The Borgia Stick

Okay. Now I'm hooked. I was only 7 when the movie was released but I saw the movie (probably in B&W) on our kitchen TV. I don't even really recall what the movie was about but I vividly recall a scene watching them run down railroad tracks...and after 48 years it remains one of a handful of movie names that I remember. I think I might have been only 9 or 10 when I saw it.

After reading the other reviews here with so many others recalling the movie from those many years ago I can't help but wonder why we all so hooked on a seemingly insignificant movie.

Huh-after 47 years I searched it on IMDb to see if I'd see what the hell there was in this movie that so impressed me almost 50 years ago. Now I am scared-maybe ill see it again and end up needing therapy..

Intrigued more then ever now.

I, too, remember watching this as a teenager from the 60's. It kept me on the edge of my seat throughout its viewing and has stayed with me all of these years. A not-to-be-missed thriller if it ever is released. This movie is as good as any I have seen recently and better than most. It lacked the blood and guts of today, but left a lasting impression because you used your imagination. Viewers who enjoy thrillers, spy movies, intrigue with twists and turns would be pleased with this choice. If I remember correctly, it was in black and white, but that would only add to its appeal today. Inger Stevens was a great and multi- talented actress who is sadly missed. I searched high and low to find a copy of this exciting movie to share with friends, but without any luck. Does anyone have any ideas on how to request a release?

I saw this made-for-TV film when it aired in the sixties. I was twenty at the time, and while the details escape me, it conveyed enough paranoia and creepiness to sustain a strong impression of the film for nearly fifty years now. It's basically about two people who want to leave "an organization" and discover it's a tenacious entanglement. The film also holds as a metaphor for anyone who has worked in business or government and felt trapped by their involvement.

Also lasting for nearly fifty years is my memory of being on the edge of my seat with the twists and turns of the plot. On a video web site, I found a trailer for the film that must have run as a promo for its airing on television. They filmed on location in the New York City area, which gives it a sense of gritty realism. Highly recommended if you come across it.

Tom and Eve Harrison seem to be living the good life. Nice home, picket fence, trendy life style, sporty friends. However, its not at all what it appears. In reality, their life together is a sham. Tom and Eve are covers for a crime syndicate and their "marriage" a mere front for the criminal activities therein. By day, Tom goes off to "work" donning disguises and wheeling-and-dealing syndicate money while Eve sets up a responsible household, caters to her "husband", takes part in civic activities and sees to it they blend into the unsuspecting community. Living together but ultimately lonely, separate lives and not knowing a thing about each others' past as per syndicate code, a wrench is thrown into the proceedings when they discover that they are deeply in love and want to leave the syndicate to lead a "normal" existence together. The syndicate has other plans.

Don Murray and Inger Stevens are perfect in their roles of two pawns trapped in a much bigger chess game. The virile Murray, in particular, shows a natural fortitude for this type of edgy, clean-cut anti-hero. Usually wasted as a frivolous love interest, the gorgeous, honey-voiced Stevens gets the fleeting chance to display her dramatic talents especially as their sedentary lives begin to unravel.

Durable Barry Nelson acquits himself well here as the next-door-undercover cop whose onto their charade while Fritz Weaver offers smooth, cultivated menace as a syndicate leader. Along the way you'll spot a number of familiar TV faces in minor, pre-stardom roles, including Conrad "Diff'rent Strokes" Bain, Ralph "The Waltons" Waite and Sorrell "Dukes of Hazzard" Booke.

The movie is appropriately tense throughout and there are a number of interesting plot turns and twists to keep the cat-and-mouse proceedings moving as our couple desperately try to elude both the police and the syndicate. One eerie moment occurs in a funeral parlor where Murray and Stevens are laid out. The fact that Miss Stevens died a suicide only three years later offers a sad, peculiar foreshadowing for this lovely and tragic leading lady.

A most adroit and intriguing time-filler.

I was one of the few that had seen this movie when it came out in 1967. I was 14 years old when it came out and can only remember bits and pieces now. I have looked on and off for forty years to see if it was ever re-released. It never was to my knowledge. This movie made such an impression on me that has lasted four decades. I don't know who is in charge of releasing this to DVD, but it should be done and done quickly. I remember sitting on the edge of my seat till the very end. What a great movie. To all those who missed out, I'm sorry for you. The only way we will ever see this great flick again is to put pressure on the movie and TV industry to release it.