Murderers' Row

Plot synopsis:
The film begins with a shot of the United States Capitol being destroyed. It is actually a scale model being used in the demonstration of a heliobeam weapon in the headquarters of the Bureau of International Government and Order ("BIG O"). BIG O is a secret organization with the goal of world domination that previously appeared in The Silencers.
With the aid of a mole, BIG O conducts a worldwide assassination campaign against various secret agents working for ICE (Intelligence Counter Espionage). Matt Helm (Dean Martin) fakes his own death in preparation for investigating the scheme undetected.
Helm meets his boss, Mac (James Gregory), for a mission briefing. Helm is to track down the missing Dr. Solaris (Richard Eastham), who has developed the powerful heliobeam weapon, a device that uses the concentrated power of sunlight for mass destruction. Helm is told if he can not rescue Solaris he is to kill him, and if captured to kill himself, lest BIG O brainwash him.
Posing as a Chicago gangster named Jim Peters, an alias of "Lash" Petroni, Helm travels to the French Riviera to follow his only lead, Solaris's daughter, Suzie (Ann-Margret). Concerned about her father's disappearance, Suzie helps Matt infiltrate the island lair of the diabolical Julian Wall (Karl Malden), blow it up, and thereby save Washington, D.C. from being destroyed.

Tags: good versus evil, cult, violence

Review:
This is film pretty much fits the formula of the other "Matt Helm" films; lavish locations, fun weapons, beautiful girls and booze.
When this movie was shot in 1966 , the second unit took the different scenes located in France between Cannes, Villefranche sur mer and Monte Carlo.
This scene is shown to Matt in the car when his mission is explained to him at the beginning of the movie.I was 25 at the time, had a very common car which could take only 4 passengers plus the driver.
We were short of extras so it was decided that all those of the unit available would act as people of the crowd waiting for passengers of the Panam flight (minute 19:22).If you look carefully at 19'47"you see Matt Helm arriving from the plane before taking his car; in the foreground before the shot changes to the close up of Matt opening the door of the car, when he crosses the double white line on the tarmac, the second guy from the right besides an auburn haired women, is me!
From afar the guy standing in for Dean Martin could be easily mistaken for him!The scenes shot in the night club were made at the Club de Valbonne in a village which is above Juan Les Pins, not far from Vallauris which is famous for its pottery but also for being the place where Napoleon arrived in France when he returned from the Elbe Island on March 1st 1815.
Dean Martin's son was one of the band musicians in the scenes shot there.At the same time two other important movies were shot in the region, Richard Fleischer's Fantastic voyage for which some special effects were done in the Studio de la Victorine of Nice (those studios still exist), and John Frankenheimer's Grand Prix starring the French actor and singer Yves Montand.I hope these souvenirs may interest some of the viewers here.
Matt spews of his usual lighthearted, spoof lines, surrounded by his coterie of lovely women, but this one is less interesting than others in the series, altho Karl Malden does OK as villain Julian Wall.
He is trying to dominate Dr. Solaris, the secret weapon (laser) scientist, who is the father of Suzie, played by leading lady Anne Margret.
MURDERER'S ROW is the second Matt Helm movie and just as sloppy and ill-conceived as THE SILENCERS.
The film, directed by Henry Levin, could just as easily have been named "LONG SHOTS and STUNT MEN" when you consider how few close-ups Martin has during the action sequences..
This second entry of the Matt Helms (Dean Martin) spy-spoof series is no better or worse than the Silencers or The Ambushers, but is a notch above the final entry, The Wrecking Crew.
After "The Silencers," there was no where to go but with more fun in the sun with Matt Helm - poking fun, that is, at the James Bond spy genre.
Dino Martin is as lackadaisical as ever as Helm, the part-time super agent, barely awake in some scenes and ready with the cute quips in, well, every line of dialog.
The villains are again the evil organization Big-O(oh), who target all the major secret agents as the film starts, including Helm.
Helm searches for a scientist who is providing Big-O (led by Karl Malden) with the final formulas for a super heat ray.The action slows down at the mid-point, especially with the seemingly endless scenes of young folks shaking their bodies to sixties tunes.
