The Liquidator (1965) Reviews

• A Spy Called B.O.

  ShadeGrenade2006-07-13

  'The Liquidator' was based on the first published novel by John Gardner, whom years later continued the literary James Bond saga. Embarrassed by a number of high-profile spy scandals, 'The Chief' ( Wilfrid Hyde-White ) of the Department of Special Security orders his second-in-command 'Mostyn' ( Trevor Howard ) to recruit a new agent - to be codenamed 'L' ( guess what that stands for? ) - to eliminate potential security risks. The man Mostyn selects is ex-army sergeant 'Brian Ian Oakes', who goes by the bizarre nickname of 'Boysie' ( Rod Taylor ). Boysie enjoys the high living and lots of pretty girls cross his bedroom floor, but he is not a cold-blooded killer and has to hire a cheap hit-man - 'Charlie Griffin' ( Eric Sykes ) to do the killing for him. Directed by cinematographer Jack Cardiff, this is a lot of fun, and benefits from good location shooting in Nice as well as a top-notch cast. Future 007 girl Jill St.John is 'Iris Macintosh', Mostyn's secretary, whom Boysie tempts overseas for a dirty weekend, thereby breaching Department guidelines. It is a far more interesting character than 'Tiffany Case', the one she played in 'Diamonds Are Forever'. John is given strong competition in the glamour department from sultry Gabriella Licudi, who plays 'Corale', the girl intended to lure Oakes into a trap. Villainy is provided by Akim Tamiroff and John Le Mesurier. The always reliable David Tomlinson appears in the role of 'Quadrant'. In smaller roles are familiar faces of the calibre of Colin Gordon, Derek Nimmo, Alexandra Bastedo ( of 'The Champions' ), Vernon Dobtcheff, and Ronald Leigh-Hunt. Peter Yeldham's script is faithful to the novel, and the film as a whole does not make the mistake of trying to be a pseudo-Bond clone. You will not find any hollowed-out volcanoes or gadget-ridden cars here. As Boysie, Taylor gives a likable, amusing performance ( I disagree with those who claim he was miscast ). The powerful title song performed by Shirley Bassey would not have disgraced a real Bond movie. It is a shame that there were no sequels ( 'Understrike' and 'Amber Nine' were both crying out for celluloid ). Like 'Where The Spies Are' starring David Niven, this was to be a one-off big screen outing for its leading character.

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• Cute spy spoof

  blanche-22012-01-16

  Rod Taylor is "The Liquidator" -- well, his superiors think he is, anyway -- in this 1965 spoof of the spy genre, directed by Jack Cardiff. The '60s was certainly an interesting time for films - spy films, spoofs of spy films, caper films, big historical films, and sex comedies. Here we have a spoof of the James Bond films, with Rod Taylor playing Boys Oaks, a war acquaintance of Colonel Mostyn (Trevor Howard). The British Security Services is frustrated and embarrassed as they have a number of spies in their midst. It's time to liquidate them, so The Chief (Wilfrid Hyde-White) orders Mostyn to find someone. Mostyn remembers Boys and his impressive actions during the war and drafts him. Of course, he doesn't exactly tell Boys what he wants. He offers him a gorgeous apartment, beautiful women who hang around, a nice car, and after Boys signs his life away, Mostyn drops the bomb. Boys tries but he fails in his first assignment and instead saves the subject from the train tracks he was just about to throw her onto. The other thing is all the travel - Boys really doesn't like to travel. So Boyd has to come up with a solution or lose the perks. I thought this was an okay comedy, nothing special. Jill St. John plays Mostyn's beautiful, sexy secretary, Wilfrid Hyde-White plays the bureau chief; the film also features Akim Tamiroff. There are some funny moments and I like the premise. Entertaining.

