A London fashion show which focused on the diamonds on display instead of the clothes, a well photographed diamond heist and a great Henry Mancini-esquire score by Francesco De Masi gets the viewer in the mood for this typically sixties caper. Produced in Italy but set in England, "Troppo Per Vivere... Poco Per Morire" stars Claudio Brook as intrepid newspaperman Robert Foster, stunning Bondgirl Daniela Bianchi as suspect fashion model and Charles Chaplin's son Sydney as Inspector Chandler. And for anyone interested in more six degrees of 007, Anthony 'Professor Dent' Dawson also appears and leading actor Brook went on to a supporting part in 1989s "License to Kill".
During the daring diamond theft at the start, we are introduced to a whole bunch of nasty villains. Unfortunately, we don't get to spend a lot of time with after-wards as they soon end up stabbing each other in the back and worse. The one that gets away, Gordon Smash (Paolo Gozlino) hides the loot in a locker. Before succumbing to his wounds, Smashie manages to hand over the key and an important clue to John Kerry lookalike Robert Dawson (for opening the locker is only halfway there). Assisted by his own boy wonder, 'Flash' the photographer (Nazzareno Zamperla), Dawson ignores the advice from Inspector Chaplin and delves into the investigation, with the remaining crooks hot on his heels. Fashion models Arabella (Bianchi) and Katia (Stefania Careddu) also offer some clues. The former teams up with Dawson to infiltrate the practice of Dr. Evans (Professor Dent). Posing as Mr. and Mrs Brown, Claudio Brook does a nutty Jerry Lewis impression. Needless to say, this does not fool the evil doctor for long, who hires a dolly-bird called Dolly (Tina Marquand) to seduce the news hound on a train.
Soon, Foster and Arabella are being held captive in a rather spacious warehouse full of the kind of medieval armor and stuff that always comes in handy when making an escape. Arabella gets to the locker first, but without the all important clue known the contents seem to be useless. Flash gets to do a bit of rescuing of his own when Dr. Evans decides to get rid of Dolly. Everybody converges on another warehouse (this time an empty and derelict one) for the big shoot-out finale. It is here where characters start switching sides like it never went out of style and Dawson finally figures out the meaning behind the late Gordon Smash's dying words.
Also, in true sixties style, the film ends with an amusing 'here-we-go-again-tag' that would not seem so out of place if the preceding 100 minutes hadn't been so deadly serious.
8 out of 10
During the daring diamond theft at the start, we are introduced to a whole bunch of nasty villains. Unfortunately, we don't get to spend a lot of time with after-wards as they soon end up stabbing each other in the back and worse. The one that gets away, Gordon Smash (Paolo Gozlino) hides the loot in a locker. Before succumbing to his wounds, Smashie manages to hand over the key and an important clue to John Kerry lookalike Robert Dawson (for opening the locker is only halfway there). Assisted by his own boy wonder, 'Flash' the photographer (Nazzareno Zamperla), Dawson ignores the advice from Inspector Chaplin and delves into the investigation, with the remaining crooks hot on his heels. Fashion models Arabella (Bianchi) and Katia (Stefania Careddu) also offer some clues. The former teams up with Dawson to infiltrate the practice of Dr. Evans (Professor Dent). Posing as Mr. and Mrs Brown, Claudio Brook does a nutty Jerry Lewis impression. Needless to say, this does not fool the evil doctor for long, who hires a dolly-bird called Dolly (Tina Marquand) to seduce the news hound on a train.
Soon, Foster and Arabella are being held captive in a rather spacious warehouse full of the kind of medieval armor and stuff that always comes in handy when making an escape. Arabella gets to the locker first, but without the all important clue known the contents seem to be useless. Flash gets to do a bit of rescuing of his own when Dr. Evans decides to get rid of Dolly. Everybody converges on another warehouse (this time an empty and derelict one) for the big shoot-out finale. It is here where characters start switching sides like it never went out of style and Dawson finally figures out the meaning behind the late Gordon Smash's dying words.
Also, in true sixties style, the film ends with an amusing 'here-we-go-again-tag' that would not seem so out of place if the preceding 100 minutes hadn't been so deadly serious.
8 out of 10