OSS 117 - Double Agent (1968)
"Niente rose per OSS 117" (original title)

A secret agent is sent to the Middle East to destroy a gang of assassins.

Directors:

Renzo Cerrato, Jean-Pierre Desagnat,

Writers:

Jean Bruce (novel), Renzo Cerrato,

Stars:

John Gavin, Margaret Lee, Curd Jürgens

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
John Gavin	...	Hubert Bonisseur de La Bath, alias OSS 117
Margaret Lee	...	Aïcha Melik - la figlia di Melik
Curd Jürgens	...	Il Maggiore - il capo dei gangster
Luciana Paluzzi	...	Maud - la dottoressa
Robert Hossein	...	Il dottor Saadi
Rosalba Neri	...	Conchita Esteban
George Eastman	...	Karas
Guido Alberti	...	Faruk Melik - il braccio destro del Maggiore
Piero Lulli	...	Heindrich Van Dyck - un rappresentante dell'ONU
Renato Baldini	...	MacLeod - un diplomatico della CIA
Luciano Bonanni	...	Un poliziotto
Romano Moschini
Raf Baldassarre
Seyna Seyn
Giovanni Pallavicino

Storyline

The American Secret Service sends their best agent, OSS 117, to investigate a number of political murders that the police was not able to prevent. Desguised as a ruthless killer, 'William Chandler', OSS 117 will penetrate the terrorist organization just when it is preparing the murder of Heindrich Van Dyck, the UN delegate to the Middle-East peace process. OSS 117 will use a fake killing of Van Dyck, and substitute corpses, trying to dupe the criminal master mind, Dr. Saadi. Only, the Major is too clever, abducts Aicha, and OSS 117 must fight both for his life (as he must take a daily antidote for a drug he was injected with), Aicha's endangered life, and passing the information of the whereabouts of the terrorists headquarters to the Army before it's too late... Too much for OSS 117?

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Plot Keywords:

middle east | assassin | secret agent | bare chested male | eurospy | 

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Genres:

Action | Drama

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Details

Country:

Italy France

Language:

Italian French

Release Date:

28 July 1968 (France)

Also Known As:

No Roses for OSS 117

Company Credits

Production Co:

Da.Ma. Cinematografica, P.A.C.

Technical Specs

Runtime:

105 min

Sound Mix:

Mono

Color:

Color (Eastmancolor)

Did You Know?

Trivia

John Gavin played secret agent OSS 117 in this Eurospy picture and when it came to re-cast the character of James Bond after George Lazenby's departure from the part after On Her Majesty's Secret Service, Gavin initially won the role of James Bond to first appear in Diamonds Are Forever. At the last minute Sean Connery agreed to return as Bond for the sixth time in a two-picture deal and at an astronomical salary for the time. Producer Albert R. Broccoli insisted that Gavin be paid the full salary called for in his contract.

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Connections

Follows Panic in Bangkok (1964)

User Reviews

Rate this "F" for "Forgettable"

Yet another of those made-in-Europe "spy thrillers" inspired by the success of the James Bond movies, "Murder for Sale" will evaporate from your memory even as you watch it.

John Gavin lacks the roguish charm, cynical edge, and tough-guy assurance needed to bring off this kind of part. He seems, as always, sincere and dutiful and anxious to please and one can't but help feel a bit sorry for him. But, hey, what other actor can claim to have been directed by Douglas Sirk, Alfred Hitchcock, Stanley Kubrick, and Peter Ustinov?

The best scene comes early in the movie when the police come to arrest Gavin who's sleeping in a hotel room. Gavin jumps out of bed and, as music from "Carmen" plays on the soundtrack, fends off the cops by using his bedsheet the way a matador uses his scarlet cape. Gavin apparently sleeps "in the raw" and this scene gives him a chance to show off his bare and oh-so-beautiful chest.