The Most Dangerous Man in the World (1969)
"The Chairman" (original title)

An American scientist is sent to Red China to steal the formula for a newly developed agricultural enzyme. What he is not told by his bosses is that a micro-sized bomb has been planted in ... See full summary »

Director:

J. Lee Thompson

Writers:

Jay Richard Kennedy (novel), Ben Maddow (screenplay)

Stars:

Gregory Peck, Anne Heywood, Arthur Hill

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Gregory Peck	...	John Hathaway
Anne Heywood	...	Kay Hanna
Arthur Hill	...	Shelby
Alan Dobie	...	Benson
Conrad Yama	...	The Chairman
Zienia Merton	...	Ting Ling
Ori Levy	...	Shertov
Ric Young	...	Yin (as Eric Young)
Burt Kwouk	...	Chang Shou
Alan White	...	Gardner
Keye Luke	...	Professor Soong Li
Francesca Tu	...	Soong Chu (as Francisca Tu)
Mai Ling	...	Stewardess
Gordon Sterne	...	U.S. Airforce Sergeant
Robert Lee	...	Hotel Night Manager

Storyline

An American scientist is sent to Red China to steal the formula for a newly developed agricultural enzyme. What he is not told by his bosses is that a micro-sized bomb has been planted in his brain so that should the mission ever look likely to fail, he can be eliminated at the push of a button!

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Plot Keywords:

countdown | cold war | computer | implanted explosive | agriculture | 

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Taglines:

If the Red Chinese don't kill him... a computer in London will!

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Genres:

Action | Drama | Thriller

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Certificate:

M

Details

Country:

UK USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

July 1969 (UK)

Also Known As:

L'homme le plus dangereux du monde

Filming Locations:

London, England, UK

Company Credits

Production Co:

APJAC Productions, Twentieth Century Fox Film Corporation, Twentieth Century-Fox Productions

Technical Specs

Runtime:

93 min 98 min (FMC Library Print)

Sound Mix:

Mono (Westrex Recording System)

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

2.35 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

Used the lab set left over from Fox's Fantastic Voyage.

User Reviews

Political/ spies/ thriller about Mao's contemporary China with splendid Gregory Peck

An American scientific named Hathaway(Gregory Peck, after his acting in Stalking moon),winner of Nobel prize, is enlisted by British Intelligence Service and assigned to Mao's Red China to retrieve a formula about a revolutionary agricultural enzyme that eliminates starvation ,diseases and multiply mass production. His bosses(Arthur Hill, Alan Dobie)have implanted a microchip in his head for placing him in the solitary mission whose unique contact is Chang(Burt Kwouk, usual in Peter Sellers' Pink Panther). But he doesn't know that can be exploded if the mission fails. Hathaway leaves his girlfriend Kay(Anne Heywood) and aboard airplane to Hong Kong. Later he's transported to north of China, nearly Russia, where finds to professor Soon Li(Keye Luke, the master in Kung-Fu series).There Hathaway interviews President Mao (Conrad Yama).

This is a politic/fiction/thriller, plenty of intrigue, suspense and action-packed in its final part. The film is an espionage story originally written by Ben Maddow with historical communists remarks during Mao Tse Tung period, as the'Great leap' and 'Red book of Mao'. Packs colorful and evocative cinematography shot in Pinewood studios of London by John Wilcox and uncredited Ted Moore. Moving and suspenseful musical score by the master Jerry Goldsmith.The film is lavishly produced by Mort Abrahams and Arthur P Jacobs who previously produced 'Planet of apes'.The motion picture is middling directed by J.L. Thomson(1914-2002), during his splendor and successful time in the 60s, when he directed 'Mackenna's gold, Cape fear, Taras Bulba and Guns of Navarone'; though in his last period he only directed Charles Bronson vehicles, such as 'Death wish 4, Kinjite, St Ives,Messenger of Death'among others. The movie will like to Gregory Peck devotees.