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• One of the Funniest Cold War Fare from the 1960's

  sataft-22008-12-30

  One reviewer here wrote that this film was a poor excursion for the lead actor, Rod Taylor. I do honestly believe it to be one of his best comedy outings in his career. True, the film does lag a bit about two thirds of the way through, but its premise is solid. One simply has to regard the film in the light of the the times it represents; which is the social environment of the late 1940's to the mid 1970's when the Cold War eventually ended. And one has to have some sense of how the Cold War era was, in itself, an exercise in the futility of bringing a major war to an end on a slow boil. Therefore, I regard such claims as it not being humorous, or a lame attempt at such, being the inability of someone too young to have experienced the times. Keep in mind that my generation (born in 1939) participated in 'take-cover' drills in our elementary classrooms, as serious protection from a nuclear bomb blast. When given the signal, we kids were instructed to dive under our classroom desks, and to cover our heads with our hands until the all clear was given. In reality, if the bomb was indeed dropped anywhere nearby, all 'take -cover would have accomplished was to yield - all gone! Yes, it was taken seriously by just about everyone. Knowing this, it is easily understood why actual spy agencies on our side, and behind the Iron Curtain countries actually generated such extremes as history reveals of this era - as serious exercises. Knowing this, simply sit back, relax your serious muscles, expose your humor muscles and enjoy this delightful film in the vein it was intended.

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• Very underrated, tongue-in-cheek spy film

  Skragg2005-09-03

  I first saw this one on the CBS Late Movie in about July of 1972, and (even more than most of those) I can never see it without seeing that radiating star (I even remember where in the film one of the commercial breaks was.) Yes, the theme song (by Lalo Schifrin) practically dares you to call it "Bond rip-off", but that's as presumptuous with this mid-'60s spy movie as it is with so many others. Rod Taylor, an actor who can fit into so many kinds of role, is perfectly believable as a person more or less drafted into being a spy, and an assassin, because of Trevor Howard's instincts about him, in spite of the fact that he's never actually killed anyone (except during the war, and even THEN it was more or less accidental!). And, like any given person in this position, he tries to have it both ways - tries to hang onto the "jet set" spy movie type of lifestyle they've given him, but with no real intention of doing what they want! (Mainly because he's horrified by it, traitors or no traitors.) And Trevor Howard is great as a sort of semi-comical answer to his Captain Blighe, who won't listen to any of "Boysie's" objections about it. Someone mentioned a slightly surprising line (for 1966), and Howard had another one. In an early scene, Taylor's well-built girlfriend was standing beside a cage with a variety of birds, and Howard said, "Multi-coloured tits!" (The name of the bird species, which made it "acceptable.") And Jill St. John, who might not have a WHOLE LOT to do beyond being "window dressing", is just right for this kind of film (though I'm prejudiced when it comes to her). Actually, she was very believable as this chic mid-' 60s English girl (the way they're usually pictured). Although toward the end (and this is a spoiler) she went against that for a moment. When a very surprised Rod Taylor discovered that she'd been part of the plot all along, she laughed at his confusion, and said, "You dumb ox!" (Kind of a down-to-earth thing for the "femme fatale" to say to the hero!) Some of the best funny parts (in a dark comedy way) have to do with Boysie hiring a professional hit man named Mr. Griffen (played by Eric Sykes) to do the killings that HE'S supposed to be doing, and this part had a really great line (in a very understated way). As they were talking, Boysie started to analyse this whole business of hiring someone to kill people (the guilt attached to it). Griffen said, "Can I give you a word of advice, sir? It never does to probe too deep." (In other words, suggesting that he "let it go".)

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• Good Flick!

  GaryH392006-01-19

  This has always been one of my favorite movies. I always loved James Bond spoofs such as the Derrick Flint and Matt Helm movies, and "The Liquidator" stands above those. Rod Taylor plays Boysie Oakes, a hapless tank commander at the end of WWII, who accidentally saves Colonel Mostyn (Trevor Howard) from two rival spies. Years later, when Britain's spy network is inundated with embarrassing counter-spies, Mostyn remembers Oakes and hires him as "Agent L" (Liquidator) to neatly get rid of these embarrassments. Unable to carry out these liquidations, Oakes hires a private contractor, Griffen (Eric Sykes). Oakes keeps this to himself as he loves the playboy lifestyle that he now lives. Taylor has the unique ability to seem inept at being a spy, while at the same time showing skills above and beyond those around him, and making it all perfectly believable. The subtle comedy and all of the twists and turns (likely and unlikely) make this a very enjoyable and engrossing film. Jill St. John as Iris is great eye-candy and plays the part to the hilt. Her acting complements Taylor's without upstaging him. I highly recommend this film and wish it to be released on DVD.

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