La 18ª spia

This is really just an FYI that this 1966 American spy "film" is actually a compilation of the first four ~25' episodes of a total of seventeen of the on-season series, "Blue Light, that aired on ABC-TV from January 12 to May 18, 1966: 101, Jan. 12, 1966, The Last Man 102, Jan. 19, 1966 Target, David March 103, Jan. 26, 1966 The Fortress Below 104, Feb. 02, 1966 The Weapon Within The negative critics really offer no legitimate criticism in view of how FAR worse much of today's stuff is.

This newly released "compilation" of the 60's show "Blue Light" is well worth a look if you grew up on 60's TV like I did. Combat, Rat Patrol, 12 o'clock high, if you loved those shows you'll enjoy this film/series. Robert Goulet was a singer in the mold of Michael Bolton in the 60's (along with his annoying wife Carol Lawrence) when they put him in this show. Surprisingly he is the best part of it. He's suave, and tough, and believable,(think Pierce Brosnon in the Bond films) and it's hard to figure out why he didn't take off in TV/Movies after this short lived show. It's obvious the producers were trying to capitalize on the Bond craze at the time when they made this series and maybe it just got lost in the shuffle. The story is pretty good; the production values not bad for 60's TV; and if they made more episodes I'd want to see them. Check this film out. 50kmwalk

Of my very large collection of war movies, I give this one the second lowest rating of my entire collection. I hesitate to call this a war movie, I think the best way to sum up is to call this a low budget James Bond flick set during WW2. The acting was good, as was the plot / storyline in general, but the detail which essentially creates the suspense and believability of the plot was not thought out in the slightest and ruined what might otherwise have been a good story. What was simply horrible with this film was the direction by Walter Grauman and the awful camera work. In several places it left me feeling like I was watching a cartoon or high school play, it was simply awful and without question it was the direction that killed this film. One scene that comes to mind is Goulet running through a high security "well lit" facility wearing a bright yellow jumpsuit, with German guards everywhere mere feet away, and somehow they fail to see him as he arms several missiles and kills a guard. A small point I know, but there were dozens of similar ridiculous scenes that all combined made the movie just plain dumb.