Ann-Margret plays the daughter of the missing scientist and she's always great, no matter what she's doing, but she even gets quite involved in some strenuous action towards the end.
Leonard Maltin lists "Murderer's Row" as a BOMB, but personally I liked it more than the first Matt Helm outing, "The Silencers".
Don't get me wrong, it's not a great movie, the pacing could have been snappier, the special effects could have been better, etc., but it surpasses the original in most categories: for one thing, it is funnier - it actually made me laugh out loud once or twice; for another thing, the French Riviera provides far more attractive locations than Phoenix, Arizona; for yet another, this film, unlike the first, actually has a proper, Oddjob-like henchman; and perhaps most importantly of all, Karl Malden is an immeasurably better villain than Victor Buono.
Ann-Margret gives an energetic performance and proves to be a most helpful assistant to Matt Helm (though their 20+ years of age difference does make them kind of awkward as a romantic couple).
Murderers Row seems to be about 50% second unit shooting (with doubles) but is still more enjoyable then any recent Bond film.
It could have been improved if the score had been better, too many scenes, especially the car chase, are under scored and the movie does sag a bit in the middle, but overall it is undemanding entertainment if you are in the right mood..
"Murderer's Row" (19669), like all four of Deano's Matt Helmers, is so bad it's good.It always appeared as though Dino never read the scripts beforehand, never cared about the plots...just plain never cared.
And his right-hand man, Tom Reese (Sgt. Velie on one of the great TV series ever, "Ellery Queen") has a cool chrome steel plate atop his head - nifty gimmick.Deano's four Matt Helm flicks, made in between taping his TV show and partying between 1966-69 were all the Andre Champagne of spy flicks compared with Bond as the Dom Perignon.Why is it that I will ALWAYS watch them whenever they're on TV?
Murderers' Row, the second of the Matt Helm films that starred Dean Martin has the distinction of being the one that actually gave old Dino a hit record.
I'm Not The Marrying Kind was the only written for a Matt Helm feature that he's heard singing over the action, especially during the final scene.Fans of the books that James Bond and Matt Helm were taken from have always said that Hollywood ruined the character.
It's probably more true for Matt Helm because Dino doesn't play it for anything other than laughs.
James Bond would never talk about sexual escapades, but with Dino as Matt Helm, you know this is all locker room fodder.Dr. Richard Eastham has invented a solar ray which evil master criminal Karl Malden wants to subvert for his own use.
Both Martin and Eastham's daughter Ann-Margret are searching for Eastham, reputed to be with Malden on his private island off the Riviera where with mistress Carmilla Sparv, Malden's planning all kinds of dastardly deeds.Dino who also produced the Helm series, gave a guest shot to Dino, Desi, and Billy who were a bubblegum band sensation around that time.Malden looks like he's having a good old blast overacting outrageously as the master criminal.
Dino as he is in all the Matt Helm is just Dean Martin as a secret agent.
The Matt Helm series worth to see for all girls who enchating an adorning the scenes, Dean Martin always plays an unfashionable old guy that believes that all girls falling in love for him desperately on first look, drunk bad washed face fills to fine model of an outdated actor, Karl Malden made an average villain without bright, this picture is a carbon copy of 007's movies even the bad guy is a fac simile them, nevertheless all gourgeous girls overcame all this low profile series, as bad it's became funny and has some good moments, another quality is not allowed the leading character sing along the picture, if had will be a total joke!!!Resume:First watch: 1993 / How many: 2 / Source: TV-DVD / Rating: 6.
The group makes a brief appearance in a discotheque scene in which the elder Martin (then 49) dances (sort of) with Ann-Margret, and their song, the title of which escapes me, doesn't sound half bad.
As for ol' Dino, many of his screen performances have been dismissed by critics as sleepwalking, but most sleepwalkers probably couldn't light a cigarette or hold a glass of bourbon (which Helm doesn't drink but that's a plot device not worth exploring here) with the steadiness Martin displays throughout the Henry Levin directed film.
It rang all right, loud enough for Matt Helm to ride again in two more movies, but not even Dino could sing such a weary tune that long..
This is only the second entry in the Matt Helm spy-series and already star Dean Martin looks tired, beleaguered and in need of a good belt of gin.
