Missione speciale Lady Chaplin (1966) Poster

User Reviews

Review this title
13 Reviews
Sort by:
Filter by Rating:
6/10
Miss Chaplin is No Lady
bnwfilmbuff30 April 2017
Daniela Bianchi stars in the title role involving the presumed attempt by some unfriendly government or organization to resurface the sunken American atomic submarine Thresher. The American agents know that Jacques Bergerac's organization is the only one capable of raising the sub but feel that he is above suspicion because he's wealthy! Bianchi's cover as a fashion designer is blown during her first meeting with American agent Ken Clark who quickly undresses her - literally! There are some well done action sequences with the fighting scenes especially well choreographed. I enjoyed the chase scene in the bullfight arena. The movie has some beautifully shot on-location scenes in New York, Spain, London, and France. Unfortunately Ken Clark did not have much on screen charisma. And despite Helga Line's top billing she was given little to do. Bianchi and Bergerac are very good, however. The movie does have a good plot and some decent twists at the end. This is a good Euro spy thriller and, in spite of its shortcomings, it is an enjoyable viewing.
7 out of 7 found this helpful. Was this review helpful? Sign in to vote.
Permalink
6/10
Everybody's trying to get Dick in this spy thriller...
planktonrules27 February 2017
This is the third and final film starring secret agent Dick Malloy (Ken Clark). I have not seen either of the previous films but they are spy films much like the 007 films, but made by Italians and starring this lesser-known American actor in the lead.

When the film begins, Lady Chaplin (Daniela Bianchi...of "From Russia With Love" fame) dresses up like a nun and kills some monks in a monastery. Clearly, this lady lacks scruples and she'll come into contact with Dick sooner of later. As for Dick, his boss is worried about a sunken American sub, the USS Thresher. On board are Polaris missiles...nuclear missiles and the good guys need to get to them first. Unfortunately, when Dick goes exploring, he finds the sub but the missile tubes are empty! How does Lady Chaplin play into all this and will she fall for Dick by the end of the movie?

Like a Bond film, this movie has a nice international look--with location shoots in New York, Spain, France, Italy and the UK! It also looks good...with a better than usual budget for an Italian film of the era. Like Bond, this agent has his gadgets and the plot is pretty similar to the Bond thriller "Thunderball"...which debuted the previous year. So is it up to Bond quality or worth seeing? I'd say no and maybe. No, it's not quite bond in quality (such as camera-work, acting and props) and whether or not you will enjoy it depends on if you can get past seeing a relatively bland secret agent...and Dick is a bit limp as a character. But if you simply cannot get enough 007 and don't mind that he's sort of a cheap substitute, Dick is work seeing.
3 out of 3 found this helpful. Was this review helpful? Sign in to vote.
Permalink
6/10
Lady Chaplin Is So Bad She's Good.
mikecanmaybee12 July 2020
Daniela Bianchi is perfect for her role as fashion designer, and assassin on the side, (Lady Chaplin) while old Pal (Dick Malloy), reprized by dependable Ken Clark, shares the top billing with Ms.Chaplin. This is a terrific Eurospy which gets off to a fast start and doesn't slow down for an hour. By the time the plot setting scenes take place you will be ready for a break from the wild and well done action sequences. Even the fighting scenes are excellent by Euro standards anyway. Director Al De Martino did a great job with some beautiful and talented lady's. Including, Evelyn Stewart (Constance Day) who plays Lady Chaplin's assistant in both the designing and killing realms. The two beauties have a lot of chemistry and make us believe they have been friends for years. Another bad girl (Hilde) played by Helga Liné is great as a euro version of a gun mole. Mabel Karr as good girl agent (Jacqueline) is in my humble opinion the scene stealer in the film. The plucky and sexy Jacqueline's part is well written and Mabel lights up the screen. The male cast. other then handsome Ken, were not quite up to snuff with the lady's. Alfredo Mayo as the very English (Sir Hillary) is the exception. Jacques Bergerac plays the mean and crazy head bad guy (Kobre Zoltan). The problem with this is Zoltan is supposed to be an America, but The Latin Lover Jauques exudes Europe and I never believed for a second he was an America. Too bad they didn't write his part as a French Bad Guy then it would have been fine. The only other minor complaint is that a beautiful old Citroen Panel Van was sacrificed over a cliff. At least it died in a fine Eurospy.
2 out of 2 found this helpful. Was this review helpful? Sign in to vote.
Permalink
As fun as any Bond flick
vjetorix13 January 2003
This is Ken Clark's most Bondian adventure and it is a hoot. Despite the fact that the numbers `077' are prominently featured on the door of a taxi taken by Ken at one of the many airports in this movie, this is not a Coplan flick. Ken is CIA agent Dick Malloy and although he looks slightly uncomfortable in his designer duds, he's still mighty dapper. SMLC was Ken's fourth spy flick and it's one of the most enjoyable especially for those who want to come down easy from Bond. It's full of gadgetry and has a Fleming feel to the plot.

