This low-budget, back-lot Cold War thriller casts Gene Barry as American secret agent Casey Reed who masquerades as a lounge singer when he isn't conducting undercover operations for Uncle Sam. The evil Communists have kidnapped the son of an Arab monarch in the fictitious county of Thamen and the NATO agents have only two weeks to find him before the Arabs hand over their tiny state to the Soviets. NATO wants to build a missile base in Thamen, but the Soviets try to thwart this move with the abduction of Prince Abdul. "Jet Attack" director Edward L. Cahn and Oscar-nominated scenarist Orville H. Hampton keep things moving quickly in this inconsequential but atmospheric, nail-biter as Reed heads off to Macao after he misses getting vital information from an Englishman, Dennis Brooks (Brian Roper), who has information about Prince Abdul.
British Secret Service agent John Blanchard (Michael Pate of "Hondo"), contacts Reed's superior, CIA Field Chief Dan Young (King Calder), about Brooks' former girlfriend. Elena Martine (Allison Hayes of "Attack of the 50 Foot Woman") knows a thing or two about smuggling gold. Reed concocts a crazy scheme to smuggle gold into Hong Kong after his accompanist Fay Wells (Beverly Tyler) complains that Casey is running off and leaving her again. Reed assures her that she will one day be able to afford expensive baubles when he figures out his scheme for sure-fire gold smuggling. Reed leaves Fay and heads off to Macao where he manages to track down Elena. Elena and his boss Owen Howard (Noel Drayton) like Casey's idea and decide to test it by having him take $50-thousand dollars worth of genuine gold in fake jewelry to Hong Kong. The night before he takes off for Hong Kong, Casey sneaks into the warehouse where Howard's office is located and discovers a medallion with palm trees on it.
Immediately, he suspects that Howard and Elena may have something to do with the disappearance of Prince Abdul. The villains observe Casey meeting Blanchard at Customs and witness the passage of the medallion. They nab Blanchard before he can turn the information over to the local authorities. Inevitably, to test Casey and determine if he is an American CIA agent, Howard offers him the opportunity to kill Blanchard. The valiant British agent surprises everybody and makes a break before Casey can kill him. As it turns out, the clock is ticking down to the final minutes when the Arab monarch will sign an agreement with the Soviets to do as they wish in his country. Howard decides to kill the young Prince as well as Casey and frame the Americans for kidnapping the monarch's son. Predictably, Casey overpowers Elena when he offers to light her cigarette and the tiny country of Thamen is saved from enslaved by the Soviets.
This qualifies as a rainy day thriller that will like the potboiler that it is keep you distracted throughout its 68 minute running time. Barry is fine as the secret agent, but the nightclub act is dubious. The rest of the cast perform well in small roles.
British Secret Service agent John Blanchard (Michael Pate of "Hondo"), contacts Reed's superior, CIA Field Chief Dan Young (King Calder), about Brooks' former girlfriend. Elena Martine (Allison Hayes of "Attack of the 50 Foot Woman") knows a thing or two about smuggling gold. Reed concocts a crazy scheme to smuggle gold into Hong Kong after his accompanist Fay Wells (Beverly Tyler) complains that Casey is running off and leaving her again. Reed assures her that she will one day be able to afford expensive baubles when he figures out his scheme for sure-fire gold smuggling. Reed leaves Fay and heads off to Macao where he manages to track down Elena. Elena and his boss Owen Howard (Noel Drayton) like Casey's idea and decide to test it by having him take $50-thousand dollars worth of genuine gold in fake jewelry to Hong Kong. The night before he takes off for Hong Kong, Casey sneaks into the warehouse where Howard's office is located and discovers a medallion with palm trees on it.
Immediately, he suspects that Howard and Elena may have something to do with the disappearance of Prince Abdul. The villains observe Casey meeting Blanchard at Customs and witness the passage of the medallion. They nab Blanchard before he can turn the information over to the local authorities. Inevitably, to test Casey and determine if he is an American CIA agent, Howard offers him the opportunity to kill Blanchard. The valiant British agent surprises everybody and makes a break before Casey can kill him. As it turns out, the clock is ticking down to the final minutes when the Arab monarch will sign an agreement with the Soviets to do as they wish in his country. Howard decides to kill the young Prince as well as Casey and frame the Americans for kidnapping the monarch's son. Predictably, Casey overpowers Elena when he offers to light her cigarette and the tiny country of Thamen is saved from enslaved by the Soviets.
This qualifies as a rainy day thriller that will like the potboiler that it is keep you distracted throughout its 68 minute running time. Barry is fine as the secret agent, but the nightclub act is dubious. The rest of the cast perform well in small roles.