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 ****

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.

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.

I was shocked when the Academy Award Show mentioned that both Tony Franciosa and Sandra Dee died during the year. They co-starred in one of my favorite movies, A Man Could Get Killed.

How the hell could they be dead? They seemed like kids to me. I guess you live long enough most people start to seem like kids. But these were special to me. They gave me pleasure with their performances in an excellent movie.

Franciosa especially. I became a fan of his for life. He played a native street hustler/smuggler in Lisbon. His accent sounded believable to me. But then Sandra Dee came along.

Wait a minute.

Let's start at the beginning.

James Garner and Melina Mercouri starred in this comedy/action-adventure. (According to an English website Robert Coote starred. Tell them to take their cooties and go home.) Garner plays an American businessman who is mistaken by everybody for a super-secret British agent on the trail of smuggled diamonds. When Coote, supposedly his liaison at the British Embassy meets him at the Lisbon airport, the car intended for him is blown up. No matter how much Garner protests, all of which are accepted as cover for his actual mission, he is then transported into a world of scheming, dangerous, underworld characters.

First among these is the fabulous Melina Mercouri playing the amorous, amoral, ungrieving widow of a recently killed gangster. It is great fun for us to see how much fun she has in this role. She flirts with Garner at the funeral of her husband.

Tony Franciosa, totally charming in his guise as a Portuguese hustler, attaches himself to Garner. Sandra Dee, the archetypical Southern California beach girl appears and exposes Franciosa. They had been connected in America. But Franciosa's exposition is that he is an American hustler, not Portuguese. Not much change there.

The four of them are then off on a life or death quest to find the smuggled diamonds. It is a fun trip. Garner, straight and proper, is continuously agitated by Mercouri's delightful lack of morals.

In one memorable scene, the bad guys tell the two of them to strip so they can be searched. While Garner tries to defend her honor, Mercouri eagerly begins to comply. She begins by removing her false eyelashes.

This is a fun romp with charismatic stars and great chemistry between them. Much of the fine background music throughout became the ballad, "Strangers in the Night." See it if you get a chance.

And say goodbye to Sandra Dee and Tony Franciosa.

This really is one of those incredibly exciting caper movies of the 60's and it really is sad that it is not on DVD. Melina Mercouri, a total woman in every sense, exuded sex appeal and charm in a way that few others ever have. All the cast were great and how many know that this is the movie where Strangers in the Night was first heard, a big hit for Frank Sinatra. The European locations were wonderfully atmospheric, and also James Garner in the lead role, so perfectly cast .Sandra Dee and Anthony Franciosa, now both departed added to the confusion and fun of this absolutely delightful movie. The pace never lets up, and whilst James Garner is still with us , would be great to hear his views on working with the other cast members. Lets get this out on DVD!!!