La spia che venne dall'ovest

André Versini, the director of this film, made only 3 films in total. I have not seen the other two, but they are probably as good as this one, which is boring, anost, having nothing interesting. Erroll Flynn's son, Sean Flynn, who died young, at only 30, as an actor, did not excel in any film. When I was little and naive, I liked him in "The Son of Captain Blood" (1962). Here, in this "Mission to Venice", I did not like it at all.

Based on a novel by the prolific James Hadley Chase, this stylish, well-paced, B&W early 60s French crime film stars the handsome, athletic, and charismatic Sean Flynn as an American in Paris whose curiosity gets him sucked into an international intrigue that is not fully explained in the course of the film, but which is exciting and mysterious as it's happening (I watch films such as these for style, not logic). I'm not sure if Flynn is doing his own voice here--I'd say no, if that IS his real voice in Stop Train 349--but the voice assigned him is not off-putting, and he carries the film well with a boyish enthusiasm that reminds me of the young Jim Hutton. The effective shadowy photography and rapid pace are complemented by a fine jazz organ score by Alain Goraguer (whose work you can hear on volumes 1, 3, and 4 of the recent JAZZ & CINEMA CD series within the massive JAZZ IN PARIS reissue series). France produced many, many great b&w crime films in the late 50s and early 60s, many with great jazz musical scores. These are known in the US mostly from being shown on old UHF stations in the middle of the night or occasionally playing on the bottom half of the double bill at drive-ins and second-run theatres. Fans of dubbed 60s euro-crime films should enjoy this stylish outing. Also, anyone who wants to understand the appeal of the late Sean Flynn should check this out (and also Stop Train 349, in which he gives a fine performance opposite Jose Ferrer).

A man named Michael Newman (Sean Flynn) is hired by a woman to find her missing husband. The trail leads to Venice where Newman encounters a group of baddies intent on keeping the man's whereabouts a secret. The thugs will do anything, even commit murder, to get what they want.

If my little plot summary sounds vague, it's because most of the plot of Mission to Venice is incredibly muddled. I went back and rewatched a couple of scenes to see if I missed something, but no, the details just aren't there. Still, it's not an unwatchable example of an early Eurospy film with some decent fight sequences, spy shenanigans, and interesting locations. A bit "stagey" at times and lacking in real action, but overall, not the worst viewing experience I've ever had. I'm sure I would have enjoyed it more had the transfer I watched been better quality. At times, it was a bit like watching a movie through a haze of milk.

I suppose that one of the more interesting things about Mission to Venice is the lead played by Sean Flynn. Flynn was the son of legendary actor Errol Flynn. He made only a handful of films - most European productions. Flynn might not have set the world on fire with his acting, but I found him engaging enough. Flynn's main co-star, Karin Baal, was a real revelation. I look forward to discovering more of her work.

Finally, I need to mention the score. Mission to Venice has a catchy, loungey, jazzy score that really works to set the movie's tone. It's easily one of the best aspects of the entire film.