Hammerhead (1968)

User Rating:

5.0/10   

Director:

David Miller

Writers:

Herbert Baker (writer)
William Bast (writer)

Release Date:

27 September 1968 (Finland)

Genre:

Drama | Thriller

Tagline:

Nothing ever hit you like 'Hammerhead'.

Plot:

An American agent has tracked down the stronghold of an evil criminal mastermind, determined to take over the world (what, another one ?).

Plot Keywords:

Spy | Beautiful Woman | Based On Novel

Cast

Vince Edwards	...	Charles Hood
Judy Geeson	...	Sue Trenton
Peter Vaughan	...	Hammerhead
Diana Dors	...	Kit
Michael Bates	...	Andreas / Sir Richard
Beverly Adams	...	Ivory
Patrick Cargill	...	Condor
Patrick Holt	...	Huntzinger
William Mervyn	...	Perrin
Douglas Wilmer	...	Vendriani
Tracy Reed	...	Miss Hull
Kenneth Cope	...	Motorcyclist
Kathleen Byron	...	Lady Calvert
Jack Woolgar	...	Tookey Tate
Joseph Fürst	...	Count Ortega

Runtime:

100 min

Country:

UK

Language:

English

Color:

Color (Technicolor)

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Sound Mix:

Mono (Westrex Recording System)

Certification:

Finland:K-16 | Sweden:15 | UK:A

Filming Locations:

Cascais, Lisbon, Portugal

Company:

Irving Allen Productions

Trivia:

Vince Edwards replaced Stephen Boyd.

Movie Connections:

Referenced in Daleks' Invasion Earth: 2150 A.D. (1966)

Soundtrack:

(I'll Be) Your Old Fashoned Girl

A Human Shark Avoids the Germs

MASTER PLAN: obtain the info on some secret papers. By this point in the late sixties, some filmmakers were getting a little carried away with all the psychedelia and decadence of the decade, including a few who jumped on the James Bond bandwagon. The first scenes seem to say that the director & his crew were dropping acid during the filming, though it turns out to be some bizarre performance art depiction. We're also introduced to Mr. Hood here (Edwards), the secret agent of the story, looking on bemused. He fits the profile - an American but working well within the British & other European locales as a handsome man of adventure. He's not all that impressive, however: though able to handle himself well in a fight, he does get knocked out a couple of times quite easily (one of these fights, in a dark garage, recalls a similar scene in "Deadlier Than the Male" of the previous year). As the very British girl who keeps popping up unexpectedly throughout the movie, Judy Geeson is an acquired taste and can be a bit annoying; I didn't blame Hood for wincing the 3rd time she reappears. I also kept thinking, what is she doing in this movie? This sense didn't change much for me by the end of the film. Much of the action at the forefront of this film takes place against the backdrop of the youthful generation doing their thing during those swinging sixties.

The plot involves the machinations of the very Bondian uber-villain Hammerhead (Vaughan), complete with peculiar eccentricities, such as white gloves to keep the germs away and especially sadistic tendencies towards females. The actress Adams plays the more interesting female character, in a brief role. Oh, and, to make sure we understand that this bad guy is a sleaze, he also has interests in pornography. His dastardly plans are hinted at during Hood's briefing in a train cabin; there will be a special meeting of top men from NATO nations and one of these men has papers that Hammerhead wants a gander at, involving defense plans. This offers a good dual role for versatile actor Bates, who plays the target and one of Hammerhead's key henchmen. The film meanders a bit in the first half, even with the intriguing scenes on the villain's huge yacht, with everything moving at an easygoing pace, as if the filmmakers were unsure of themselves or the story. But, it does all come together in the final half-hour, when the details of the villain's subterfuge are played out (though why Hood and his girl aren't simply shot instead of that protracted scene in the coffin...never mind). Watch for Dave Prowse, soon to be in "A Clockwork Orange" and future Darth Vader, as the huge henchman - the strongest man Hammerhead knows. The climactic action, especially the unexpected end of the villain, will either irritate or enthrall you, depending on how much you like darkly ironic, satirical endings. I thought it was a bit out of left field. Hero:5 Villains:5 Femme Fatales:5 Henchmen:6 Fights:6 Stunts/Chases:5 Gadgets:4 Auto:5 Locations:6 Pace:5 overall:5+