Duffy (1968) User Reviews

"Duffy...that old Tangerine hipster!"

[moonspinner55 · 5/10 · 28 May 2008]

Retired master criminal in Tangiers is recruited by a hedonistic British youth and his working-stiff brother to rip off a business tycoon of nearly three million dollars; complicating matters is the kid's kittenish girlfriend, who seems to change loyalties easily. Mod, swinging caper-comedy curiously doesn't spend a lot of time on plot-exposition (the planning of the actual heist is kept mostly off-screen), yet it does putter about lazily while introducing us to these people (who end many of their sentences with "man" and "baby"). James Coburn's decadent pad is really peculiar ("pop-porno", he calls it), and yet it has almost nothing to do with what's going on or even with Duffy's character (he does possess, however, the only fish tank-cum-slot machine I've ever seen!). Once the pieces of this location-rich adventure come into play, the picture becomes a passable piece of fluff (with a twist ending that is rather far-fetched, leaving a few questions unanswered). Still, Coburn is an intriguing presence, Susannah York is flighty and flirtatious (and beautiful with a tan), and James Mason is typically suave--and silently cunning--as their victim. ** from ****

DUFFY (Robert Parrish, 1968) **1/2

[Bunuel1976 · 6/10 · 27 September 2008]

This is another flashy caper comedy starring James Coburn which, surprisingly, emerged to be much better than the last one I’d watched only a few days previously i.e. DEAD HEAT ON A MERRY-GO-ROUND (1966). Interestingly, all three male lead actors here are called James (Coburn, Mason and Fox) – recalling the three Roberts (Young, Mitchum and Ryan) of CROSSFIRE (1947)!; for the record, Coburn and Mason would appear together again in THE LAST OF SHEILA (1973) and CROSS OF IRON (1977).

Coburn plays the titular Irish “hipster” (read: rogue/adventurer) engaged by wealthy but ne’er-do-well layabout half-brothers Fox and John Alderton (bearing dopey look and obnoxious laugh) to rob their unloving father (Mason)’s fortune, while it’s being transported by ship. Our hero lives modestly if not exactly inconspicuously – given the artistic bric-a'-brac that clutters his house – in Tangiers, and he even seems very much into the Swinging scene (with resulting slangy dialogue, not to mention a reference to The Beatles’ “Lucy In The Sky With Diamonds”!). Similarly, the Susannah York character – the only significant female to figure in the narrative – is liberated and carries on simultaneous affairs with both Fox and Coburn (at one point, she and Duffy debate whether such a woman is technically a “slut” or not!).

The film, therefore, promised to be a convoluted and pretentious bore (even more than the afore-mentioned DEAD HEAT in fact) but proved quite an engaging and enjoyable trifle – the belated robbery sequence itself is decently staged, with its trio of robbers donning ugly Halloween-type masks, and there’s an amusing supporting character in the porn-obsessed bank manager in Tangiers! The script (as always in similar outings from this cynical era, the denouement is twist-laden and heavily ironic) was co-written by the ill-fated Donald Cammell – who later that same year would re-team with Fox for the extraordinary PERFORMANCE which, however, didn’t go on general release until 1970; the whole, then, is slickly photographed by the distinguished Otto Heller and has a groovy soundtrack to match.

Robert Parrish – who started out as an actor, then changed track to editor, and finally graduated to director in Hollywood – was probably assigned to this following his stint on the notorious James Bond spoof CASINO ROYALE (1967); DUFFY is as yet unavailable on DVD – but I recently obtained a decent Widescreen DivX copy of it (probably sourced from VHS), which will do just fine.

Duff Duffy

[JohnSeal · 5/10 · 29 June 2008]

A hard to see film with a good reputation, Duffy recently popped up on TCM, perhaps presaging a full-fledged home video release. Alas, the film is not as good as its reputation suggests. James Coburn is fine as the title character, a based-in-Tangiers hipster/gangster hired by the Calvert Brothers (freak James Fox, straight John Alderton) to assist with the robbery of the S.S. Osiris, a ship owned by the lads' dad (James Mason). Along for the ride is groovy chick Segolene (Susannah York), who sports a dizzying array of late 60s fashions but doesn't have much else to do. Duffy suffers from a screenplay laden with hip-speak (pad, groovy, pop porno, ad nauseum) and the Moroccan setting reminds me of Peter Walker's Die Screaming Marianne and Mike Sarne's Joanna, neither of which are very happy comparisons. On the plus side of the ledger: a good arched eyebrow performance by Alderton and an absolutely smashing, Hammond-driven score by Ernie Freeman, so all is not lost. Temper your expectations and you'll probably enjoy it.

