Agent for H.A.R.M. (1966)

Director:

Gerd Oswald

Writer:

Blair Robertson (writer)

Release Date:

June 1966 (Japan)

Genre:

Adventure | Action | Drama | Sci-Fi

Plot:

Secret agent tries to stop a scientist who has devised a bacteria that devours the body from within.

Plot Keywords:

Acronym In Title | MST3K | Exploitation | Unsold TV Series Pilot | Beautiful Woman

Cast

Peter Mark Richman	...	Adam Chance (as Mark Richman)
Carl Esmond	...	Professor Jan Stefánik
Barbara Bouchet	...	Ava Vestok (as Barbara Bouchét)
Martin Kosleck	...	Basil Malko
Wendell Corey	...	Jim Graff
Robert Quarry	...	Borg
Rafael Campos	...	Luis
Aliza Gur	...	Mid-Eastern Contact (as Alizia Gur)
Donna Michelle	...	Marian
Marc Snegoff	...	Conrad
Chris Anders	...	Schloss
Steve Stevens	...	Billy
Horst Ebersberg	...	Helgar
Ray Dannis	...	Henry Manson
Robert Donner	...	Morgue Attendant

Also Known As:

Agent for HARM (International: English title) (alternative spelling)

Runtime:

84 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Color (Technicolor)

Sound Mix:

Mono

Certification:

Finland:K-16 | Sweden:15

Filming Locations:

Marina del Rey, California, USA

Company:

Dimension VI

Trivia:

H.A.R.M. stands for Human Aetiological Relations Machine. Aetiology is a British variant of etiology which is the branch of medical science concerned with causes and origins of diseases. This full wording is seen at the top of the world map in the very last scene of the movie.

Goofs:

Revealing mistakes: When Adam yells at Dr. Steffanic if he's all right, the voice that answers back is clearly not Dr. Steffanic's.

Quotes:

Adam Chance: This could've been you, and don't you forget it! Better go back to the judo range.

Movie Connections:

Featured in "Mystery Science Theater 3000: Agent for H.A.R.M. (#9.15)" (1997)

not a total loss...at least there was some cleavage

As with many cinematic stinkers, I never would have encountered this one if it hadn't been for MST3K. Perhaps in editing the movie for the show the producers had to cut out the part of the flick that explained what H.A.R.M. stood for, if such an explanation was ever given at all.

One could tell this was going to blow chunks from the tone set by the opening scene, with the elderly dude and his assistant fleeing through a culvert, being chased by a lone Soviet soldier armed with an American battle rifle (seeing as how the credits so kindly thanked Colt Firearms for the weapons used in the film, I guess I'll have to overlook that faux pas, seeing as how the mini pistol carried by the 'Agent for H.A.R.M. was so non-descript as to leave me guessing who might have manufactured it).

The rest of the movie was quite unintentionally funny, from the drunk sounding spymaster to the evil henchman who resembled Prince, to the much maligned cardigan worn by our hero Adam Chance. Although at his age, bones chill more easily, so I can understand his choice of such a sensible garment, although he could have picked a better color than that gawdawful yellow. The one shining spot in this whole mess was Eva, who, despite being a dirty commie spy, was pretty hot. I sure miss the Cold War, don't you?