Murderers' Row (also known as Murderer's Row) is my favorite of the Matt Helm spy flicks. The film, being the second one in the franchise, was released in 1966. It was put quickly into production after the huge success of the first movie The Silencers. Murderers' Row was loosely based on the 1962 novel of the same name by Donald Hamilton. Dean Martin returned in the title role of Matt Helm, also co-producing again with Irving Allen. Returning for the second film were Beverly Adams (as Matt's personal assistant Lovey Kravezit) and James Gregory (as his ICE boss MacDonald). Oscar Saul, who had written The Silencers script, was back to write the screenplay for the sequel. Herbert Baker, however, was brought in to write the final screenplay for Murderers' Row. Baker had written several of the Martin-Lewis comedies, as well as being a writer on The Dean Martin Variety Show. The film was directed by Henry Levin, who would go on to direct The Ambushers, the third film in the franchise in 1967.
The film opens with what looks to be the destruction of the United States Capitol building by some sort of solar weapon. Actually it was a model destroyed by Big O in a demonstration of their latest weapon against freedom and democracy, the Super Helio Beam. Big O is led in its dastardly plot by Julian Wall (played by Karl Malden). To make sure that Big O's evil plans aren't dashed this time, Wall has ordered the assassinations of many of ICE's top secret agents. A mole in ICE has been leaking the identities of these spies. We see several of these agents killed in various manners.
When we first see Matt Helm, he's taking shots for an upcoming calendar featuring many beautiful Slaygirls. Each month is represented by a different state. For example, January is represented by Minnesota. Matt, getting a little hot under the collar from taking all these pictures, decides that a little rest will do him some good. He's unable to take a nap because Miss January is in his bed and she's ready for some action. What Matt doesn't realize at first is that Miss J is actually an assassin sent by Big O to terminate him. She activates his bed which will slide across the floor to the his Olympic-sized bath. The Super Helio Beam is waiting there to send Matt into the afterlife. Sensing trouble, Matt hangs tight to Miss J to keep her from escaping certain death.
Matt Helm is presumed dead. ICE throws him a funeral. All the Slaygirls are there dressed the same in black and mourning the loss of their favorite playboy. Matt, of course, is not really dead. His death was faked so he'll be able to combat Big O and foil their latest villainous plans. Matt and Mac meet up at a secret location, where Mac shows him some film of the French Riviera. Dr. Norman Solaris (Richard Eastham) was kidnapped while on vacation there. He is the creator of the heliobeam weapon, which concentrates the power of the sun into a WMD. Matt's new identity will be Jim Peters. He is to head over to Europe to stop Big O's plans for the Super Helio Beam before it's too late, while also rescuing Dr. Solaris and discovering who the mole is. Mac informs him if he fails in his mission that he is to try to kill Solaris and then himself, so as to prevent Big O from brainwashing him.
His mission soon leads him to a local nightclub. There at the discotheque, the band Dino (Dino as in Dino Jr., Dean Martin's son Dean Paul), Desi & Billy are performing. Matt tries to fit in with the youth crowd by talking and dancing with a girl he met earlier. Dean Paul makes a comment about Matt Helm dancing. There are a few lines there which play up on the fact that in reality they are father and son. The girl's name is Suzie, and she's played by Ann-Margret. Suzie's usually at the club with a friend named Billy (Duke Howard). She loves dancing and wearing the hippest mod outfits you've seen. Suzie also turns out to be the daughter of Dr. Solaris. Sparks fly pretty quickly between Matt and Suzie. They definitely have some chemistry between them. Suzie wants to help Matt rescue her father.
It's not long before Matt and Julian Wall butt heads. Wall is assisted by his companion Coco Duquette (Camilla Sparv), who has a freeze gun. It seems to be first used mostly for chilling drinks, but it does come in handy later on in the movie when Matt gets hold of it. Wall's main henchman is Ironhead, played by Tom Reese. This is a guy who walks around with a piece of metal on the top of his head and nobody bats an eye. Only in a spy movie would this not seem out of place. Wall has no idea thought that this man that seems to be sticking his nose in his business is Matt Helm. Wall thinks Matt is dead, plus no one knows what he looks like. The picture of Matt Helm shows the back of his head as he's making out with a chick and holding a drink. Matt uses his cover of Jim Peters. He's a gangster for hire. Julian Wall decides to put him on the payroll.
