A Man Could Get Killed

What are James Garner, Melina Mercouri, Anthony Franciosa and Sandra Dee all doing in the same picture? Not having a good time, according to reports. American banker Garner arrives in Lisbon on business and is mistaken for the man meant to replace a murdered government agent, who was stabbed while on a search for stolen diamonds. That man's flirtatious widow (Mercouri) spies Garner at her husband's funeral and pursues him. Meanwhile, an American diamond smuggler pretending to be Portuguese (Francisosa, with a lousy accent that apparently convinces Mercouri) is after the gems but is pursued by another American (Dee), a love-hungry college student on holiday. The film's first director, Cliff Owen, was apparently run off by the stars themselves; his successor, Ronald Neame, couldn't stop Garner and Franciosa from going at each other's throats, while Dee, nearing the end of her contract with Universal, complained the eight-week shoot turned into "a miserable four months." Despite all this, there are some witty lines in the screenplay by Richard L. Breen, T. E. B. Clarke and David E. Walker, adapting Walker's novel "Diamonds For Moscow", and Mercouri is an absolute scene-stealer. With a voice so languorous and lascivious it's practically mocking, Melina gives the picture such a lift that, for a few moments, it stops being about diamond smuggling and is instead all about her. The appropriately Latin-influenced score by Bert Kaempfert introduced the instrumental "Strangers in the Night" (originally titled "Beddy Bye"), which netted itself a Golden Globe nomination for Best Song despite the fact it didn't have lyrics yet! ** from ****

Funny the things you remember as a kid. I saw this movie with my grandparents at a drive-in and never saw it again. But I clearly remember the plot and characters. It was funny, entertaining, and well worth seeing again. I've been checking everywhere for it on DVD and would like to be notified when it comes out on DVD. Movies like this don't come around often. With the invention of computer animation and high cost movie budgets there seems to be a lack of true screenplay and character building -- "A Man Could Get Killed" was simple, well acted and memorable -- what more could you ask for in a movie? I strongly recommend seeing it if you get the chance.

1965s 'A Man Could Get Killed' is a great slice of 60s movie hokum. It has James Garner at his "Basically, I'm just passing through on my way to Australia" best. Added to that, the cream of England's 'old duffer' character actors, Coote, Culver, Parker and Grey. An interesting cameo from the great Irish doctor/actor Niall MacGinnis, as the ships captain. Sandra Dee is as loud as any American tourist in Europe should be allowed to get, but still gorgeous. Tony Franciosa as the pretend Portuguese smuggler is fun and of course the wonderful, and criminally underrated, Melina Mercouri stealing the show. Throw in some diamonds and it all adds up to a not bad 97 minutes of escapism. And with a nice romantic ending to the strains of, probably Bert Kaempfert's greatest tune 'Strangers in the Night'. What's not to like! I saw this film as a young boy, when first released, loved it and have never forgotten it. How this film is not available on DVD is beyond me! It's about time we had a box set of James Garner 60s films with, obviously, this film included.

A year before we were married, my wife and I went to see this movie on a date. We have not seen it since, yet we still quote a line or two from it all these decades later. I hope we do not have to wait for James Garner's death before it is released on DVD. It is a truly funny motion picture, liked even by someone like me who likes very few comedies. As I recall, the humour in this movie springs from the story, ridiculous though it may be, and that makes for a good amusing film. Robert Coote in particular was superb.

I saw this film several times, and really thought it was great. James Garner put in a superb performance as did Melina Mercouri. In fact, the chemistry between all of the performers seemed natural and lent to making a hilariously preposterous plot all the more believable.

Try as I might, I can't understand why it was never released on VHS or DVD. I thought the film to be very entertaining. It must have been popular, based on the number of times it was later shown on TV. It seemed too, to be an excellent showcase for James Garner's talents as an actor.

If you get a chance to see the film, please don't hesitate. It was not only very entertaining, but it is a fine representation of the movies of the day - original, intelligent, romantic and funny all at once. It had a quality about it that is sadly lacking in films today.