Having managed to acquire this one soon after THE SILENCERS (1966) and THE WRECKING CREW (1969), I can say that, while a definite comedown from those two Matt Helm adventures directed by Phil Karlson, it’s fairly enjoyable in itself and far from the “uncontrolled disaster area” the late eminent critic Leslie Halliwell took the sequels to be (though I haven’t been able to get my hands yet on THE AMBUSHERS [1967], considered the worst in the series).Things start off nicely enough with the elimination of all the top I.C.E. agents: Helm’s photo has him taken from the back – thus making his undercover activity later within the enemy ranks seem more plausible – but, amusingly, amply displaying his fondness for booze and broads.
The villain this time around is played by Karl Malden, while Helm’s women include Ann-Margret (as the daughter of an inventor of a deadly ray being held captive by Malden) and the latter’s assistant Camilla Sparv; the girls both look good but aren’t given a lot to do – besides, Ann-Margret relies too much on the energetic dancing style she had displayed in the Elvis Presley vehicle VIVA LAS VEGAS (1964)…though this does result in a funny scene inside a nightclub where Martin has a hard time trying to ape (and keep up with) her irrepressible moves!
The film also features an imposing henchman fitted with an iron plate over his bald head – appropriately dubbed “Metalhead” – who may or may not have inspired the “Jaws” character from a couple of much-later James Bond adventures; the hovercraft chase (starting at sea, continuing on dry land, and ending in a crowded street) also anticipates the one from the 007 flick MOONRAKER (1979).
Martin, of course, gets to sing as well – and there’s another jibe at Frank Sinatra; however, a rather blatant goof went unnoticed by the film-makers: Martin and Ann-Margret flee a scene in the latter’s car (with the top uncovered) but, somewhere down the line, the vehicle turns into that usually driven by Martin (complete with specially-fitted equipment to thwart the pursuers)!
Ann-Margaret and Dean Martin encounter Bad Guys and Gal in haphazard fashion.
A plot, oh yes, there is a plot;  But no vehicle upon which to expand that plot into an actual movie.Columbia Pictures has done the public a favor by packaging the two best Matt Helm films (The Silencers and The Wrecking Crew) in one package and the worst (Murderer's Row) with the somewhat mediocre The Ambushers..
This movie is a step up in most ways, having better direction, a more coherent plot (Which is to say it has a plot, something the former film mostly lacked), and more interesting locations and subject matter.
Certainly it's a far more 'watchable' film than the first one in the series, but as with all the Matt Helm flicks, it kind of falls apart in the middle.Ann Margaret is drop-dead gorgeous in this movie, and very energetic, however the scenes of her dancing in a disco just go on way the hell too long, and the producers seem undecided as to whether they want her to be the love interest for Dean/Helm or if they want her to be a poor, innocent lamb that he rescues.
Oddly, Helm has fairly few romantic interludes with women in this film, and aside from Ann, none of them really make much of an impression.
Number 11 at the Box Office in 1966 and Number 2 in Dean Martin's Matt Helm Spy Spoof Series of 4.One's Enjoyment of These Things is Determined by How Much You Like Dino's Boozing and Womanizing.
The Movies were Fluff and Barely Qualify as Nothing More than Eye Candy at Best and Disjointed, Jumbled Junk at Worst.They Were Popular Paycheck Producers for Talents Like Ann Margaret and Karl Malden and a Few Talented Filmmakers but the Movies Really Didn't Have Much to Offer Accept as Time Wasters and Ogleathons.
Here Ann Margaret's Dances in the Discotech Go On Ad Nauseam and Seem Overly Energetic Even for Ann, Malden's Villain is a Bore that Likes to Talk Into Microphones A Lot, and the Supporting Cast Mostly Stand Around Waiting for Something to Happen.The Action is Stunt Double Heavy and Back Screened Without Much Effort.
You have to suspend belief to watch Dean Martin play the world's best secret agent.
It's pretty much the same experience you might get if you watched Gary Busey play the Pope.Karl Malden adds nothing to the movie, either.
