tasked by the Allies in the First World War with stealing a cylinder containing vital information from behind the German lines. German agents are aiming to stop him of course, with the usual twist in movie land the head of the German agents (Lon Chaney) is the man who earlier killed Lone Wolf's sister and nephew...

Unfortunately this isn't that great a film despite the promising story. The film, made so soon after the end of the war, suffers from veering too much into propaganda. The Germans are portrayed as vicious animals, the Allies are perfect good guys of course. Most characters are fairly one-dimensional. The plot is also rather incoherent with a lot of back and forth shenanigans which have little end product. The scenes aboard a submarine are ridiculously unrealistic. 

An interesting watch from the point of view of an early war film but thats it! The film has some interesting ideas, such as the use of ghosts to portray guilt and torment but the execution is usually pretty flawed.

The Adventures of Tartu (1943)

A truly excellent wartime espionage film. Terence Stevenson (Robert Donat) is a bomb disposal officer dealing with unexploded bombs during the Blitz. As if that isn't dangerous enough he is chosen to head to Eastern Europe to infiltrate a German factory in Czechoslovakia which is producing a new deadly chemical weapon. Unfortunately for Terence, who uses the cover name Jan Tartu, his contacts are captured by the Gestapo before he can make contact.

He takes board at a house but quickly discovers that there is more than meets the eye to Maruschuka (Valerie Hobson) and Paula (Glynis Johns) who he both suspects are involved somehow with the underground. However, Maruschuka thinks Terence/Jan is a Gestapo agent and tries to get the German officer sweet on her (Walter Rilla) to kill him! Luckily she discovers that Terance/Jan is the real deal just in time but as the Germans are getting ready to produce the first shipment of gas can a successful sabotage mission be staged?

The film travels at a fast pace and leaves little room for much subtly but has an exciting plot with plenty of twists and turns. Although the film has unmistakable propaganda touches, it also has room for a great deal of shade. Is Maruschuka a collaborator or an agent herself? Does Terence really know what he is doing? The chemical factory sets are very impressive and wartime footage is cleverly interwoven into the film. 

The Fourth Protocol (1987)

A tense and layered spy drama. The head of the KGB has a dastardly plan to split NATO apart. They send Petrofsky (Pierce Brosnan) to the UK with a very important mission: to build and detonate a nuclear bomb at a US airbase! The mission is above top secret with a string of permanently silenced agents left behind as Petrofsky gets ready. MI6 are already on the trail though with Preston (Michael Caine) investigating the smuggling in of nuclear material...

Caine plays a great role here as the agent hated by his superior and under an official cloud, but will save the world anyway. He does this with plenty of surveillance, wading through records and not a small amount of violence. 

Brosnan also plays a good role as the cold and smooth agent whose only real weakness is that he is rather horny. Ned Beatty and Ian Richardson also star as senior and double-dealing officials on either side.