Code 7, Victim 5

Prolific producer & writer Harry Alan Towers concocted the story for this lightly entertaining, eminently forgettable action-thriller set in South Africa. Lex Barker ("The Torture Chamber of Dr. Sadism") stars as "Steve Martin" (!), an American private eye hired by copper mine owner Wexler (Walter Rilla, "The Scarlet Pimpernel") to find out who murdered his valet, and why. It turns out that the crime has a connection to the men in a key photograph left by the victims' body.

The main novelty here is the Cape Town setting. It's very attractively photographed by Nicolas Roeg, and the scenery is often breathtaking. The story is enjoyable enough, but nothing special. It doesn't help that the ending is kind of clumsy, as the antagonist basically reveals themselves in a rather abrupt manner.

Still, the second unit work is first-rate. Those scenes of driving by the sea are excellent, and the film actually stops cold for about three or four minutes for a major underwater sequence that, much like the scenes on land, is very well photographed. The jazzy score by Johnny Douglas is jaunty and fun to listen to.

The cast is enjoyable to watch. Barker is a charismatic hero who of course always has time for the ladies. But then, so does jovial police inspector Lean (Ronald Fraser, "Fathom"). Fraser and French babe Veronique Vendell ("Barbarella") are most amusing, with the latter playing Wexlers' hot-to-trot stepdaughter who practically throws herself at Steve. Danish beauty Ann Smyrner ("Reptilicus") is appealing as Wexlers' secretary. Dietmar Schonherr (who also acted for director Robert Lynn in "Mozambique") and Gert van den Bergh ("The Naked Prey") also co-star.

All in all, this is the kind of non-challenging, easygoing, amiable entertainment that you throw on if you just want to relax for an hour and a half.

Six out of 10.

Looks as if the otherwise meaningless 'Code Seven' in the title was there solely to try and tie this in with the then burgeoning spy craze, as producer Harry Alan Towers' script (as Peter Welbeck) is, for by no means the last time, in the mode of Edgar Wallace in a tale of murder and revenge. Some superb filming of the picturesque South African backgrounds from Nic Roeg is matched by the underwater photography of Egil Woxholt who worked on several of the Bond films. Lex Barker is ideal as the New York investigator looking into threats on the life of wealthy businessman Walter Rilla, Ronald Fraser is a quirky police chief with an eye for the ladies and Ann Smyrner makes an attractive heroine. Victim Five has no pretensions other than to be an enjoyable 'B' picture and succeeds.

Woeful title aside, CODE 7, VICTIM 5 is a would-be, South African-set detective story from prolific B-movie producer Harry Alan Towers, who also wrote the thing under his 'Peter Welbeck' pseudonym. It stars man-of-the-moment Lex Barker as a private eye who's commissioned to investigate a mysterious murder among the upper crust in South Africa.

The best - and only good thing - about the movie is the location photography, captured in stunning detail by famed cinematographer Nicholas Roeg. This is a sunny, great-looking movie which allows you to see plenty of areas of the country usually missing in films; those drives around Table Mountain are particularly fine. A shame then, that the rest of the film is so sloppy.

The worst thing is undoubtedly Towers' script, which is mundane to say the least. Despite a few shoehorned-in fight scenes, this is dull, by-the-numbers stuff in which little happens to lift the story out of its lethargic gloom. Barker tours the country for a while, indulges in some light romance with a string of Euro-crumpet in scenes reminiscent of a Connery Bond flick, and finally tackles the villain whose identity is revealed at the climax.

The cast put in strictly ordinary performances and Barker fails to show even an ounce of charisma, so you end up wondering why was such a star of his day. He looks a little like a young Stephen Baldwin to me. Some of the action sequences are okay, like an impressive car chase early on, but for the most part this is a chore and rightly forgotten.

Entertaining thriller,part adventures and part whodunit; nice cinematography with a good use of wide screen; the photograph trick is a variant on the "and then there were none" pattern but it provides private eye Barker with vital clues ;some scenes are pretty good for a B-movie: the prologue where the butler is pursued by three masked men who look like clowns is effective ;besides the directing takes advantage of the magnificent caves and the shadows on the wall increase the suspense ; on the other hand ,the cable car sequence is not fully exploited. The official cop serves as a foil to sleuth Lex.,then very popular in Germany thanks to the "Winnetou " movies.

Considering most 1960s movies are cinemgraphic garbage, this movie is beautiful in color and action. Capetown is a gem and the scenes grab as much scenery as possible. Although the story develops slowly, viewers wanting to see Rex Barker get what they want. Lots of hot girls, him kissing them, him in a swim suit and watching one hot hot man, in action. He had James Bond beat in my book. His early passing a true loss.