Secret mission K
| Movie | |
|---|---|
| German title | Secret mission K |
| Original title | Assignment K |
| Country of production | Great Britain |
| original language | English |
| Publishing year | 1967 |
| length | 97 minutes |
| Age rating | FSK 12 |
| Rod | |
| Director | Val Guest |
| script |
Maurice Foster Val Guest Bill Strutton based on the novel Department K Hartley Howard |
| production | Maurice Foster Ben Arbeid |
| music | Basil Kirchin |
| camera | Ken Hodges |
| cut | Jack Slade |
| occupation | |
| |
Secret Mission K is an agent film directed by Val Guest in 1967 with Stephen Boyd and Camilla Sparv in the leading roles and numerous well-known German and Austrian actors in episode roles.
action
Secret agent Philipp Scott is sent to Germany on a delicate mission by Mr. Harris, the head of Department K, a British sub-agency of the Board of Trade . His camouflage is that of a toy manufacturer. In this disguise, Philipp travels to the toy fair in Munich, where he is received by a Mr. Kramer. From here on Philipp Scott is completely on his own. Scott's job is to bring secret information copied on microfilm, smuggled out of Eastern Europe, hidden in toy dolls, safely to Harris in London. Little does Scott suspect that he is in the sights of the enemy, the Stasi and their accomplices, and that the enemy has long since taken countermeasures. The opposing agents kidnap Scott's new friend Toni Peters, a Swedish millionaire heiress whom he met in Bavaria, where she was on a skiing holiday. A certain "Mr. Smith, “the leader of the enemy agents, makes it clear to Scott that he is ready to release Toni. But Scott had to name the name of his contact in Germany. Scott, very concerned about Toni, agrees, but plans, together with his friend Paul Spiegler, “Mr. Smith ”.
Toni is released after the successful trick, and she and Scott return to his hometown. When Smith realizes that Scott has glued him, Toni again falls into the hands of the enemy in London. Now Philipp plans to storm the headquarters of his enemies on his own in order to free Toni himself. He can disarm his opponents, but has to find out that Toni himself is playing a double game and was actually set on him from the start. Scott deposits an explosive charge at headquarters, but when it explodes, Toni rescues him, who accepts the death of her own people. As if it couldn't get worse, Scott also finds out that even his employer, Mr. Harris, is a double agent and also works for the other side. Confronted by Scott with his knowledge, the exposed Harris committed suicide. From now on Scott is fed up, he doesn't think he can trust anyone anymore and throws the chunks down. He never wants to work as a secret agent again. He continues into the unknown ... and leaves Toni alone.
Production notes
Secret Mission K , a classic product of the rampant Eurospy film wave in the 1960s, which emerged in abundance as a result of the success of the James Bond films, was shot in Germany (Munich), Austria (Kitzbühel) and Great Britain (London). The world premiere took place in England in December 1967. On January 24, 1968, the film was shown for the first time in Paris, the German premiere was on February 16, 1968. Two days later, the mass launch of this agent film in Great Britain.
The buildings are by John Blezard , the costumes were designed by Yvonne Blake .
The use of Geoffrey Bayldon , who embodies a kind of second "Q" played by Bond's Desmond Llewelyn , shows how close the makers of the film were to the Bond films in some details . On the other hand, Boyds Philipp Scott is less based on the smart and unscrupulous Bond, but is more oriented towards the disaffected agent Harry Palmer, who Michael Caine embodied in three films from 1964 to 1967.
Reviews
The film was consistently poorly discussed and poorly rated and was viewed as a loveless and confused product of the spy film wave popular at the time.
In the New York Times , Vincent Canby called the film in the July 20, 1968 issue "a serious and utterly confusing little espionage melodrama" on the occasion of the US premiere
"And another spy drama - this time with a bleak story of Stephen Boyd's disenchantment when he finds out that his girl and pretty much everyone he knows is a double agent."
"Desolate spy thriller that can be forgotten immediately."
"Conventional agent film that tries to hide the confused plot through many external features."
Individual evidence
Web links
- Geheimauftrag K in the Internet Movie Database (English)