Fathom (1967)

In Spain, an American skydiver is recruited by Western intelligence agents to recover a lost H-bomb detonator from hostile foreign agents.

Director:

Leslie H. Martinson

Writers:

Lorenzo Semple Jr. (screenplay), Larry Forrester (novel)

Stars:

Anthony Franciosa, Raquel Welch, Ronald Fraser

Cast

Complete credited cast:
Anthony Franciosa	...	Peter Merriwether (as Tony Franciosa)
Raquel Welch	...	Fathom Harvill
Ronald Fraser	...	Colonel Campbell
Richard Briers	...	Timothy
Greta Chi	...	Jo-May
Tom Adams	...	Mike
Elizabeth Ercy	...	Ulla
Ann Lancaster	...	Mrs. Trivers
Tutte Lemkow	...	Mehmed
Reg Lye	...	Mr. Trivers
Clive Revill	...	Serapkin

Storyline

In Southern Spain with a U.S. team, skydiver Fathom Harvill is approached by a Scottish colonel working for a top-secret Western agency. He's after a vital lost atomic device, and wants her to parachute into a house occupied by some Red Chinese agents to help get the thing back. Apart from all this there is a predatory continental doctor on his yacht to take account of. Fathom soon realizes nothing is what it seems to be, but can she fathom the truth out?

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Plot Keywords:

espionage | character name as title | forename as title | yacht | parachute | 

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Taglines:

Get Set For A Free-Fall With ... "Fathom"

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Genres:

Adventure | Comedy

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Certificate:

Approved

Details

Country:

UK

Language:

English

Release Date:

9 August 1967 (USA)

Also Known As:

La espía que cayó del cielo

Filming Locations:

Mijas, Málaga, Andalucía, Spain

Box Office

Budget:

$2,225,000 (estimated)

Company Credits

Production Co:

Twentieth Century Fox

Technical Specs

Runtime:

99 min

Sound Mix:

Mono (Westrex Recording System)

Color:

Color (DeLuxe)

Aspect Ratio:

2.35 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

H.A.D.E.S stood for Headquarters Allied Defences, Espionage & Security.

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Goofs

Whilst being chased by a bull, Fathom falls down at least twice. The first time her underwear is black. The second time her underwear is white.

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Quotes

Peter Merriwether: [joking with Fathom] I believe you're kidding on the square.

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Alternate Versions

When originally released theatrically in the UK, the BBFC made cuts to secure a 'U' rating. All cuts were waived in 2006 when the film was granted a 'U' certificate for home video.

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Connections

Featured in WatchMojo: Top 10 Greatest Skydiving Scenes in Movies (2015)

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Soundtracks

Fathom's Theme
Written and Conducted by John Dankworth
Performed by The Johnny Dankworth Orchestra

User Reviews

Jump-Starting The Puberties Of 40 Million Baby Boomers

Back in 1967, Raquel Welch's appearance (rather than performance) in "Fathom" helped jump-start the puberties of around 40 million baby-boomer boys. I never got the chance to see this picture back in '67, unfortunately, and had to have MY puberty jump-started the old-fashioned way: by watching James Bond in the movies and Honey West and Emma Peel on TV (not to mention Laurie R. in junior high!). But 40 years after the fact, I finally caught up with "Fathom" last night. And you know what? The picture really isn't half bad. It's got a good, twisty, intelligent script, tongue in cheek though it may be; beautiful Spanish location shooting; and some colorful characters. The picture also moves quickly and features some good action sequences (such as Racky dodging a maddened bull in a bullring and swimming away from a harpooner in a speedboat). Half the fun in the movie comes from trying to figure out who is lying and what the characters' various motivations are (nobody seems to be telling the truth about anything in this film, and poor Fathom is understandably confused throughout). I quite enjoyed the film, and must say that Raquel's acting is much better than she is given credit for, and that she does indeed look sensational in every scene. Now I can finally understand all those raised hormonal levels 40 years ago!