The Silencers (film)
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| The Silencers | |
|---|---|
| Directed by | Phil Karlson |
| Produced by | Irving Allen |
| Written by | Donald Hamilton (novel) Herbert Baker (screenplay) |
| Starring | Dean Martin Nancy Kovack |
| Music by | Elmer Bernstein |
| Cinematography | Edward Colman Burnett Guffey |
| Distributed by | Columbia Pictures |
| Release date(s) | February 18, 1967 |
| Running time | 102 min |
| Country |  |
| Followed by | Murderers' Row |
| IMDb profile | |
The Silencers is the title of an American secret agent comedy motion picture produced in 1966 and starring Dean Martin as agent Matt Helm. It is only loosely based upon the novel of the same name by Donald Hamilton.
The film was the first of four produced between 1966 and 1969 starring Martin. Whereas Hamilton's books were generally serious spy novels about a former Second World War assassin who is recruited to continue killing for an American government agency, the film versions were light-hearted spy romps spoofing the James Bond series in the same spirit as Our Man Flint. They have been cited as the principal inspirations for the Austin Powers spy comedies of the 1990s and early 2000s.
The Silencers does borrow a plot element from the first Helm novel, Death of a Citizen, as it begins with the agent being coaxed out of retirement. Helm's mission: to stop an evil organization called "Big O" from exploding an atomic bomb over New Mexico. Co-starring with Martin are Stella Stevens, Daliah Lavi, Victor Buono, and Cyd Charisse who opens the film with a sexy performance of the theme song. James Gregory makes his first appearance as Macdonald, Helm's superior and a recurring character in the film series (although Gregory does not play him in all four films).
Released at the height of James Bond mania, The Silencers was a major box office hit in 1966. There were three follow-up films: Murderers' Row (also released in 1966), The Ambushers (1967) and The Wrecking Crew (1969). A fifth film, The Ravagers, was announced but never produced.
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