Yes. Ann Margaret, a woman we see far too seldom in the movies, plays the daughter of a scientist and, like the daughter of a scientist, she dances a lot; in fact, the five minutes during which the woman dances are the most enjoyable in the entire movie.I don't hold anything against Dean Martin...loved his television show; however, his scattered concentration doesn't play well in a ninety minute movie.Watch this movie only if it will get your name entered in a car raffle....
This is the second of four Matt Helm movies starring Dean Martin as the super-spy.
The books were tough and gritty, whereas these films essentially have Martin playing himself and making various smarmy and sexist jokes along the way...most of which aren't particularly funny.This episode is reminscent of Bond's "You Only Live Twice" as Agent Helm is seemingly murdered but this is only a ruse to allow him to investigate without undue attention.
As usual, the film is filled with smarmy jokes, gorgeous semi-dressed women and Dean Martin essentially playing the off-screen persona cultivated during the Ratpack years.
Matt Helm (Dean Martin) escapes an attempt by a beautiful assassin.
His only lead is a material called X-4 and Solaris' daughter Suzie (Ann-Margret).It's the second in the Matt Helm franchise.
Bungler's Row. It takes special talent to take the acting talent of Karl Malden, the charm of Dean Martin and the sex appeal of Ann-Margret and turn it into this boring, bungled mess.
James Bond fans have complained down the years about the films either straying too far from the source material or being too comedic but it seems to me that Matt Helm fans have had greater cause for complaint.
'The Silencers', starring Dean Martin as agent 'Matt Helm', was one of 1966's biggest hits.
BIG O villain Julian Wall ( Karl Malden ) intends using the beam to destroy Washington D.C.As a comedy, 'Murderers' Row' just about makes the grade, but as an action movie it is poor.
Karl Malden acts like he's in a different film, Camilla Sparv is woefully under-used, while Ann-Margret is too young to be Matt's love interest ( her disco scenes go on forever ).
Actually it's not that bad, just blandly mediocre, and not the worst of the series (that title going to The Ambushers hands down).Karl Malden does give a delightfully over the top performance, Dean is his usually breezy self and Carmilla Sparv makes for a sexy femme fatale.
Her character just comes off as silly, like she's still in an Elvis movie.The setting on the French Rivera creates a cool atmosphere and the plot about a kidnapped scientist had the potential to be interesting if not for that nonsensical helio beam angle.
Dean Martin's back for a second spin as Matt Helm in Murderers' Row. In this one, Helm sets out to track down a missing scientist being held captive by the evil (and hysterical) Julian Wall (Karl Malden) – a man bent on world domination.
His plan is to use the scientist's ray (I can't remember what kind of ray, but does it really matter?) to destroy Washington D.C. Helping Helm is the scientist's swinging daughter, Suzie (Ann-Margaret).Almost everything I wrote in my comment for The Silencers applies to Murderers' Row. The bit about the plot not mattering – even more so in this case.
Dino surrounded by beautiful women - Ann-Margaret is a knock-out in Murderers' Row. The booze, the jokes, the gadgets, etc.
The best bits include: watching Dino try to keep up with the over-the-top dancing of Ann-Margaret, Karl Malden (his performance as the villain is the one thing about Murderers' Row that is actually better than The Silencers), Ann-Margaret's groovy wardrobe, and Helm's freeze and delayed firing guns.
My advice – if you plan to sit down and check out Murderers' Row (or any of the Matt Helm films for that matter), remember to take things about as seriously as the people who made the movie did (and that's not at all) and you just might enjoy it..
The second of four Matt Helm spy spoofs starring Martin, this one has precious little to offer (though a third one was in the making already when this was released!)aside from some pretty scenery and some attractive women.
Martin stars as the boozing, womanizing secret agent who poses as a photographer by day and tries to prevent world domination by night (in between snuggles with various voluptuous females.) Malden is the villain this time out.
Martin looks tired, bored and lazy through much of the film, though he's Shakespearean compared to his appearances in the Matt Helm promotional trailers.
A new villain by the name of "Julian Wall" (Karl Malden) is planning to destroy Washington D.C. on behalf of the secret criminal organization known as the "Big O".
At the same time, Julian gives orders to kill the world's top agents and Matt Helm (Dean Martin) is on that list.