It's not long, however, before Wall becomes suspicious of the real motives of Jim Peters aka Matt Helm. Wall had planned the murder of Suzie. An explosive charge was put into a brooch that was sent to her as a gift. It's activated by speed. We see a pretty intense scene of Suzi dancing like crazy at the club. Matt races to save her in a hovercraft, which plays a prominent role in many scenes. It's a wild scene as he races the hovercraft down the streets of Monte Carlo as he trys to get to Suzie before she blows up. When he finally gets to her, he rips her dress off and throws it up against the wall. It explodes on the image of Frank Sinatra. Matt jokingly makes his apologies to Frank.
Matt and Suzie head to Wall's island fortress to rescue her dad, while also stopping the evil plans of Julian Wall and Big O. There he reveals his true identity as Matt Helm. He's also able to let Mac know who the mole in ICE is. Matt's main gadget in this film was a gun configured to fire several seconds after the trigger is pulled. This is used to great effect by Matt Helm against Julian Wall's goons. Matt also gets his hands on Coco's freeze gun. The battle heads out from the fortress to a hovercraft chase on the water. It's an intense final clash between Helm and Wall.
Dean Martin is his usual easygoing and carefree self in this movie. His Matt Helm is James Bond meets the Rat Pack. You either love that or you don't. There's not much in between. If you're not a fan of his persona, then you had better not watch this movie. His Matt Helm is essentially Dean Martin himself. Ann-Margret is definitely one of the main highlights of this movie. She was an up and coming star at the time. She dresses in some really hip mod outfits in this movie. I've had a huge crush on Ann-Margret since I can remember. I love her in this movie. She's my favorite of the actresses to co-star with Dean Martin in the Matt Helm spy capers. She doesn't play a ditz like Stella Stevens and Sharon Tate. Her character is sexy and capable of helping Matt Helm out. Camilla Sparv is beautiful and cold as ice in this movie. She plays the vixen perfectly. The weakest link in the film is probably Karl Malden as Julian Wall. His accent seemed to change quite often for one thing. I also didn't find him to be a strong villain. The wonderful cool jazz spy score is by Lalo Schifrin. If you're a fan of Dean Martin, beautiful babes, exotic locales, cool mod costumes and sets, etc., then I'm sure you'll enjoy this film. Like I mentioned at the start of this post, this is my favorite of the Matt Helm spy franchise. It's got all the ingredients necessary to make a really cool and swingin' spy spoof. Murderers' Row is pure escapist fun. It's a blast to watch.
Following is a clip from one of The Dean Martin Celebrity Roasts. The year is 1977. It features Ronald Reagan, the former Governor of California who had recently sought the Republican nomination for the Presidency. He lost the nomination, however, to President Gerald Ford. Ford would go on to lose the election to Jimmy Carter.
Here Reagan is roasting Frank Sinatra. Part of Reagan's jokes are about if Sinatra was President of the United States. Of course, a few years later Reagan himself would actually be elected the 40th President. Dean Martin introduces Reagan. Plus you can see quite a few other celebrities sitting on the panel and laughing at Reagan's jokes about Ol' Blue Eyes. I hope you enjoy it.
P.S. Besides hearing Dean Martin music at my grandmother's house when I was growing up, these roasts were my first real introduction to Dino.
Check out this hilarious clip of Dean Martin and Joey Bishop together on The Dean Martin Variety Show. They are playing construction workers in this skit. I love it. I hope you enjoy it.
I absolutely love this clip. I've always been a fan of Roger Miller's song King of the Road. I grew up listening to that song all the time. I really love this version done between Roger and Dino on The Dean Martin Variety Show.
Who else but Dino could make a trailer a swanky pad full of hot babes? Nobody, that's the answer. That's why Dean Martin is the true and eternal King of Cool. Cheers!