Don't miss this fun adventure. It's easily as entertaining as any Bond flick despite the absence of a charismatic villain.
6 out of 7 found this helpful. Was this review helpful? Sign in to vote.
Permalink
7/10
Very fun
I would highly recommend this . Very fun and extraordinary . Rec. from Eurospy Guide by Matt Blake/David Deal.
2 out of 3 found this helpful. Was this review helpful? Sign in to vote.
Permalink
6/10
Routine but entertaining Euro-spy movie coproduced by Spain , Italy and France
ma-cortes31 October 2022
It is a run-of-the-mill , typical Euro-spy movie with usual components : pursuits , crossfire , struggles , state-of-art gadgets , strange artifacts , international conspiracy about nuclear disaster , explosive women and other trappings that used to show up in the genre. When an unfriendly government or organization attempts to resurface the sunken American atomic submarine Thresher , Agent Dick Malloy is assigned to the dangerous mission to encounter it . The American agents eventually know that organization run by Zoltan (Jacques Bergerac) is the only one capable of raising the sub with plenty of Polaris nuclear missiles . Zoltan is a suspicious and wealthy American specialized in submarine researches with sinister purports , as he is bent on taking over the world . While Lady Chaplin (Daniela Bianchi) is a gorgeous woman, she is a fashion stylist and she owns an atelier in Paris. And while dressing like a nun or like a sticken to wheelchair woman to ger her sinister and dark purports . Subsequently , our valiant , easy-going agent takes on the cunning criminal organization commanded by Lady Chaplin , as well as an astute woman (Helga Liné) who wants to buy the missiles and other nasty enemies.

Euro-spy movie with ordinary ingredients : thrills , noisy action , plot twists , several villain roles , bare fists fights , various international locations , shootouts with high body-count and being middlingly entertaining from start to finish . The story is a mess of mutual spying a and a sunk American atomic submarine with sixteen missiles still on board , following silly confrontations with a lot of fights and crossfire . Colorful and so-so rendition about European spy subgenre , a prolific genre during the sixties , not taking any situation seriously . A fashion and typical spy film at the time, meaning it stuck to a lot of what was currently popular , but here including some embarrassing and nonsense scenes . Inspired by the success of the James Bond films, as this spy sub-genre borrows heavily from the OO7 series that at the time starred Sean Connery , such as : Dr No, From Russia with love , Thunderball, and Goldfinger . The content remains the same as the title : a risked European operation , extreme villains , beautiful mini-skirt girls , along with ridiculous , uptight and silly action set pieces from a today's point of view . A Sixties-style film usually has a short sell-by date , and this flick isn't exception .The leading role was played by Ken Clark as American secret agent Dick Malloy who had three cinematic adaptations , he starred some Euro-spy movies such as Agente 077 missione Bloody Mary , Fury in the Bosphorus, Agent Secret FX 18 (1964) , among others . Ken Clark was one of many American hunk men as Steve Reeves , Gordon Scott , Reg Park, Mark Forest , Reg Lewis, Dan Vadis , Rock Stevens , Lou Ferrigno, emigrated to Italy to play a Sword and Sandals or Peplum movies , though none of them topped in popularity to Steve Reeves . Ken Clark getting a certain success in Peplum , Spaghetti Western and Euro-spy genre . Here Ken Clark is accompanied by Daniela Bianchi from ¨From Russia with Love¨ , ¨Requiem for a Secret Agent, ¨Operation Kid Brother¨ , ¨Zarabanda Bing Bing¨ and this ¨Operation Lady Chaplin¨ . Adding a functional support cast , with full of actors from co-producer countries, such as Spain : Mabel Karr , Helga Liné, Alfredo Mayo , Rafael Albaicín, Rufino Inglés , Tomás Blanco ; Italy : Eveyn Stewart or Ida Gally ; France : Jacques Bergerac, Philippe Hersent.

