Kiss the Girls and Make Them Die (1966)

In this spoof of spy films, CIA agent, Kelly, is in Rio De Janeiro spying on a wealthy industrialist, David Ardonian, who secretly plans to turn the world sterile and repopulate it with his harem. UK spy, Susan Fleming, helps Kelly.

Directors:

Henry Levin, Arduino Maiuri

Writers:

Arduino Maiuri (idea) (as Dino Maiuri), Arduino Maiuri (screenplay) (as Dino Maiuri)

Stars:

Mike Connors, Dorothy Provine, Raf Vallone

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Mike Connors	...	Kelly (as Michael Connors)
Dorothy Provine	...	Susan Fleming
Raf Vallone	...	Mr. Ardonian
Terry-Thomas	...	Lord Aldric / James
Margaret Lee	...	Grace
Nicoletta Machiavelli	...	Sylvia
Beverly Adams	...	Karin
Marilù Tolo	...	Gioia
Seyna Seyn	...	Wilma Soong
Oliver MacGreevy	...	Ringo
Sandro Dori	...	Omar
Jack Gwillim	...	British ambassador
Andy Ho	...	Ling
Renato Terra
George Leech

Storyline

An outlandish science-fiction, comedy-thriller full of tongue-and-cheek action, ingenious gadgets in the James Bond style combining violence and tension with polished villainy and flippant espionage, as the resourceful CIA Mike "Mannix" Connors and British agents, Dorothy Provine and Terry-Thomas (both previously in "It's a Mad, Mad, Mad, Mad World") escape death-traps on land, sea and air.

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Plot Keywords:

espionage | american agent | female british spy | amazon river | yacht | 

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Taglines:

Rio...when it swings--right from the ground! Rio...where it's really happening, baby!

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Genres:

Action | Comedy

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Details

Country:

Italy

Language:

English

Release Date:

8 September 1966 (Italy)

Also Known As:

Kiss the Girls and Make Them Die

Filming Locations:

Rio de Janeiro, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil

Company Credits

Production Co:

Dino de Laurentiis Cinematografica

Technical Specs

Runtime:

106 min

Sound Mix:

Mono (Westrex Recording System)

Color:

Color (Technicolor)

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

Mike Connors has said that he performed the stunt where he hangs from a rope attached to a helicopter flying around the Christ the Redeemer Statue because a local Brazilian stuntman refused to do it.

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Quotes

Mr. Ardonian: [at Ardonian's study, Ardonan walks in and sees the Chinese agent Miss Soong waiting for him] I trust everything is in order . Who will be joining us this afternoon ?
Wilma Soong: I don't know all I know they will be someone very high up.
Mr. Ardonian: [pours glasses of whiskey and gives one to Soong] To our victory.
Wilma Soong: And your profit.
Mr. Ardonian: To your incredible beauty.
Wilma Soong: That is something I try to forget
Mr. Ardonian: WHY ?
Wilma Soong: It interferes with my work
Mr. Ardonian: Well one doesn't work all the time
Wilma Soong: I was hoping that after this work is complete we could have ...
[...]

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Connections

Referenced in A Conversation with Quentin Tarantino & Scott Spiegel (2004)

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Soundtracks

I Matti Si Divertono (Fools Have All The Fun)
(uncredited)
Music by Mario Nascimbene, Lyrics by Howard Greenfield
Sung by Lydia MacDonald accompanied by Mario Nascimbene Orchestra

User Reviews

Spies and bananas! Watch it if you get the chance...

I have a friend who is trying to lose some weight. To accomplish this, he recently went on a banana diet. Whenever he's hungry he just eats a banana. Well it looks like Kelly, the hero of this film, is on the same diet. He eats bananas throughout the movie, to comedic effect and at the most unexpected of times. The man eats a banana while dangling from the back of a moving speedboat! Then he casually tosses the peel into the water!

It's a spoof of other spy films, but it never goes too far overboard with the parody like Austin Powers, which is what I love about it. The main character is not an unbelievable buffoon, but a smart, capable, sophisticated spy—not unlike James Bond but with his own, funny personality—with a few good one-liners and who appreciates a good banana. Sure, it's very cheesy at times, but that is balanced with a generous helping of action and a decent storyline, topped off with spot-on performances and fun dialogue. There is one stunt in particular, involving a helicopter and a well-known Brazilian statue that had me on the edge of my seat.

This movie is both funny and tense. It's never boring, and every scene has something good in it. Mike Connors is great in the lead role, and he's backed up by some outstanding performances by Susan Fleming and Raf Vallone. However, I particularly enjoyed Terry-Thomas' pitch-perfect performance in the role of an unassuming chauffeur with a few tricks up his sleeve.

I saw this film at a revival house in Los Angeles many decades after its release. I was initially intrigued because of the awesomely hilarious title and the strange but funny trailer I'd seen played the previous week at the same theater. Everyone in the theater laughed and had a good time, but after it was over I overheard some of the other people in the theater say that it was so bad it was good. I didn't get that feeling. I just felt like it was good. I haven't been able to find it on home video and I get the feeling that it never received a wide home video release, if any, but if you get a chance to watch it I highly recommend it.