You can have your very own upscale condo on Dean Martin Drive. Man, that address would have me sold on this place. Not sure if construction is actually on schedule or not, but this looks to be one cool place to be a resident at. I could only imagine the fun if a bunch of us pallies had our own pads here.
I'm a big fan of Lena Horne. I've always found her to have a beautiful voice. Here's a wonderful clip of her performing with Dino on The Dean Martin Variety Show. I hope you enjoy it.
That picture is courtesy of my pallie Mia. It features Dean Martin and Ann-Margret in a scene from Murderers' Row. That's the second of the Matt Helm spy flicks. It was released in 1966. It also happens to be my favorite of the franchise. I soon plan to write up an article on this movie, so definitely be on the lookout for it.
It's hard to find clips of Peter Lawford online. I finally found one that I thought I would post. It's Peter singing Age of Aquarius on Hollywood Palace. I don't think I've ever heard him sing before. He doesn't have the voice of his Rat Pack pallies, but it's still a pretty cool clip. It's definitely got a groovy vibe to it. I hope you enjoy it.
Deconstructing Sammy: Music, Money, Madness, and the Mob is a new book written by journalist Matt Birkbeck. It chronicles the struggle of lawyer Sonny Murray to help settle the massive IRS debt owed by the Sammy Davis Jr. estate and restore Sammy's legacy as well.
Click on Mercury News to read an article about this exciting new book. I hope you will check out this article. I definitely want to get my hands on this book.
Sammy is one of my favorite entertainers of all time. He was so much more than just a song and dance man. He could do it all. The man could light up a room just with his presence. There have been very few like him. Unfortunately he's not given the credit and recognition he truly deserves.
His life was full of ups and downs. It seemed there were often more trials and tribulations than happy times. Sammy was often criticized by whites and blacks. He faced racism and discrimination wherever he would go. He was attacked for his interracial romances. He was called an "Uncle Tom." He was criticized for supporting Richard Nixon. He had anti-Semitic slurs thrown at him for converting to Judaism. He was a substance abuser. He had a rocky relationship with his family. He spent much more money than he ever earned. He died in his mid-60's with throat cancer, leaving no fortune behind and a debt of $7 million in back taxes to the IRS.
I feel so sorry for how his life turned out. Sammy deserved better. I know he's at that big casino in the sky now with Dino and Frankie. I'm sure they are having a blast together again. I wish him all the best. I raise a toast to the memory and legacy of Sammy Davis Jr., one of the greatest entertainers of all time. Cheers!
I really love this picture of Dean Martin with Sharon Tate and Mia Farrow. They all look so happy and smiling. Does anybody know when and where this was?
One of my favorite guests on The Dean Martin Variety Show is Petula Clark. I love watching clips of her and Dino together. She's such a beautiful and talented woman. Plus she had such wonderful chemistry with Dino. You definitely feel like there are sparks flying between these two. I've often wondered if there was ever any sort of romance between Dean and Petula. There really seems to be some steam emanating from them. They have this very playful and sexy quality to their scenes together. These two would have made a great couple. I hope you enjoy this clip. I'm going to post more of them together in the future. Let me know what you think.
Dean Paul Martin was born on November 15, 1951 in Santa Monica. He's the son of Dean Martin and his second wife Jeanne. He was a member, along with Desi Arnaz Jr., and Billy Hinsche, in the teen pop group Dino, Desi & Billy. They had a few hits back in the 60's, such as I'm A Fool and Not The Lovin' Kind. The band made a cameo in the Matt Helm spy flick Murderers' Row in 1966. Dean Paul's acting credits would include Players (nominated for a Golden Globe) and the short-lived series Misfits of Science. He also was a professional tennis player and a pilot in the California Air National Guard. Dean Paul was married and divorced twice. His first wife was actress Olivia Hussey. They had a son named Alexander together. His second wife was Olympic ice skater Dorothy Hamill. Dean Paul was killed in a plane crash on March 21, 1987. His death devastated his father deeply. Dean never truly recovered from the death of his son. Dean Paul seemed to have a lot of inner demons most of his life. He lived life fast and hard. It's as if he never truly could find out who he truly was. It didn't seem as if he knew his identity and where he fit in the world. It's a shame because we never know what he might have accomplished if he had stayed focused and lived longer. I raise a toast to the memory of Dean Paul Martin. God bless your soul.
