The Nude Bomb (1980)

Maxwell Smart is recalled to duty to help fight a villian who threatens to detonate a weapon that destroys clothing.

Director:

Clive Donner

Writers:

Mel Brooks (characters), Buck Henry (characters)

Stars:

Don Adams, Andrea Howard, Sylvia Kristel

1 nomination.

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Don Adams	...	Maxwell Smart
Sylvia Kristel	...	Agent 34
Rhonda Fleming	...	Edith Von Secondberg
Dana Elcar	...	Chief
Pamela Hensley	...	Agent 36
Andrea Howard	...	Agent 22
Norman Lloyd	...	Carruthers
Bill Dana	...	Jonathan Levinson Seigle
Gary Imhoff	...	Jerry Krovney
Sarah Rush	...	Pam Krovney
Vittorio Gassman	...	Sauvage / Nino Salvatori Sebastiani
Walter Brooke	...	American Ambassador
Thomas Hill	...	President
Ceil Cabot	...	Landlady
Joey Forman	...	Agent 13

Storyline

An unknown terrorist has developed a new type of bomb that will destroy clothing, but leave people unharmed. Agent Maxwell Smart (this time without 99 or Hymie) is taken out of retirement and sent back into the field to track down who this madman is and put a stop to his plans.

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Plot Keywords:

campy | upskirt | redheaded woman | actor reprises previous role | cloning | 

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Taglines:

Don Adams is Agent 86 In His First Motion Picture [USA Theatrical]

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Genres:

Comedy | Crime | Mystery | Sci-Fi

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Certificate:

PG

Details

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

9 May 1980 (USA)

Also Known As:

The Return of Maxwell Smart

Filming Locations:

Griffith Park - 4730 Crystal Springs Drive, Los Angeles, California, USA

Box Office

Budget:

$15,000,000 (estimated)

Opening Weekend USA:

$3,565,066, 11 May 1980, Wide Release

Gross USA:

$14,662,035

Company Credits

Production Co:

Universal Pictures,Time Life Films

Technical Specs

Runtime:

94 min

Sound Mix:

Mono

Color:

Color (Technicolor)

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

Two of the villains in this spy spoof feature character traits suggestive of the James Bond series. Master villain Norman Saint Sauvage wears ten gold-thimbles on the gloves of his hands evoking Goldfinger (1964) whilst another villain wears both an eye patch (viz Emilio Largo in Thunderball (1965)) and has a metallic hand (see Tee Hee in Live and Let Die (1973) and Dr. No from Dr. No (1962)).

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Goofs

During the fight, Max has a gas mask over his face. When he takes off Norman's mask, his own disappears from his face between shots.

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Quotes

Maxwell Smart: 22 was married to the late, great 78? Wasn't he a little old for her?
Agent 13: [hiding in Popular Spy magazine] Well, let's see. 22 was 21 when she married 78 in '72. 78 was 46, that means 78 was 22, 32, 42, 25 years older than 22. 22 joined P.I.T.S when 78 died in 75.
Maxwell Smart: Tell me, 13, how was 78 killed?
Agent 13: Investigating the numbers racket.

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Crazy Credits

The opening credits are based on Don Adams/Maxwell Smart's catch phrase "Would you believe...?" The words literally form the backdrop of the action; at one point "Would you believe a movie called 'The Nude Bomb' could receive a PG rating?" appears; and after Max inadvertently blows up the bad guy, the words "Would you believe a helluva explosion?" appear on screen.

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Alternate Versions

In an overzealous attempt to soothe offended censors, several seemingly innocuous lines were dubbed when first broadcast on television including:

• In the original version of a scene where Max and 22 interrogate a hospital patient who has trouble speaking, the patient whispers in Max's ear and 22 asks what he said - "He asked me to take my hand off his groin," Max replies. When the patient whispers in his ear again and 22 asks what he said, Max replies "He wants you to put YOUR hand on his groin." In the television version "gown" is replaced for groin in both lines.
• In the original version of a scene where Max drags 22 by her legs out of a collapsing room (because she's seemingly paralyzed), she says "Max, I think I'm getting some feeling down there!" Max replies, "There's no time for that now, 22." In the television version, Max simply replies "That a girl."
• Most oddly, in the original scene where Max accidentally discharges his gun when slipping it down the front of his pants, he looks down his pants and utters his trademark "Missed it by THAT much." In the edited version, he now says "Missed the bone by that much," which certainly sounds a whole lot dirtier!

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Connections

Featured in Phelous & the Movies: Phamityville 4: The Lamp Escapes (2012)

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Soundtracks

You're Always There
Sung by Merry Clayton
Lyrics by Don Black
Music by Lalo Schifrin

User Reviews

Missed It By THAT Much...

"THE NUDE BOMB" looks and feels like a cheap attempt to resurrect a 60's TV show for 80's Movie audiences - a la "Star Trek". And it is. But there's nothing terribly wrong with the film, if only that it jettisons practically every character the "Get Smart!" show created and introduces an all-new spy agency for Maxwell Smart (Don Adams) to work for. The film might make die-hard fans a little disappointed, but casual viewers probably won't care.

The plot makes very little sense - a evil fashion designer blackmails the clothes-wearing world with potential, full-blown nudity via The Nude Bomb - and it seems to zig-zag in an half-hearted attempt to string together as many mildly-silly gags, low-budget set pieces and James Bond-ian spoofs into it's brief running time. For a very tenuous plot point, Agent 86 ends up cavorting through many of the attractions of the Universal backlot in a lengthy chase scene that plays out as a mid-film "When In Southern California, Visit Universal Studios" advertisement. It serves less to the story than as a very visual and perhaps only reason why this film was greenlit by executives in the first place.

But it does have it's charms. Pantyhosed Vittorio Gassman is a good villain, and of course Don Adams is a treat. Adams' energy and delivery does about as much as British director Clive ("What's New, Pussycat?") Donner to keep this thing moving. Agent 86's gadgets are inspired, and Don's bell-bottom slacks collection are also quite funny, although probably in only retrospect.

"THE NUDE BOMB" has a breezy pace, is relatively sunny and undemanding. The film and has some funny moments, including a nifty opening credit sequence and some zingy one-liners - and for that Maxwell Smart gets a pass - but of what could have been? Missed it by THAT much.