Displaying an evocative cinematography by Federico G. Larraya and Alejandro Ulloa , including sightseeing from Plaza de Toros de Las Ventas, Madrid , Hotel Luz Palacio , Paseo de la Castellana, 67, Madrid, Cabo de Palos, Murcia, Cartagena , Murcia, Escombreras , San Pedro del Pinatar, Murcia , Marbella , Málaga, Andalucía, Spain , Paris , France, London, England, UK, New York, USA . From the music by Bruno Nicolai who was disciple of the great Ennio Morricone to the wonderful villain to the presence of Daniela Bianchi to the whole feel of the film - it all screams James Bond .

The motion picture was professionally directed by Alberto De Martino . This craftsman Alberto Martino was a nice professional , writer , producer and director who made pictures of all kinds of genres and exploitation movies , such as Terror : Antichrist, Holocaust 2000, 7 Hyden Park, The Killer is on the phone ; Wartime : Dalle Ardenne all Inferno ; Thrillers : Roma vs Chicago, The man of the ice eyes, The Consellour, The Puma Man , Upperseven , Operation Lady Chaplin, The insatiables ; Spaghetti Westerns : Django Shoots first, Seventh Cavalry, One hundred thousand dollars for Ringo and Peplum : Seven Spartans, Invincibles, La Rivolta dei Sette, Medusa against the son of Hercules and The Invincible Gladiator. Being co-directed , uncredited , by Sergio Grieco as Terence Hathaway . He was a good Italian artesan who made a lot of adventures, action and thrillers movies as ¨Sergeant Klems¨, ¨SOS agent 017¨, ¨The mysterious swordsman¨ , ¨Lucrezia Borgia¨, ¨La regina dei Tartaro¨, ¨Il Capitano di Ferro¨, ¨Pirates of the Black Hawk¨ and several others . Rating : 6/10. A decent Euro-spy movie for ordinary aficionados. That was a lot better than I was expecting, I quite enjoyed that.
1 out of 1 found this helpful. Was this review helpful? Sign in to vote.
Permalink
3/10
Ho Hum...
richardchatten10 February 2017
Warning: Spoilers
As one who loves to watch chicks kick ass, I've wanted to see this movie ever since as a teenager I came across a picture of Daniela Bianchi in what looks like some sort of animal-skin jumpsuit dangling from a parachute brandishing a machine gun. But experience has taught me not to get my hopes up too high on the basis of individual publicity stills; and sure enough the film itself proved the usual let-down.

Even though the movie is actually named after her character - and begins with a promising pre-credits sequence with Miss Bianchi in a nun's habit (under which she's wearing a bathing suit) packing a machine gun - most of the action is thereafter hogged by Ken Scott making his third and final appearance as Agent 077, Dick Malloy. Bianchi, alas, doesn't get her hands on a firearm again until the afore-mentioned scene just ten minutes from the end of the movie; when after finally getting a crack at Zoltan's turtle-neck wearing goons (to whom Malloy has been laying waste for the past ninety minutes), she runs out of bullets after barely ninety seconds and is hardly given time to reload before that big killjoy Clark barges in and lays her out with a punch while mouthing that groan-inducing old macho chestnut: "I'm sorry, Arabella, you're going to have to sit this one out!"