P.S. This picture is from Players which was released in 1979.
I'm a huge fan of the song Houston. It's one of my favorite tunes performed by Dean Martin. There are other clips of Dino singing this song, but the one I'm posting here is by far my favorite. I hope you enjoy it too. Cheers!
P.S. Does anyone know if this was on The Dean Martin Variety Show or somewhere else? Thanks.
Pallies, I sure would love to have been around to check out the Rat Pack at the Sands back in the day. That would have been the coolest, hippest, and swingiest show ever. These cool cats definitely ruled Vegas.
I'm not sure if these three pictures here are from the Sands or not, but I thought I would post them. You'll have to correct me if I'm wrong.
I really dig this picture of Dean Martin and his Stutz Blackhawk. Check out this link to see more pictures of him with his car. Man, I wish my parents had been the one to buy this car from him back in the mid-70's. Now that would be so cool to drive a car that was once owned and driven by Dean Martin himself.
I recently finished reading All My Best Friends by George Burns. It was cool reading about George's friendships with Jack Benny, Groucho Marx, Al Jolson, Jimmy Durante, Milton Berle, etc. I've been a big fan of George since I was a little kid. I always found him so funny. So much of his humor dealt with his age. I thought it was wonderful that he did live long enough to make it to 100. I'm sure he's now in the afterlife with his beloved Gracie. Here's a clip of George appearing on The Dean Martin Variety Show. Check George and Dean out in this clip. I hope you enjoy it.
I've never posted this clip on my blog before. I can't believe I haven't yet. This is one of my favorite clips out there. It's a hilarious clip of Dean Martin and Foster Brooks from The Dean Martin Variety Show, where Brooks is playing a drunk airline pilot. I really dig this clip so much. I always laugh so hard watching it. I hope you pallies enjoy it too.
Hey pallies. This was sent to me by my pallie Mia. I definitely plan to pop on some Dino tunes and make myself a nice drink (maybe more than one - lol). I hope you guys will have a fantastic weekend whatever you decide to do. Live it up to the max. Cheers!
I posted yesterday about The Silencers, which was the first of the Matt Helm spy capers. I thought today I would post some pictures of Stella Stevens from that movie. Stella as Gail and Dean Martin as Matt really had some sparks flying. There was lots of laughs. action, and romance going on between Gail and Matt in this film. I thought they had great chemistry together. The pairing of these two was one of the highlights of this movie. Enjoy the pictures of the sexy Stella Stevens. Cheers!
The Silencers was the first film in the Matt Helm spy franchise, which starred Dean Martin and was released in 1966. The film was based on The Silencers by Donald Hamilton. It also took some plot elements from Hamilton's Death of a Citizen. Hamilton's Helm was a cold and ruthless government assassin. His series of Matt Helm spy novels were more serious and realistic. The Silencers and its three sequels, however, would be more tongue in cheek and lighthearted. Dean Martin's Matt Helm was essentially Dean Martin. When he wasn't saving the world, he was having a drink, crooning a tune, or seducing beautiful women.
Irving Allen, the producer of the Matt Helm franchise, had been looking for a spy franchise of his own. Everybody wanted to get into the spy game after the success of the James Bond films. It had created quite a craze for both serious and campy spy fare. The 60's were loaded with spy spoofs from across the globe. Allen at one time had been partners with Albert "Cubby" Broccoli, who came to him with the idea of turning Ian Fleming's Bond novels into motion pictures. Allen didn't like the idea at all. He even insulted Fleming himself, informing him that his books were not even good enough for television. This, along with some other factors, would lead to the termination of the partnership between Allen and Broccoli. Allen would feel like a fool after the huge success of the first Bond film Dr. No in 1962 and its sequels. He acquired the rights to the Matt Helm novels of Donald Hamilton. Dean Martin was hired to bring Matt Helm to life on the big screen. To get Martin on board, Allen had to make him a partner in the series. Martin ended up making more money from playing Matt Helm than Sean Connery made from playing 007.
