| The Venetian Affair | |
|---|---|
 Theatrical release poster by Frank McCarthy | |
| Directed by | Jerry Thorpe |
| Written by | E. Jack Neuman |
| Produced by | E. Jack Neuman Jerry Thorpe |
| Starring | Robert Vaughn Elke Sommer Felicia Farr Karl Boehm Boris Karloff Roger C. Carmel Luciana Paluzzi |
| Cinematography | Milton R. Krasner |
| Edited by | Henry Berman |
| Music by | Lalo Schifrin |
| Distributed by | Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer |
| Release date |
|
| Running time | 89 minutes |
| Country | United States |
| Language | English |
The Venetian Affair is a 1967 spy film directed by Jerry Thorpe and starring Robert Vaughn and Elke Sommer. It is based on the 1963 novel of the same name by Helen MacInnes.
The picture was made by MGM for theatrical release, and is not one of the ersatz features edited from The Man from U.N.C.L.E. episodes originally produced by MGM Television during the same period.
Plot
A former CIA agent, Bill Fenner, in an alcoholic slide and working as a reporter for a wire service, is sent to Venice to investigate the shock suicide bombing by an American diplomat at a peace conference.
CIA chief Frank Rosenfeld specifically requests Fenner come out of retirement because one of the suspects in the case is Fenner's ex-wife, Sandra Fane, who is believed to be a Communist sympathizer. A secret report by Dr. Vaugiroud could be the key, but Fenner's and Fane's lives are greatly endangered, particularly at the hands of a mysterious man named Wahl, while trying to unravel the plot.
Cast
- Robert Vaughn as Bill Fenner
- Elke Sommer as Sandra Fane
- Felicia Farr as Claire Connor
- Boris Karloff as Dr. Pierre Vaugiroud
- Ed Asner as Frank Rosenfeld
- Karl Boehm as Robert Wahl
- Roger C. Carmel as Mike Ballard
- Luciana Paluzzi as Giulia Almeranti
Production
The Venetian Affair was shot on location in Venice, Italy. Writer/producer E. Jack Neuman has an uncredited bit as the suicide bomber in the opening scene.
Release
The Venetian Affair was released in theatres on January 18, 1967. The film was released on DVD by Warner Archive Collection on October 18, 2011.
Reception
Bosley Crowther of The New York Times wrote in his review: "It's a totally inane and posy picture about an American newspaper photographer who gets involved in an international intrigue in Venice which has something to do with obtaining a secret report. Some nice color photography in Venice is the only plus feature of this film, which is based on a novel by Helen MacInnes."
See also
References
- "The Venetian Affair". Turner Classic Movies. Retrieved May 17, 2024.
- MacInnes, Helen (1963). The Venetian Affair. San Diego: Harcourt. ISBN 978-0151935017.
- Britton 2006, p. 151.
- Goble 1999, p. 649.
- Jacobs 2011, p. 474.
- "The Venetian Affair". Warner Archive Collection. Burbank, California. October 18, 2011. ASIN B005JJCMRG. Retrieved November 18, 2016.
- Crowther, Bosley (January 19, 1967). "Screen: 'Venetian Affair':Spy Movie Withholds Too Many Secrets The Cast". The New York Times. Retrieved November 18, 2016.
Sources
- Britton, Wesley Alan (2006). Onscreen and Undercover: The Ultimate Book of Movie Espionage. Santa Barbara, California: Praeger Publishers. p. 151. ISBN 978-0275992811.
- Alan Goble, ed. (1999). The Complete Index to Literary Sources in Film. Munich: De Gruyter Saur. p. 649. ISBN 978-3598114922.
- Jacobs, Stephen (2011). Boris Karloff: More Than a Monster (1st ed.). Sheffield: Tomahawk Press. p. 474. ISBN 978-0955767043.
External links
Categories:- 1967 films
- American spy thriller films
- Films set in Venice
- Films shot in Venice
- 1960s spy thriller films
- Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer films
- Films based on American novels
- Films scored by Lalo Schifrin
- Films based on works by Helen MacInnes
- Parody films based on James Bond films
- 1960s English-language films
- Films directed by Jerry Thorpe
- 1960s American films
- English-language action adventure films
- English-language spy thriller films