Essential Cinema - 39

In Like Flint

ACTORS:
James Coburn ... Derek Flint
Lee J. Cobb ... Lloyd C. Cramden
Jean Hale ... Lisa
Andrew Duggan ... President Trent
Anna Lee ... Elisabeth
Hanna Landy ... Helena
Totty Ames ... Simone
Steve Ihnat ... General Carter
Thomas Hasson ... Lieutenant Avery
Mary Michael ... Terry
Diane Bond ... Jan

DIRECTOR
Gordon Douglas

SCREENPLAY
Hal Fimberg

CINEMATOGRAPHER
William H. Daniels



SYNOPSIS
A U.S. Secret agent must stop an organization of women from taking control of a space platform armed with nuclear weapons.



CONCEPT IN RELATION TO THE VIEWER
Originally, being super cool and suave. Historically, it is hard to believe that we ever thought that this was super cool and suave.



PROS AND CONS
Back in the mid-1960s, there was a revolution in cinema that owed most of its origins to James Bond. There were numerous copies of the spy-formula, notably Matt Helm, Modesty Blaise and Derek Flint. None of them reached the same level as Bond and were soon forgotten.



'In Like Flint' was the second and last installment in the 'Flint' series. The first film was called "Our Man Flint". The persona of Derck Flint was an Americanized James Bond. He was edgier, more self confident, a master of all things scientific and saw women as simplistic one dimensional playthings. At least in the Bond films, the women had some sort of personality.



While this film may have been cutting edge for its day, in retrospect this work would not even be considered entertaining during Saturday morning cartoon time. Society has moved well past this type of entertainment and expects better writing, production values and plot lines.



There are some redeeming insights from the film regarding societies expectations and ideals back when it was made. It still suffers from a segregated cast (only Caucasian actors and extras need apply), and every women was single, childless and in a bikini for most of the film. This was obviously a male fantasy film, but even in that genre, I don't think most men really aspired to be 'In Like Flint'. He wasn't the every-man's spy, like Bond was.



It would be interesting to find and old Matt Helm film, staring Dean Martin, to watch in comparison. I know there was also one Modesty Blaise film made with Monica Vitti in the title role. I saw it once and I recall it being pretty corny, but hey, you get to look at Monica Vitti for 90 minutes, so it had some redeeming value.

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This film is a part of my LaserDisc Collection which is located on the LaserDisc Database.


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