S*P*Y*S (1974)

Director:

Irvin Kershner

Writers:

Lawrence J. Cohen (writer)
Fred Freeman (writer)

Release Date:

5 September 1974 (Netherlands)

Genre:

Action | Comedy

Tagline:

Would you buy a used secret from these men?

Plot Keywords:

On The Run | Friendship | Spoof | Punctuation In Title | Acronym In Title

Cast

Elliott Gould	...	Griff
Donald Sutherland	...	Bruland
Zouzou	...	Sybil (as Zou Zou)
Joss Ackland	...	Martinson
Xavier Gélin	...	Paul (Revolutionary)
Vladek Sheybal	...	Borisenko (Russian Spy Chief)
Michael Petrovitch	...	Sevitsky (Defector)
Shane Rimmer	...	Hessler
Kenneth Griffith	...	Lippet
Pierre Oudrey	...	Revolutionary (as Pierre Oudry)
Kenneth J. Warren	...	Grubov
Jacques Marin	...	Lafayette
Jeffrey Wickham	...	Seely
Nigel Hawthorne	...	Croft
John Bardon	...	Evans

Also Known As:

Wet Stuff (USA) (working title)

Runtime:

Brazil:100 min | USA:87 min | UK:87 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Sound Mix:

Mono (Westrex Recording System)

Certification:

Iceland:L | Netherlands:12 | Finland:K-16 | Norway:15 | Sweden:15 | USA:PG

Company:

American Film Properties

Trivia:

Melanie Ackland (Ellie) is Joss Ackland's daughter.

Quotes:

Griff, Bruland: Oh, we don't know what's comin' tomorrow... Maybe it's trouble and sorrow... But we'll travel the road... Sharin' our load... Side by side... You take it, brother... Through all kinds of weatherrrrr... Did You hear that, Lord? Whether the sky should fall... Whether the skyyyyy should fallllll... Just as long as we're together... It doesn't matter at all...

Movie Connections:

Referenced in Playboy: The Story of X (1998) (V)

Spys is a great fun time...

Look, this movie is a fun romp. Nothing more. Made to poke fun at an America stuck fast in the cold war. To judge it harshly is to not understand the decade it was created in. It's buddy film from the 70s. It's got two great stars in it and its filled with wonderful comedic moments and also some great character performances, too. It's a comedy and comedy is always subjective. Gould is at his smooth hipster best, and Southerland complements him well as the nerdier company-man partner. Watch it and enjoy to guys having fun making a movie in Paris during their heyday in 70s films.

If it were made today it would probably star Will Ferrel and Owen Wilson. And it would probably be just as fun.