Fun movie, filmed in Almeria, Spain

[sawyer-1 · 14 February 2003]

This is a "feel good" movie. It has a fun plot, the actors all put in a good performance, and it was filmed in gorgeous Mediterranean locations. If you like vacationing in the Mediterranean area, this movie whets your appetite for another visit. Most of the movie was filmed in and around the city of Almeria, located on the south coast of Spain. This area has been used frequently for "spaghetti westerns" because of desert-like scenery. The scenes of "Tangiers" were filmed right in the city of Almeria. I visited here in 1984, and the city still had many winding alleys and whitewashed houses that looked like they could have been Tangiers. The lighthouse and rocky beach scenes were filmed at nearby Cabo de Gato. I revisited Almeria in 1999, and it was unrecognizable - all ugly hi-rise buildings. The Cabo de Gato area is still gorgeous, though. There are many beach houses near the lighthouse, but it is now a protected natural reserve area. I've never been able to find the beach club in the movie, although the scenery is very much like the area around the nearby town of San Jose.

Coburn in his movie stariest prime

[june-sasser · 7/10 · 10 November 2018]

They make it a point to never show this one. One less time they can show the cider house rules. I caught it never knowing it existed. Great caper film with Coburn lookin good and in the perfect role to showcase his coolness. I always thought he waaay outcooled Mqueen. I had always wondered who should have been Travis Macgee until I saw Coburn in this. Hands down James Coburn should have been Travis Macgee. He would have owned it like Connery with Bond.

Miscast and misfiring

[trimmerb1234 · 6/10 · 15 July 2018]

This attempts to combine something of the cool swinging style of "Blow Up" with a James Coburn comedy-heist movie which are anything but cool and stylish. Providing undeserved gravitas is the inimitable James Mason. Its a combination that just doesnt gel, The lovely Susanna York had an innate dignity and class as an actress such as had no place here. It is at least attractively shot in colourful sunny locations. Perhaps the cast regarded it as a holiday rather than something that would advance their reputations

Appallingly bad, uninteresting.

[sunznc · 1/10 · 13 February 2015]

We thought it would be cool to see this vintage 60's film. It wasn't. It was instead, painful to watch. The dialog is dull, it is clichéd, silly, poorly executed, unintelligent. It was almost like watching a skit on Love American Style.

Suzannah York's character was possibly supposed to be a love able 60's perky blond perhaps like Goldie Hawn. Instead she seems dumb, selfish and a sad case.

On the bright side the sets and props are cool. There are some beautiful shots but aside from that, I can't imagine how this could be anyones favorite film.

some super groovy dialogue

[christopher-underwood · 6/10 · 18 June 2013]

This is likable enough, well shot and colourful with some super groovy dialogue, thanks to Donald Cammell but I didn't feel this was wholly successful. James' Fox and Mason are great, not so sure about Coburn and Alderton tries just a little too hard and ends up helping to make some of the scenes more silly than I would have liked. Susannah York looks as lovely as she ever has but she doesn't convince me that she is as interested in the guys as she makes out and I feel there are dozens of girls, who in 1968, would have made a better job of the role. Apparently filmed in and around Almeria with the 'Tangiers' scenes actually the old streets of the Spanish town, more famous, of course for its connections with spaghetti westerns. I love the films of the time, that this should have been more like and my own favourites can be found in my 'Acid Erotica' list on 'Letterboxd'.

A thumb-twiddler

[Leofwine_draca · 4/10 · 1 February 2019]

DUFFY is one of those lighthearted caper movies of the 1960s of which THE ITALIAN JOB was the epitome. This one isn't in the same league despite a typically likeable performance from a laidback James Coburn as the titular character. The story is about the theft of a fortune from a yacht in the Mediterranean, a fortune belonging to old-timer James Mason. His own son James Fox is behind it. A lot of attention is given to a bikini-clad Susannah York and the characters relaxing and having fun, with the usual twists and the like, but I was twiddling my thumbs long before the end.

