A Man Could Get Killed

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.

James Garner arrives in Lisbon. He's on assignment from his bank to conduct a survey on a proposed bond issue for hydro-electric power generation. As soon as he arrives, he is mistaken for a British spy sent to investigate a diamond smuggling ring. Every spy in town, down at the heels since the end of the War thinks he's the man to follow around, including Melina Mercouri. Tony Franciosa is not a spy. He's a simple smuggler, who hopes to get a 5% finder's fee, lumbered with Sandra Dee, who's on the prowl for him.

It's a somewhat cumbersome comedy, lumbered with an unfortunate score by Bert Kaempfert; one of the themes would become the hit song "Strangers in the Night." To hear it swell up, played on the mandolin made me hear Sinatra singing it, and distracted me from what was going on. Garner's irritation at being thought a spy and his unconsummated romance with Miss Mercouri began to pall until the plot began to speed up. Franciosa and Dee, on the other hand, with their blithe nonchalance, were delightful through the end.

Whatever happened to the intelligent "adult" comedy movie? Well, my theory is that they made one too many like "A Man Could Get Killed."

The movie starts out well: Garner is a banker examining some sort of prospects near Lisbon (that part doesn't matter in the slightest, it's just an excuse to get him there) and from the moment he disembarks from the airplane it's assumed by everyone he's an American spy and no one will listen to the truth, thinking it's a clever cover story.

This includes the dunderheads at the British embassy (Robert Coote, Cecil Parker) an American smuggler posing as Portugese (Anthony Franciosa) and a collection of spies working in groups of twos and threes who are more like Keystone Kops.

Garner plays "comically frustrated" as well as or better than anyone in the business and I've never seen Franciosa better. And the movie has some fine comic moments. I even laughed out loud and I'm pretty jaded.

But as the movie drags on it seems to run out of ideas. It gets bogged down in fish and rice scenes (if you must know what that means, see the flick). Though it does keep trying new (rather, familiar) plot twists right up to the climax, i'd trade a plot twist or two for something funny.

In fact, one of the best things about "A Man Could Get Killed" is a trial run of music for what became "Strangers in the Night," a chart-topping hit for Sinatra in the age of the Beatles. It's lovely.

If the writers (or whomever) had been able to sustain the ideas and energy propelling its first half-hour "A Man Could Get Killed" might've been a spy-spoof classic. Garner is certainly good enough and has range enough as an actor to carry it off, as he did in the comic-western "Support Your Local Sheriff " But at some point someone decided the way to proceed was with boring scenes of fish and rice and that's what we're left with.

(James Coburn's unfortunately dated spy spoof "The President's Analyst" nailed the genre better and despite a third-act lull ultimately sustains itself to the end.)

I like Sandra Dee but she's just awful. Rumor is, she didn't want to go to Lisbon and was forced to do the movie contractually. I never "got" Melina Mercori and that's probably my own blind spot, but I can provide, under separate cover, a list of actresses I'd prefer cast as the women who bedevil Garner and Franciosa (as if Coote, Parker and the spies didn't bedevil them enough).

Overall, a worthy try until it runs out of steam. Despite a wonderful title, good music, and fine performances by Garner and Franciosa, "A Man Could Get Killed" is not a must-see classic you've missed all your life. Too bad.

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.

Just wanted to let anyone who might stumble upon this movie to know that it's certainly worth your time viewing. Melina Mercouri is great as the widow of a shadowy underworld figure who entangles James Garner in her search for missing booty. The booty being a small fortune in loose diamonds. The movie has lots of sixties style going for it and is set in beautiful Mediterranean locales. With a great supporting cast of sixties superstars like Sandra Dee and Tony Franciosa the movie entertains with tons of tounge in cheek, cloak and dagger sexy verve. It's a fun in the sun movie with all the stars putting in great performances. One final note, as the credits roll at the end of the movie, Frank Sinatra's rendition of Strangers in the Night provides a fitting and satisfying end.