The Venetian Affair

Being in high school at the time my friends and I read all the spy novels we could get our hands on. I had read 'The Spy Who Came in From The Cold'. The book and movie were both first class. Then I read 'The Venitian Affair' and it was also top notch, a first class suspense novel with all the twists and turns, very dark. When they announced that Robert Vaunghn was going to play the lead we were ecstatic. Unfortunately, the movie, while not bad, just didn't live up to the billing. Why, well the book was almost 500 pages and the movie was 89 minutes. The movie skips a lot of details and worse, it tries to rush to fit as much as possible in. James Bond thrillers are non-stop action, but most realist spy movies are slower and paced, as is most real spying. It feels like they tried to do this on a budget and use TV pacing. Hiring Vaughn was probably due in part to his television background, thinking he would be more acceptable to this approach. He wasn't and it shows. Being a real actor with the chops to really shine in a great role, he must have been very disappointed when he got the final script. It lacked much of the character development and brooding pace. As I said, it's not a bad movie, just far short of it's potential. And, there is the classic line from the airport scene when he first lands in Veinna. Read the book after seeing the movie, it's a classic spy novel with tension that crackles.

An American diplomat sets off a suicide bomb in a peace conference. It's a confounding case. The Americans and the Soviets are nominally working together but both suspect each other. CIA chief Frank Rosenfeld (Ed Asner) recruits former agent Bill Fenner (Robert Vaughn) to investigate. Bill's ex-wife Sandra Fane (Elke Sommer) is a suspected communist and the CIA has her filmed suggesting involvement in the case. The cause may be connected to Dr. Vaugiroud (Boris Karloff).

After an explosive start, this slows down to a crawl. Despite some interesting espionage material, this movie is stagnate. The tone is hushed and lacking in kinetic energy. It generates no tension. The filmmaker is not injecting any intensity into the picture. It's basically a casual stroll through an espionage park with some interesting scenery. It's also interesting to see Karloff nearing his end but everything moves too slowly including the story.

1966's "The Venetian Affair" is often thought of as just another theatrical feature derived from television's THE MAN FROM U. N. C. L. E. Due to the presence of Robert Vaughn in the lead, actually turning out to be a rather low key and underdeveloped adaptation of Helen MacInnes' 1963 best seller of the same name, the big screen debut of director Jerry Thorpe. Much of its cast also contributes to that small screen sheen, such as Edward Asner, Roger C. Carmel and Felicia Farr, while international starlets like Elke Sommer and Luciana Paluzzi are totally wasted in throwaway roles. A peace conference in Venice concludes abruptly with 13 people blown up, Asner's security chief requiring the presence of former CIA operative Vaughn because of his ex-wife's suspected involvement, the marriage dissolving when she opted to become a Communist agent. He's no Napoleon Solo, a battered, world weary alcoholic seemingly moving in a daze, reduced to being a wire services correspondent who manages to escape the numerous traps devised for his demise. Only by the one hour mark do we see the actual culprit and his method of mind control, a drug that can make a cat afraid of a mouse, or a peace loving American diplomat become a suicide bomber with the flick of a pen. Shooting began Apr. 13 on location in Italy, while the surprise appearance of Boris Karloff preceded a flurry of activity in the fall of 1966 on episodes of THE WILD, WILD WEST, THE GIRL FROM U. N. C. L. E., I SPY, and especially Chuck Jones's half hour rendition of Dr. Seuss' HOW THE GRINCH STOLE CHRISTMAS (already in the can were animated characters in a pair of Rankin/Bass titles, "The Daydreamer" and "Mad Monster Party?"). Confined to only three scenes totaling nearly 7 minutes screen time as political scientist Dr. Pierre Vaugiroud, the actor first pops up for a full 5 minute sequence opposite Vaughn to reveal knowledge of the recent bombing, then in the latter stages to urge Vaughn to work with the villains, and finally in full hypnotic mode, frantically insisting that he be allowed to offer up his own report to a room filled with vulnerable diplomats, unaware of the bomb secreted in his briefcase. It's a rare straight role during a horror filled decade and one of the more noteworthy performances in a film lacking much intrigue despite the exotic Venetian locations (at least Luciana Paluzzi actually speaks Italian). Robert Vaughn was already an Oscar-nominated actor, and would succeed with his next role in Steve McQueen's "Bullitt," later playing Lord Byron Orlock opposite Roger Corman-shot Karloff footage in the 1989 "Transylvania Twist."

Robert Vaughn was so great as a spy in Man from U.N.C.L.E. that he got a starring role in the full length film Venetian Affair. Vaughn is Fenner, retired CIA, but now working as a reporter (really ?). after the bombing of diplomats in venice, he is sent to get whatever information he can for the wire services. Some other fun names here. the awesome Boris Karloff, taking a break from his horror films. Ed Asner, WAY before MTM or Lou Grant. he had done lots of tv work, but this appears to be his third film role. Elke Sommer did a bunch of projects with Dean Martin. in this film, she's Sandra, who may be involved in the bombing. Karloff is Dr. Vaugiroud, who may or may not be helpful to Fenner. the first half moves pretty slowly.. it's all setup. there's kind of a showdown scene at the end, and things are explained, but it's just so-so. it's entertaining enough, but nothing new and exciting. some fun scenery of Venice, as imdb claims that it actually was filmed there. directed by Jerry Thorp, his first of only two film projects; done in the middle of so many television shows. story by Helen MacInnes, who had a couple novels made into film.

"The Venetian affair",in spite of the suicide bombing , starts very slowly and it's a muddled affair,in which Robert Vaugn seems lost and not that much interested .The female star,Elke Sommer,makes herself wait ,and it's finally a disappointing part.Ditto for Luciana Paluzzi,one of the best villain James Bond girls .

The movie becomes more interesting in its third part ,partially thanks to Karl Boehm who succeeds in being disturbing:the scene of the cat and the mouse is certainly the best in the whole flick;incidentally the final segment of the last "Sissi" in which Boehm was the nice emperor was also filmed in Venice.But he was also "peeping tom" and it shows in this poor spy thriller,probably made to capitalize on the success of Bond.