Dean Martin starred as Matt Helm, a slick and cool cat who loves booze and womanizing. Helm is a fashion photographer who snaps shots of beautiful women for men's magazines like Slaymate. When he's done taking their pictures, he seduces them in his ultra-cool bachelor pad. This place has to be seen to be believed. I want a pad like this. It even comes with a rotating circular bed that will drop its occupants into a large bubble bath. Helm's assistant Lovey Kravezit (Beverly Adams) is always willing to do what her boss asks. With a cad for a boss, you can bet that her work will get quite steamy. It turns out that Matt Helm is a secret agent in semi-retirement. He works for ICE (Intelligence and Counter Espionage). He gets called back into service by his boss MacDonald (James Gregory). Helm is having none of it. He's enjoying the cool and swingin' lush life too much. Big O (Bureau of International Government and Order), the opposition organization, has plans to start World War III. They are not taking any chances on Matt Helm foiling their plans. They try to take him out. Helm is saved by a former lover and fellow agent Tina, played by the exotic beauty Daliah Lavi. He's reluctantly pulled back into the world of espionage.
Big O is headed up by Tung-Tze, who is played by Victor Buono (made up with eyeliner to look Chinese). There is definitely not a politically correct movie. Big O's dastardly plan is to sabotage the American atomic missile program in their plot to control the globe. They are being aided in their scheme by a double agent dubbed "Cowboy." Matt Helm and Tina head off to Phoenix to find Sarita (played by Cyd Charisse), who is in possession of a microfilm that Big O needs. The 40something Charisse does two sexy numbers in this movie, lip-synching to the vocals of Vicki Carr. She'll definitely raise the blood pressure of any red-blooded male. They end up butting heads with several enemy agents, such as Sam Gunther (Robert Webber) and Andreyev (Roger C. Carmel). They also come in contact with a sexy and clumsy broad named Gail (played wonderfully here by Stella Stevens). They aren't sure if Gail is mixed up in Big O's evil plot or not. She has gotten hold of the microfilm, plus she's been seen dating Sam Gunther. Gail gets stuck trekking along with Helm to New Mexico (the location of Big O's subterranean base and the atomic missile site) as a way of proving her innocence. Nobody can make a station wagon cool quite like Dean Martin. It's called the "sex wagon." It comes with its own bed and bar. I told you this movie wasn't politically correct. These two are great together. Helm is usually at the receiving end of something stupid Gail does. The sparks definitely fly between these two and not always in a good way.
I'm not going to give much more about the movie away. James Bond isn't the only secret agent with gadgetry. Matt Helm has several gadgets, including a reversible shooting gun and exploding coat buttons, in his arsenal to use against his foes in Big O. If you haven't seen this movie, you owe it to yourself to see it. It's not high art, but it's not meant to be. It's a campy ride full of laughs, action, romance, and music. The Silencers, directed by Phil Karlson, was a box office hit in 1966. It spawned three sequels (Murderers' Row also in 1966, The Ambushers in 1968, and The Wrecking Crew in 1969). A fifth film in the franchise, The Ravagers, was never filmed. Elmer Bernstein scored the film. Dino also croons several of his tunes throughout this film as certain moments unfold. I bet you never saw 007 do that. People looking for a more serious and insightful spy thriller are not going to find it here. This is basically Dean Martin playing himself as a spy. If you like the cool charm and easygoing style of Dino, then I don't think you'll be disappointed. This is after all one of the spy franchises that inspired Mike Myers in his creation of the Austin Powers franchise. The movie is available with the other three movies in the Matt Helm Lounge DVD set. I believe it's only around $20 for the set. I hope you'll give it a shot if you haven't seen it. I raise a toast to that super-cool cad of a spy, Matt Helm. Cheers!
