Hammerhead (film)
Hammerhead | |
---|---|
Directed by | David Miller |
Written by | John Briley (adaptation) Herbert Baker William Bast (screenplay) |
Based on | Hammerhead by James Mayo |
Produced by | Irving Allen |
Starring | Vince Edwards Judy Geeson Peter Vaughan |
Cinematography | Wilkie Cooper Kenneth Talbot |
Edited by | Geoffrey Foot |
Music by | David Whitaker |
Production company | Irving Allen Productions |
Distributed by | Columbia Pictures |
Release date |
|
Running time | 99 minutes |
Country | United Kingdom |
Language | English |
Hammerhead is a 1968 British
Synopsis
British intelligence asks a soldier of fortune, Charles Hood, to go to Portugal and help stop an international criminal mastermind called Hammerhead, who plans to steal a secret report on nuclear defence.
Hood manages to board the yacht owned by Hammerhead, a collector of valuable erotic art. He is distracted along the way by model Sue Trenton and a pair of Hammerhead's mistresses, Ivory and Kit.
Hammerhead intends to kidnap Britain's NATO delegate, Sir Richard Calvert, and replace him with a lookalike, Andreas, a master of disguise. He finds out Hood's identity and traps Sue and him inside a coffin, but they manage to escape. Kit and Andreas both are killed, while Ivory does away with Hammerhead personally, using a harpoon.
Cast
- Vince Edwards as Charles Hood
- Judy Geeson as Sue Trenton
- Peter Vaughan as Hammerhead
- Diana Dors as Kit
- Michael Bates as Andreas / Sir Richard
- Beverly Adams as Ivory
- Patrick Cargill as Condor
- Patrick Holt as Huntzinger
- William Mervyn as Walter Perrin
- Douglas Wilmer as Pietro Vendriani
- Tracy Reed as Miss Hull
- Kenneth Cope as Motorcyclist
- Kathleen Byron as Lady Calvert
- Jack Woolgar as Tookey Tate
- Joseph Furstas Count Ortega
- Andreas Malandrinos as Post Office Guard
- David Prowse as George
- Earl Younger as Brian
- Romo Gorrara as Marcel
- Maggie Wright as Roselle
- Veronica Carlson as Ulla
- Penny Brahms as Frieda
- Sarah Hardenburg as Kiki
- Otto Diamant as Joa
- Windsor Davies as Police Sergeant
- Arthur Gomez as Cafe Proprietor
Production
The film was based on a novel by James Mayo published in 1964.[2]
Film rights were bought by Irving Allen, the producer. Allen had, at one time, been in partnership with
In May 1967, Allen said the project was on a slate of seven movies he had with Columbia, others being: Cromwell; The Black Frontier; The Wrecking Crew; Savage Canary; The Pocket Venus and The Ambushers.[4] In June of the same year, Allen announced he had signed David Miller to a three-picture deal, starting with Hammerhead, which he would make in London, the following September, from a script by Jack Brierley and Herbert Baker; Allen wanted it to be the first in a series.[5] After that month, Allen announced he had also signed Vince Edwards to a three-picture contract starting with Hammerhead.[6] Edwards described his part as "like Humphrey Bogart in The Maltese Falcon".[7]
The original plan was to film in France but this was changed to Portugal.[8] That August, Allen announced Judy Geeson would co-star.[9]
The production of the film was delayed because Columbia contract star Vince Edwards suffered a bone-fracture during the filming in Portugal in 1967.[10]
Diana Dors had previously appeared in another spy movie, Danger Route.[11]
Reception
The Los Angeles Times called it "overfamiliar and mechanical, a jaded Bond".[12]
The film was a box office disappointment and there was no sequel. Quentin Tarantino said he was a "big fan" of the movie, but disliked Vince Edwards' performance, even though he generally enjoyed Edwards as an actor. He felt Robert Culp would have been better casting.[13]
References
- ^ BFI.org
- ^ Books Today New York Times 18 Nov 1964: 44.
- ^ Allen at Helm of Production Thomas, Kevin. Los Angeles Times 6 July 1967: e14.
- ^ Fran Jeffries Gets 'Revenge' Martin, Betty. Los Angeles Times 25 May 1967: e11.
- ^ Psychotic Role for Tuesday Martin, Betty. Los Angeles Times 16 June 1967: c13.
- ^ Multi-Film Agreement Signed Martin, Betty. Los Angeles Times 22 June 1967: d9.
- ^ 'Ben Casey' Edwards Is on the Verge of Marriage Dorothy Manners:. The Washington Post and Times-Herald 20 June 1967: B5.
- ^ Billy Bishop Story on Film Martin, Betty. Los Angeles Times 15 July 1967: 17.
- ^ Producers Go 'Underground' Martin, Betty. Los Angeles Times 5 Aug 1967: 18.
- ^ The Film Daily: Volume 131 1967
- ^ Vagg, Stephen (7 September 2020). "A Tale of Two Blondes: Diana Dors and Belinda Lee". Filmink.
- ^ 'Hammerhead' on Citywide Screens Champlin, Charles. Los Angeles Times 16 Aug 1968: f16.
- ^ "Quentin Tarantino introduces and discusses "Hammerhead"". MovieMadMatt. 17 August 2019. Archived from the original on 21 December 2021.
External links
- Hammerhead at IMDb
- Hammerhead at TCMDB
- Hammerhead at Letterbox DVD
- Hammerhead at BFI