He Knows his business

[bkoganbing · 6/10 · 16 January 2013]

Duffy is one of those films that's a chicken/egg film. Is the fact that James Mason treats his two sons Edward Fox and James Alderton like dirt make them hate him. Or is it the fact that they apparently are worthless and he let's them know it. Whatever it is, these two have made up there mind to show dear old dad a thing or two. Businessman Mason is shipping a large lot of money from Tangier to Marseille on a ship and they plan to rob it. That'll show dad.

So Alderton like the sons in House Of Strangers and Broken Lance works for wages and this film bears some resemblance to those two. Fox is just a worthless playboy starting to look a little too old for those Carnaby Street fashions that swinging London made popular in the Sixties. These two and Fox's girlfriend Susannah York do realize that they don't have the talent for this caper. So they call in an exiled American professional criminal, the guy who plays the title role in this film, James Coburn.

Knowing a bit about Coburn I can see why he gravitated to this movie. Duffy is a whole lot like the real James Coburn, a rather free spirited hedonist who saw acting as a way to make sure he had his pleasures just like Duffy is into criminality. He knows his business and gives the trio proper guidance. But York has an agenda all her own.

Duffy doesn't quite get off the ground, most of the time you're wishing he'd just smack these two Calvert twits, James Mason's idiot sons. And these two are truly not worthy of anyone's rooting interest.

But Coburn and Mason cut a pair of interesting characters and the cinematography of the blue Mediterranean is nice. Fans of Mason and Coburn will like it.

What else would you expect from a 60's caper comedy?

[mark.waltz · 5/10 · 2 June 2022]

With a father like James Mason, it's no wonder that sons John Atherton and James Fox want to rob him blind. They need a mastermind to do so, and that's where's James Coburn as the title character comes in. He's an expert at perpetrating heists like the one that the two half brothers want to undertake, along with sophisticated hooker Susannah York. The plan is to steal money that Mason is transporting on a luxury liner, toss it overboard and get away with it tax free.

Luxurious location footage (filmed in Spain and some local islands) and Coburn's weird apartment are visual highlights, and there's some sly comedy along the way. I had an issue with York's oh so independent character who breaks off affairs and is upset when the man just says okay and walks away. So much for liberated, even if she is sexually completely free. She's also not very good to her transistor radio. Decent performances, especially by Coburn and Mason (second billed but not having much to do, but great when he is onscreen), stand out. I was disappointed in the ending however.

Witty, fun, caper movie that was a victim of the times.

[Xaaralia · 8/10 · 20 September 2009]

When "Duffy" was released, I was working in one of my father's theatres as the projectionist. As a projectionist I saw a lot of movies...over and over again. I can tell you that when you screen the same movie six to eight times a day for two, three, four weeks or more, most films soon lose their lustre. Not so with "Duffy". Of course I was just a kid then, and the sixties "counter-culture" was my adolescent fantasy. James Coburn, already extremely cool from "The Magnificent Seven" and "The Great Escape" was riding a wave of popularity from the campy "Flint" movies, but "Duffy" was a very cool and fun movie that I never tired of watching. It never took off as a hit and I've often wondered why. It was just as effective as other caper movies of the era, such as "Topkapi" or "Gambit". I think the reason it never took off was because 1968 was an eventful, tumultuous year, and "straight" America was frowning hard upon hippies and counter-culture. Too bad. I think the owner of this film would be surprised and well rewarded by releasing it to DVD.

Duffy

[CinemaSerf · 6/10 · 3 June 2023]

Though this takes quite a while to warm up, the actual heist caper stuff is quite fun to watch. James Mason "Calvert" is a bit of a crook. A sophisticate, but a crook nonetheless. He has two rather put-upon sons in "Stefane" (James Fox) and "Antony" (John Alderton). The sons are fed up with their permanently disappointed father and so when they learn that he is to move £1 million on a ship from North Africa, they engage the help of their pal "Segolene" (Susannah York) and of the man who can help them rob the ship at sea -"Duffy" (James Coburn). They put together and execute quite a meticulously planned theft that's got some dressing up; wigs; a priest and an helicopter - but can they get away with it? Mason features sparingly but for a change, York is quite competent as their never quite trustworthy cohort. It is John Alderton who really surprises here. He's always reminded me of a John Cleese-light kind of figure, but here he is quite decent as the brains behind the operation leaving Coburn to provide the muscle and the charisma. I didn't quite get the point of the ending, it all sort of trips over it's own cloak looking for the dagger; but it was an hell of a lot better than I was expecting and I did quite enjoy the middle bit.

