I spy, SPI-FI

The ’60's Cold War and spy films -- a perfect match.
We are hooked on realistic espionage films like The Spy Who Came in from the Cold '65, The Deadly Affair ‘66, OR tongue-in-cheek James Bond adventures: Dr. No '62,From Russia With Love ‘63, Goldfinger ‘64, Thunderball ‘65, You Only Live Twice ‘67, On Her Majesty's Secret Service ’69, Diamonds Are Forever ‘71, Live and Let Die ‘73, The Man with the Golden Gun ‘74, The Spy Who Loved Me ‘77, Moonraker ‘79, For Your Eyes Only ‘81, Octopussy ‘83, A View to a Kill ‘85, The LivingDaylights ‘87, Licence to Kill ‘89, Golden Eye ‘95, Tomorrow Never Dies ‘97, The World is Not Enough ‘99, Die Another Day 2002, Casino Royale 2006, Quantum of Solace 2008.
The longest running “Bond” actor, Sir Roger Moore, debuted at age 45 and retired at 58. He said he felt embarrassed doing love scenes with beautiful actresses who were young enough to be his daughters in Live and Let Die, The Man with the Golden Gun, The Spy Who Loved Me, Moonraker , For Your Eyes Only , Octopussy , and A View to a Kill.

A host of imitators followed. David Niven played Bond in a spoof Casino Royale. And "spy-fi comedies" emerged. Dean Martin, as Matt Helm in a series of American “spy" films including The Wrecking Crew ‘69; the 4th and final. It co-starred Sharon Tate in one of her final films before being murdered by Charles Manson's followers.
Modesty Blaise ’66, a parody of Bond and his genre, loosely based on the popular comic strip Modesty Blaise by Peter O'Donnell.

Britain’s The Avengers, a TV show, combined secret agent story lines with “sci-fi” elements. It was the longest running espionage series 1961-69 and only the American series Mission: Impossible had more episodes - 171.
The Man from U.N.C.L.E. ‘64-68. “Spi-fi TV” with 105 episodes centered on a two-man trouble-shooting team, Napoleon Solo,(Robert Vaughn), and Russian Illya Kuryakin (David McCallum), with (Leo G. Carroll) as Alexander Waverly, the British organization head and Barbara Moore joining the cast in the 4th season. Author, Ian Fleming contributed to the show's creation.
Then canceled after 29 episodes in ‘67, The Girl from U.N.C.L.E. A spin-off starring Stefanie Powers as American U.N.C.L.E. Agent April Dancer, Noel Harrison (son of Rex Harrison) her English partner, Mark Slate.( Leo G. Carroll), her superior. The character name "April Dancer" was suggested by consultant and Author, Ian Fleming.
Burke's Law ‘63-65. Noted for suspense lead-ins…The title of each episode started with the words "Who Killed..." with the name or description of the victim who died in the show's opening minutes. Gene Barry played Amos Burke, millionaire/Los Angeles Chief of Detectives, who was chauffeured around to solve crimes in his Rolls-Royce.

The Fat Spy ‘66 , with Jane Mansfield, Jack E. Leonard and Phyllis Diller. It was listed in the ‘04 documentary The 50 Worst Movies Ever Made. Barely released to theaters in ‘66 and rarely seen until the 1990s, when VHS and DVDs sold in dollar stores.
Leonard Part 6 , ‘87, parodies spy movies and starred Bill Cosby. One of the worst films of all time, earning several Golden Raspberry Awards AND Cosby himself denounced in the press prior to its release.
However, Cosby's opinion might change had he viewed.... Creature from the Haunted Sea ‘61. A comedy/parody of spy, gangster and monster movies. Secret agent, XK150 or "Edward Wain", who goes under the code name "Sparks Moran" infiltrates a criminal gang trying to transport a colonel, a group of exiled Cuban nationals, and a large portion of the Cuban treasury out of the country.

Then developed when TV westerns were losing ground to the spy genre and conceived as "James Bond on horseback, "The Wild Wild West" '65-69 was famous for its stunts, special effects, story lines and characters.

So take some me time, dust off the DVDs, surf cable,rent one or hit the dollar store and recapture some great fun with buttered popcorn. Ciao!!