Danger Route (1967)

During the Cold War, a British secret agent is ordered to kill a Soviet-bloc defector held by the CIA in England but this straightforward mission turns into a convoluted plot involving double-agents.

Director:

Seth Holt

Writers:

Meade Roberts (screenplay), Andrew York (novel)

Stars:

Richard Johnson, Carol Lynley, Barbara Bouchet

Cast

Complete credited cast:
Richard Johnson	...	Jonas Wilde
Carol Lynley	...	Jocelyn
Barbara Bouchet	...	Mari
Sylvia Syms	...	Barbara Canning
Diana Dors	...	Rhoda Goodrich
Harry Andrews	...	Tony Canning
Sam Wanamaker	...	Lucinda
Gordon Jackson	...	Brian Stern
Maurice Denham	...	Peter Ravenspur
David Bauer	...	Bennett
Leslie Sands	...	Man in Cinema
Julian Chagrin	...	Matsys
Timothy Bateson	...	Halliwell
Robin Bailey	...	Parsons
Reg Lye	...	Balin

Storyline

Jonas Wilde, a British secret service agent licensed to kill, returns from a successful mission determined to resign. Canning, his London superior, agrees to forward his resignation if Wilde eliminates a Czechoslovakian scientist defector now being held by the Americans. With the help of a housekeeper, Rhoda Gooderich, Wilde kills the scientist but is himself captured and interrogated by CIA agent Lucinda. After Lucinda tells Wilde that someone in his organization is causing fellow British agents to be killed by mistake, Wilde escapes to look for Canning, who mysteriously has disappeared. Accompanied by Canning's wife, Barbara, Wilde heads for the leader's base in the Channel Islands and learns from Stern, a fellow agent, that still another member of their unit, Peter Ravenspur, has been murdered.

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Plot Keywords:

central intelligence agency agent | czech | homosexual subtext | male male relationship | psychotronic film | 

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Taglines:

DANGER: He can be used by women!

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Genres:

Action | Drama | Thriller

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Certificate:

M/PG

Did You Know?

Trivia

The movie was released in theaters during the height of the 1960s spy craze.

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Quotes

Brian Stern: It doesn't matter what country you work for. If you're not a member of the ruling class, you're a sheep.

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Soundtracks

Danger Route
Written by Lionel Bart
Sung by Anita Harris
[Played over opening title card and credits]

User Reviews

I sometimes forget how good Richard Johnson was as an actor

Given Danger Route's lackluster 5.7 IMDb rating, I really wasn't expecting to like it as much as I did. In the movie, Jonas Wilde (Richard Johnson) is a successful government operative who handles more sensitive cases (he's an assassin). Recently returned from a mission, he's immediately sent on another. This time, his handlers really don't care if he's successful or not. Either way, they want him dead. Coincidentally, Wilde wants out of the game altogether and has taken steps in that direction. His steps, however, do not include his own death.

Most of the spy movie I watch tend to feature comedy or some other craziness. They may not be out and out spoofs or something like that, but they do include their share of humor. These spy movies generally feature crazy gadgets, over-the-top villains, exotic locations, and scads of beautiful women. Not here. Danger Route is deadly serious stuff. And while it does feature enough beautiful women for a Bond movie, there are none of the other trappings normally found in a spy film. I wasn't sure how this would play with me, but worked almost flawlessly. I appreciated the serious tone and the real tension it created. There's still plenty of action, but it's more subdued and realistic. I also thought the film had a nice flow to it. Never was I bored. I'll give credit to the brilliant Seth Holt who directed Danger Route. It's really too bad he died so young and after directing less than a dozen films. I'd like to have seen what a longer career might have produced. Finally, the writing is strong as well. The plot is filled with twists and turns. Most of these twists, including the final one, worked as intended on me. Overall, Danger Route is fine filmmaking.

The acting in Danger Route warrants a mention. Richard Johnson never gets enough credit as a rock solid actor. Whether it's a more comedic film like Some Girls Do or he's running form zombies in Zombi, I always seem to enjoy his work. He's joined by a very capable cast that includes Carol Lynley, Gordon Jackson, Diana Dors, and Harry Andrews. My only complaint with the cast is Barbara Bouchet. It's not that she's bad or anything, just terribly underutilized.

I really have nothing negative to say about the movie. It's a solid film with nice direction, writing, and acting. And, as is always key for me, I was thoroughly entertained. Danger Route gets an 8/10 from me.

Details

Country:

UK

Language:

English French

Release Date:

13 April 1968 (Japan)

Also Known As:

Danger Route

Filming Locations:

Shepperton Studios, Studios Road, Shepperton, Surrey, England, UK

Company Credits

Production Co:

Amicus Productions

Technical Specs

Runtime:

92 min

Sound Mix:

Mono (RCA Sound Recording)

Color:

Color (DeLuxe)

Aspect Ratio:

1.66 : 1