Narcotics agent Dennis goes undercover in the Mediterranean Islands to investigate a smuggling operation, and gains the confidence of a woman who works for the ringleader. But Dennis ends up arrested for murder when the crime boss turns up dead.
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Reviews
One of my all time favorites.
If the ambition is to provide two hours of instantly forgettable, popcorn-munching escapism, it succeeds.
if their story seems completely bonkers, almost like a feverish work of fiction, you ain't heard nothing yet.
An old-fashioned movie made with new-fashioned finesse.
Just a 1960's movie, with plenty of colour, action, cars, fashions (love the shirts guys), a soundtrack with bongos, killings, drug smuggling, secret agents, cheesy lines and girls in bikinis. What's not to like? The 1960's was when they could now make cheap movies in colour, and the censorship laws were slowly being eroded, and this unashamedly cashes in on it, but not overdone. Filmed in Malta (I understand) with much water involved. Patsy Ann Noble is looking good here as well as Wanda Ventham, who reveals all (the hussy). She also happens to be Benedict Cumberbatch's (born 10 years later) mother. Other reviewers explain the plot adequately, and called it a second rate spy drama, and maybe that is why I like it. Frivolous fun, and if that's what you like, then watch it and enjoy. If you want a deep convoluted plot with tip top direction and acting then stay away. It's down to personal choice here.
DEATH IS A WOMAN is a second-rate British spy drama filmed in Malta to give it an exotic Mediterranean flavour. The story sees espionage taking place when an agent is shipped in to uncover a drug smuggling ring involving the transport of heroin shipments, and our man's job is to find out who's doing it and stop them in their tracks.What sounds like it should be a light and breezy affair is in fact plodding and unworkable, suffering from wooden male leads and a leaden pacing. There's a dearth of action to boot that makes this tough to watch at times, and it's only the Swinging Sixties trappings that saw me through it. That, and an exemplary female cast, all of whom parade around in their bikinis and look exquisite. Actresses featured include Wanda Ventham, Patsy Ann Noble, and the arresting Caron Gardner. Watch out for typecast heavyweight Michael Brennan's cameo as a murderous butcher.
A lot of money must have been spent on this film, which was filmed on location in Malta in full glorious colour. The result, however, is an utter disaster. For a start, one wonders why the film makers hired Anita Harris to sing the film's one song, when they had an excellent girl singer playing the villain.The acting is not good. Only one character, who plays a drifter, stands out. The rest of the cast are not good actors, and they struggle with an unexciting script. Some of the underwater scenes look good, and are probably the best parts of the film. Patsy Ann (Trisha) Noble, who comes from Australia, looks as though she swam her underwater scenes herself, and did not use a double. Great frogwoman she may be; as a singer she is flawless, (whether she sings in English or in French) and has perfect vocal technique. But I don't think she is a good actress at all, and I am surprised that her acting career lasted so long - and in America, too. The only significant features of her character, Francesca, is that she is a dead shot with an harpoon gun, and that she sleeps in a bed with black bedsheets. The plot is forgettable. So, if you have something better to do, you would be better doing that instead.
Striking title stunningly exotic Mediterranean backdrop beautiful women led by the voluptuous, but venomous Trisha Noble. Other than that, this unusual 60s British spy drama while seductive is methodically languid and openly predictable in its murder mystery layout. Blackmail, murder, drugs, money and women. It's a shame the plot isn't as entertaining like its scenery and intrusively bombastic musical score, as it's quite a stiltedly talkative stop and go affair with much narrative distractions and suspicions, but very little in the way of sustained suspense and thrills. An undercover English agent is sent to the Mediterranean islands to investigate dope smuggling, but instead finds himself the main suspect in a murder case when that man he is investigating ends up dead. So he goes about trying to clear his name, by finding the killer/s. The suspects are there, but it's just trying to connect the dots to how they did it. Director Frederic Goode executes some stylish camera shots getting plenty of local flavour, but outside of those strokes it's safely mechanical all round. The cast give able performances with Mark Burns, William Dexter, Shaun Curry and Wanda Ventham. But it is indeed Noble who steals the limelight ("You must admit. She's quite a dish"). A hypnotic, if too laid-back psychedelic 60s spy fare."It doesn't matter who he is or who's he working for. He's trouble. "