Any Available Copies?

[lifeinthemodernworld · 26 December 2007]

Wondering if there were ever any copies (videos or DVDs) made of this movie. It's a small classic of a not very widely exploited genre (a certain hippie lifestyle which in the U.S. was captured in Easy Rider but which does not have many European counterparts -- though this film is much lighter and more comedic than Easy Rider). By the way, the beach club in the film was a specially constructed set, demolished after the filming was over. I know cause I was an extra in the scenes shot at that location. The location itself was a beautiful uninhabited spot on the coast about an hour's drive across mountains and desert terrain outside of Almeria, where the rocky, pockmarked cliffs dropped straight into the sea. If anyone could tell me whether it might be possible to obtain a copy of the film -- have searched all known sources without success -- would greatly appreciate it. James Coburn fans in particular would love this film which I think would be greatly enjoyed if run again on T.V. or released in video/DVD format.

Great cast in clever caper

[adrianovasconcelos · 7/10 · 20 January 2024]

I must confess that I was 11 when DUFFY came out and, living in colonial Mozambique at the time with a small allowance for movie watching - good for about 2 flicks a month - I focused on my favorite types of films, notably Westerns and comedies.

So DUFFY never beeped on my radar. In fact, I had never heard of it until recently when, well into my sixties, I searched for James Coburn films on Youtube... and the title, and especially the cast, promptly caught my eye.

Classy Mason always warrants watching and, as a tycoon seeking to intensify his sons' drive for fortune, he does a splendid job with only a small part. Coburn delivers one of his finer leads as a modern artist cum adventurer who decides to break into Mason's yacht's vault for the fun of it, and because Mason's sons - James Fox and John Alderton - have designs on their father's fortunes.

Ultimately, though, the standout performance comes from Susannah York, the leggy, nubile, nymphomaniac, yet classy broad who beds just about every male in the film. The film's wry sense of humor adds a major plus to this highly satisfying production, boosted by an arresting screenplay by Donald Cammell and Harry Joe Brown.

As a curious aside, much of the film is adroitly shot in North Africa, particularly Oran in Algeria which had secured its independence from France six years earlier.

Despite some obvious minor flaws, DUFFY definitely deserves watching. 7/10.

Under-rated thriller, very hip.

[Monk-17 · 10/10 · 14 April 1999]

This film features gorgeous photography on the Mediterranean and a plot that I never found predictable. It's very stylish and has cool music, including a great tune by soul singer Lou Rawls. James Coburn, James Fox and James Mason are all very good in it, as is the beautiful Susannah York. The plot involves the theft of money from a ship on the Mediterranean Sea. It's James Mason's sons that steal his money, and it's what follows that gives the film it's intrigue. Definitely worth watching.

One of the ultimate sixties movies

[corten · 10/10 · 3 October 2003]

Right from the beginning in swinging London this film epitomizes the coolness of the sixties. Excellent performances by James to the power 3: Coburn, Fox and Mason. Especially Coburn appears to be not acting at all in his tailor-made dropout role, he is just being his natural self. The atmosphere, the images, the music and the plot each contribute to the overwhelmingly positive feeling this picture leaves me with every time I see it. Why can't they make movies like this anymore (sigh, sob)? Another thing that strikes me about this film is that there is no other film (at least that I know of) which bears only the faintest resemblance to this flick. It stands out, on its own. Incredibly, it is available neither on video nor on DVD. Please help, Mr. Duffy-owner!

Very Hip, Very Funny

[JoeEdwards · 8/10 · 24 May 2006]

This was a very hip, very funny movie. The plot zig-zags around in completely unexpected turns, and the dialog is full of off-beat humor that you really have to pay attention to get.

The photography is gorgeous as are the locales. It recreates the breezy easy-going style of the Sixties and the overall effect is like having a vacation on the Mediterranean.

Susannah York never looked better. James Mason is laying down his elder statesman's foundation. James Coburn and James Fox are forsaking pretenses of movie idol-hood and are really acting. The under-rated John Alderton shines.