I've watched these clips before, but I hadn't shared them with my pallies here yet. I thought I would take the time to do that. I've been in a big Sharon Tate mood lately. These clips are from Sharon's appearance, along with her hubby Roman Polanski, on Hugh Hefner's Playboy After Dark. Many of you know that I'm a fan of this show. I would love to have been on the set for the taping of one of these shows. You never knew who you were going to meet there. This show really embodies the type of cool and hip style that I enjoy. I always loved the look and design of the set. I hope you'll check out these clips. They are not very long at all. You'll get a chance to hear Sharon and Roman talk about their careers and much more. I hope you enjoy them. Cheers!
This picture of Sharon Tate comes courtesy of my pallie Bill over at MySpace. It's from The Wrecking Crew. Man, I would love to have a hot babe like Sharon waiting for me in bed. ;-) Dean Martin got all the beautiful chicks in those Matt Helm spy capers. Now he's my kind of role model. Cheers!
I found this picture at Cambiamento Design. I thought my pallies here would wanna see it. I hope you enjoy it. I know I do. It's a really cool image of Dean Martin. Cheers!
The late Peter Sellers is one of my favorite comedic actors of all time. He starred in some of my favorite movies of the 60's and 70's, such as The Pink Panther, What's New Pussycat?, Casino Royale, The Party, and many more. He was born on this date in 1925 in the UK. Peter unfortunately lived a life full of trials and tribulations. He passed away tragically from a heart attack in 1980. I am posting a video clip of Peter appearing on The Dean Martin Variety Show. This clip which features Peter and Dean Martin is so hilarious. It really cracks me up. These two were really awesome together here. I hope you enjoy this clip as much as I do.
I've always loved this clip. It's a really cool medley performed by Dean Martin and Frank Sinatra. These two are so great together. I assume this is from The Dean Martin Variety Show. If it's not, please let me know. Thanks. These are two really cool and hip cats. They really put a smile on my face. I hope you like it too. Let me know what you think. Cheers!
Happy Birthday today to Raquel Welch. The still gorgeous sex goddess was born on this date in 1940 in Chicago, Illinois. I've had a crush on her since I can remember. She's one of my favorite sex symbols from the 60's and 70's. She played in some of my favorite movies of that era, including One Million Years B.C., Fathom, Bedazzled, 100 Rifles, and many more. Raquel co-starred with Dean Martin and Jimmy Stewart in 1968's Bandolero!, which still remains as one of my favorite westerns. I hope that all her birthday wishes will come true today. I've included a video clip from The Dean Martin Variety Show that features Raquel in some scenes. I hope you check it out. Enjoy!
I came across this picture recently while searching for Dean Martin pictures. The Ambushers is my least favorite of the Matt Helm spy flicks. One of the best things about the movie, however, is Senta Berger. I'm a huge fan of this sultry actress. It was great to see her match wits with Dino. These two do look great together.
I thought I would share this great video of Dino and Sammy singing together. It's another of those awesome clips from The Dean Martin Variety Show. I really love watching this one over and over. These guys keep me in stitches with laughter. Dino and Sammy had great chemistry together. They always seemed to be having a blast with one another. I hope you like this clip as much as I do. Cheers!
Come Fly With Me has always been one of my favorite songs by Frank Sinatra. I came across this awesome clip recently. It's Frank performing the tune on his wonderful A Man And His Music special. I hope you enjoy it. Let me know what you think. Cheers!
I really dig this picture of Dino and Sammy. What great smiles both of these cool cats have on their faces. I wonder what they've been up to. They really look like they are enjoying life. I wonder where they are at in this photo. Does anybody have any idea?
Hey pallies! Happy Labor Day! I hope all of you are having a wonderful holiday weekend. I know I've been thrilled about having a chance to chill out and relax. Many of you know that I've had a lot of problems over the last year. Things seem to be getting worse with the recent theft online of my check card number. This blog has definitely been something wonderful and enjoyable in my life. It helps me escape from the stress of my daily life. I want to thank all of those who have been reading and commenting on my blog. I really appreciate it all. It means so much to me. I hope you will continue to pay a visit to my blog to see what I'm posting next. Thanks for being good pallies. Cheers!
I love this picture. I actually have the poster of it on my wall. Man, I would really love to get in a time machine and head back to Vegas when the Rat Pack ruled there. I'm going to make myself a drink and listen to some tunes from these cool cats. Have a fun holiday!