And yet another opportunity to treat us to a truly badass female lead has been lost.
1 out of 4 found this helpful. Was this review helpful? Sign in to vote.
Permalink
6/10
A great Eurospy
BandSAboutMovies14 April 2020
Warning: Spoilers
For my money, Alberto De Martino made the best non-Bond Italian Bond film with OK Connery. He also covered so many genres in his career: giallo (The Man with Icy Eyes, Carnal Circuit, The Killer Is On the Phone, Strange Shadows in an Empty Room), gothic horror (The Blancheville Monster), peblum (The Triumphs of Hercules), Spaghetti Westerns (100.000 dollari per Ringo, Django Shoots First), the occult (Holocaust 2000, The Antichrist) and even superheroes (The Pumaman).

Alberto is joined by co-director Sergio Grieco, who would go on to make plenty more Eurospy films like Argoman the Fantastic Superman, The Tiffany Memorandum and The Fuller Report.

This is third and final episode of the CIA Secret Agent 077 series. Dick Malloy is played again by Ken Clark, who totally lived the Rick Dalton life.

Perhaps sensing that these films needed more than just a male hero, this film is named for Lady Arabella Chaplin, a professional killer and fashionista played by Daniela Bianchi, who just three years earlier played Russian Bond girl Tatiana Romanova in From Russia WIth Love. She also appears in De Martino's OK Connery.

She's the best thing in this movie, which begins with her dressed as a nun, walking into a church to machinegun some spies pretending to be monks before stripping her habit down to a swimsuit. All movies should start this great. Beyond wearing a ton of amazing outfits in this - she's a fashion designer hitwoman, after all - she also dresses as an old woman with a wheelchair filled with guns.

Helga Line is also in this, which you can say about just around every other Eurospy movie of this era. This is not a bad thing. So does Ida Galli, who was in plenty of other movies under plenty of other names like Arianna, Evelyn Stewart and Isli Oberon. She's in Fuci's The Psychic, The Sweet Body of Deborah, Footprints On the Moon, The Bloodstained Butterfly, The Case of the Scorpion's Tail, The Whip and the Body and so many more.

Villain Kobre Zoltan - who seeks to steal nuclear missiles from a submarine on the ocean's floor - is played by Jacques Bergerac, who was the fourth husband of Ginger Rogers.
0 out of 1 found this helpful. Was this review helpful? Sign in to vote.
Permalink
5/10
The Third Film in the Agent 077 Franchise
Uriah439 November 2023
This film essentially begins with an American nuclear submarine experiencing a catastrophic accident resulting in the death of the entire crew and subsequently sinking to the bottom of the North Atlantic Ocean. Although everyone in the American government assumes that the submarine is too deep to be recovered, officials quickly become alarmed when it is learned that a dog tag from one of the dead submariners is being auctioned off in Spain--highlighting the possibility that those 16 Polaris missiles have also been recovered as well. So, to get some answers to this question, the CIA sends an agent named "Dick Malloy" (Ken Clark) to retrieve the dog tag in order to determine its authenticity. However, immediately after buying the item, the man who sold it to him is wounded in an assassination attempt, thus temporarily preventing him from divulging any information concerning how he came acquired that particular item in the first place. Still needing answers, Agent Malloy then goes to the hospital to question him further. Unfortunately, once he gets there, he discovers that somebody has murdered him--and an attractive woman named "Lady Arabella Chaplin" (Daniela Bianchi) soon becomes his prime suspect. But even more important, he still needs to find the key person behind the organization that hired her, as failure to do that could result in a hostile nation acquiring 16 nuclear missiles. Now, rather than reveal any more, I will just say that this turned out to be an okay international spy film due in large part to the performance of Daniela Bianchi who, in my opinion, dominated every scene she was in. Even so, unlike any of the more popular James Bond films, the lead character (Ken Clark) wasn't nearly as polished and lacked the on-scream charisma of any of the actors who have played Agent 007. Likewise, the film quality in this film wasn't nearly as good either. In short, while this film was clearly not a first-rate production, those looking for a cheap James Bond clone might find some entertainment value with it, and I have rated it accordingly. Average.
0 out of 0 found this helpful. Was this review helpful? Sign in to vote.
Permalink
7/10
Third 077 EuroSpy Flick with Ken CLARK
ZeddaZogenau19 December 2023
In this third and final part of the series about Agent 077, who is actually called Dick Malloy (Ken Clark), but is referred to as Jack Clifton in German-speaking countries, there is a very special character with the Bond girl Daniela Bianchi ("With Love") attractive guest star on board.

