Absolutely Brilliant!

To all those who have watched it: I hope you enjoyed it as much as I do.

The film never slows down or bores, plunging from one harrowing sequence to the next.

The movie's neither hopeful in contrived ways, nor hopeless in different contrived ways. Somehow it manages to be wonderful

Chucklesome rather than laugh-out-loud funny, this British spy comedy was obviously cashing in on all things Bond flavored when it first appeared in 1964. Dirk Bogarde, just about earning his pay cheque rather than turning in a proper performance, is the unwitting British agent dropped behind the Iron Curtain by British Intelligence, though as represented by Robert Morley, (always good fun), and John Le Mesurier, it's not that intelligent. He isn't even sure what he's there for except that the password is the film's title "Hot Enough for June". Silva Koscina is suitably gorgeous as the spy who is allocated to Bogarde as his driver while in Prague and there is a good supporting cast that includes Leo McKern, Richard Pasco and Eric Pohlmann. There is very little to it; Lukas Heller did the screenplay and there are a few good jokes. Ralph Thomas directed with no imagination whatsoever.

I recorded this years ago on the UK TV during a "Dirk Bogarde Double Bill" together with the "Blue Lamp". Whilst the latter has since been issued on DVD ( Many of Bogarde's films fortunately have been ), someone, somewhere has forgotten this one. As it is so entertaining and colourful, I just cannot understand why. This is exactly the sort of film you need on a rainy miserable Sunday Afternoon to cheer you up. It blends Light Comedy, Fairly Exotic Sets, Sexy Ladies, Across-The-Iron-Curtain spy capers and features among others the great RObert Morley ( always irresistible ) and Leo McKern. The plot is original and unexpected. There is a fair amount of suspense and memorable scenes. My copy is getting slightly worn out and I should dearly like to find it on DVD. The UK is probably the only place it will be issued if ever. The title refers to the password that Bogarde must use to make contact with a spy in a Czekoslovak glass factory.

Despite occasionally amusing passages this engaging spoof of the nascent spy genre is, however, perhaps not memorable enough to be more than an agreeable time passer.Still, the cast is willing: for most of the film's second half, Dirk Bogarde - playing an unwilling British spy - is forced to sport several ingenious impersonations (waiter, milkman, a typically Bavarian villager, etc.) to evade the pursuing Russian agent Leo McKern. Robert Morley is McKern's British counterpart (but posing as a diplomat) and John Le Mesurier (playing one of Her Majesties' top secret agents) appears in the film's very first (and arguably best) sequence: stopping at what seems to be a reception desk, he proceeds to place on it every kind of gadget one could think of before proclaiming that one of their best agents had been killed and, soon enough, a card showing "007 Deceased" appears on the screen! Sylva Koscina, playing McKern's Ninotchka-like daughter (who also poses as Bogarde's chauffeur) adds the requisite element of sex appeal to the mix when she becomes enamored with her "boss". Another funny sequence takes place when Bogarde is asked to try out an indestructible glass fabric (the work of a German inventor) by throwing a large rock at it; sure enough, the rock bounces onto the floor when it hits, but as they start walking away, the sound of shattering glass is heard on the soundtrack which prompts the Russian factory owner to hiss "You Nazi swine" to the dumb-founded inventor!

I did enjoy this film, but the reason for saying above 'if you don't think too hard' is that after watching it, the thing that stuck in my mind was that Nicholas (Dirk Bogarde) seemed to adapt to the situations he found himself as a spy rather too easily for someone who is supposed to be an unemployed writer. That aside the film is a little difficult to categorise, IMDb call this a comedy, and it starts out in the same vein as the "Doctor" films that Dirk Bogarde made, but it changes to what I would classify as 'Light Drama', and that makes it much more interesting.Overall the acting was good but not outstanding, and I would recommend it for an evenings entertainment, provided your idea of an evenings entertainment is something you don't have to think about too much, and you have had enough of sex, violence and obscenity.