Estambul 65 (1965)

User Rating:

5.3/10   

Director:

Antonio Isasi-Isasmendi

Writers:

Howard Clewes (dialogue)
Lluís Josep Comerón (writer)

Release Date:

11 August 1965 (Italy)

Genre:

Adventure

Tagline:

What Tony the Turk does with redheads is a crime . . . what he does with crime is delicious . . . ! [USA Theatrical]

Plot Keywords:

James Bond Rip Off | James Bond Imitation | Spy | James Bond Spoof

Awards:

3 wins

Cast

Horst Buchholz	...	Tony Mecenas
Sylva Koscina	...	Kenny, FBI Agent
Mario Adorf	...	Bill
Perrette Pradier	...	Elisabeth Furst
Ángel Picazo	...	Inspector Mallouk
Klaus Kinski	...	Schenck
Gérard Tichy	...	Charly Cohen
Christiane Maybach	...	Josette
Álvaro de Luna	...	Bogo
Gustavo Re	...	Brain, the Accountant
George Rigaud	...	CIA Chief
Henri Cogan	...	Cogan (as Henry Cogan)
Agustín González	...	Gunther
Umberto Raho	...	Prof. Pendergast
Marta Flores	...	Lady in Limousine

Also Known As:

Colpo grosso a Galata Bridge (Italy)
L'homme d'Istamboul (France)
Operación Estambul (Spain) (working title)
That Man in Istanbul (USA)

Runtime:

Germany:114 min | UK:117 min | USA:117 min

Country:

Spain | Italy | France

Language:

English

Color:

Color (Technicolor)

Aspect Ratio:

2.35 : 1

Sound Mix:

Mono

Certification:

Norway:16 | Finland:K-16 | Sweden:15

Filming Locations:

Barcelona, Cataluña, Spain

Company:

Compagnia Cinematografica Mondiale (CCM)

Running Around all Over Istanbul

MASTER PLAN: kidnap scientists and keep the ransom money. The James Bond film this obviously calls to mind first is "From Russia From Love" but, besides the locations, there is very little actual similarity. Horst (the snot-nosed hothead member of the original "Magnificent Seven") stars as a well-known rascally adventurer who is forced to foil the dastardly schemes of a criminal organization after he's targeted as an initial suspect. Koscina offers support as the FBI agent sent in to figure things out; she was in a few such roles in the sixties (see "Hot Enough For June" and "Deadlier Than the Male"). The story jumps around and drags in the first half, as well as being hard to follow. It's also a bit too long at nearly two hours and, as mentioned elsewhere, only washed out prints of the picture seem to be available.

The action really picks up in the 2nd half, with Tony (Horst) doing a lot of running around in Istanbul, whether being chased or doing the chasing. At one point, he's thrown off a tower during a fight in the closest we get to a spectacular sequence. The best action bit, though, is when he uses a bulletproof glass table while an assassin takes potshots at him (the killer is played by Kinski in a small, yet memorable role). The action is sort of a mixture of slapstick and straightforward thrills which never really finds the right tone; a lot of it is presented as serious danger, yet Horst also winks at the audience a couple of times. He's probably a bit too cute for Bond fans, strictly for the girls. There's also some surprising (for mid-sixties cinema) bits of female nudity. Hero:6 Villains:5 Femme Fatales:6 Henchmen:4 Fights:5 Stunts/Chases:5 Gadgets:3 Auto:3 Locations:6 Pace:6 overall:5