My grandfather did a little role

[okram-1 · 8/10 · 1 March 2007]

I was born in Almería, Spain. Many movies were filmed there many time ago. "Duffy" was one of them. Many Spanish people made shorts roles in these movies. My grandfather, Manuel Hernández Asensio, was a waiter in "Duffy". He told me the story about his "adventure" in this movie. He worked in a bar en Almería, in his own bar, and the American people that were filming "Duffy" needed a guitar to use it in a scene. My grandfather had one hanged in a wall of his bar and he lent it to them. Then, the director offered him to make a role as a waiter in the movie, and my grandpa accepted. He didn't speak English, so he moved his mouth doing the necessary movements and after someone would speak over in English. He only did a scene in a restaurant and said one phrase. A curious story of this movie to remember.

And now he is in de crew of the movie in IMDb!! I'm very happy!! Thanks to every people in IMDb!!!

Duffy a must see for hipsters and ex pats

[DavidLSchneider · 9/10 · 25 February 2010]

Having lived on 4 dollars a day and not known what the next day would bring me this film is ultra-cool for people who know how to float through places of hip outside U.S. shores. I loved it then and love it now. Plus Lou Rawls!! James Coburn and Steve McQueen, Charles Bronson, Paul Newman, Bruce Lee, Robert Redford, Tony Curtis and many more are the people to watch. Some reviews say it is fluff but this shows the ultra cool Coburn at his best. The cast is excellent and now with the world economy crashing a taste of Duffy and Bullitt and Enter The Dragon and The Hustler in theaters might be a welcome relief from terminator 20 and all the other junk out there corporations push on the public. These guys and gal are actually acting.

Universal bring back PJ with George Peppard and Gayle Hunnicut too. We need these 60's folks on the screen again. Release Duffy on DVD!

Cool Coburn and all that Jazz...

[stephenvincent-34546 · 9/10 · 28 September 2015]

'Avec-Avec'...aka "Duffy" is one of the lost films of the late 20th century ..for some reason this film has been shunned by the consumer worlds of VHS and DVD...and now Netflix.... but make no mistake it is a tight cool, heist flick with subtle twists that make it worth tracking down...take a trip back to the late '60s and enjoy the essence of what film making should be all about....escapism.....why was the film shunned?? my guess is because of the sexuality of it...the female lead is deep, evocative and sleeps with both the son....and the father... the jazzy soundtrack, the cinematography..and the classy style of all the actors will make you reach for that Bombay Gin...;-D

Great Caper Film!

[robert_fager-200-64760 · 10/10 · 3 January 2014]

This is a very cool, very hip caper film, with sexy James Coburn in the title role. He plays a rogue and conman who…no spoilers, here, It set in Tangier and throughout the Mediterranean, has gorgeous photography, has more twists and turns than any film I can think of, and an ending that is perfect and hilarious and brilliant. It's one of those who is conning who films, and this is one of the very best. It's perfectly cast, James Coburn is awesome, as is James Mason, James Fox, James Alderton, and Susannah York. And the soundtrack is very intense jazz, and Lou Rawls sings the opening song.

This is a great film.

A big waste of time!

[RodrigAndrisan · 9 March 2021]

Some very good actors, in other movies not in this one, like James Mason, Susannah York, James Coburn. Just sunznc, who wrote another review, thinks like me, I mean right. The others, for subjective reasons, gave it many stars. I can't even give it one star.

Tangier caftan freakout caper

[stern409 · 10/10 · 25 June 2019]

Delight-insight about where it's at in 1968. Leaving your moral compass in your other caftan. All the vices unabashedly heightened in a 60s trip. You have to steep yourself in the mindset to enjoy it- then it's an absolute peach. Coburn is the absolute king of cool-McQueen was too vulnerable while Coburn had no krytonite. See it

Only those who know - know

[cyril-815-290166 · 10/10 · 24 March 2016]

Some great insight into the film by other reviewers - great job. I can't say anything that hasn't already been said. Duffy wasn't box office box back then, but who cares baby - probably the hippest film of it's time that still is entertaining to watch. Man, i've seen a lot of movies, there is no film that captures the time and place like Duffy. I saw this film when i was about 15 living in the Midwest and it opened my mind to go out there and see the world. I did and never looked back - thanks Duffy! - It says I have to write more sentences, that is the world we are living in now... the freedom the people felt back in the 60-70's was much different than we got now. A consumer culture we are.