Lady Arabella Chaplin (Daniela Bianchi) is a renowned fashion designer. Nobody suspects that she also works as a very versatile killer lady. When the possibility of recovering atomic bombs from a sunken ship arises, it naturally attracts both secret services and criminal gangs. Super agent Dick Malloy (Ken Clark) is of course sent into the fray by his boss Heston (Philippe Hersent). There he meets some breathtaking women (Helga Line, born in Berlin in 1932, Mabel Karr and the fantastic Ida Galli) and the mysterious Kobre Zoltan (Jacques Bergerac). Not to forget: the enchanting Lady Arabella!

EuroSpy at its best! Locations in New York City, London, Madrid, Rome and Paris! Lots of action, beautiful women and a good pinch of frivolity. Of course, Ken Clark (1927-2009) is no Sean Connery, but he also has impressive chest fur to offer. He cuts a fine figure in mattress sports and in close combat.

And Daniela Bianchi can be seen in her star role as a beautiful, exquisitely dressed and mysterious woman, who also has her violent moments here, for example when she "takes out" several monks as a nun.

This lively film from the EuroSpy wedding was directed by Alberto De Martino and Sergio Grieco. It was produced by Edmondo Amati and Jacques Roitfeld. The music worth listening to comes from Bruno Nicolai.
0 out of 0 found this helpful. Was this review helpful? Sign in to vote.
Permalink
8/10
I hate that they only made three of these movies
bensonmum223 June 2009
Warning: Spoilers
Special Mission Lady Chaplin is the third and final installment in the Agent 077 Dick Malloy series. I realize it's a matter of opinion, but they might just have saved the best for last. In this one, Dick Malloy (Ken Clark) is searching for 16 nuclear warheads taken from a downed submarine. Suspicion immediately falls on underwater salvager and mega-rich Kobre Zoltan (Jacques Bergerac). And these suspicions are soon proved true as he tries to sell the bombs to the highest bidder. Working with Zoltan is his right hand woman, Lady Chaplin (Daniela Bianchi). She's a world renowned fashion designer, a master of disguise, and a heartless assassin. Can Malloy lure Lady Chaplin over to his side in his effort to find the missiles?

Whether this is your favorite of the series or not, one thing seems clear, this is the most James Bond-ish movie of the bunch. From the music to the wonderful villain to the presence of Daniela Bianchi to the whole feel of the film – it all screams James Bond. It's not hard to picture Sean Connery fighting the man with the steal hook or coming out of the water with a grenade launching spear gun or romancing Lady Chaplin. Bond would have been right at home. Even the plot should seem familiar to Bond fans. It's basically yet another version of Thunderball.

While it's difficult to compare a movie like Special Mission Lady Chaplin to a James Bond film because of budgetary considerations, that doesn't keep this movie from being a lot of fun. Once again, Ken Clark is outstanding. By this, the third film he played Malloy, he'd really made the character his own. Jacques Bergerac makes for a great super villain. He's cocky, sure of himself, and ruthless - everything you want in a bad guy. As is usual in this kind of movie, Daniela Bianchi is terrific. And, she looked to be having a wonderful time in her role. The movie is well paced with very few dull spots to slow things down. Lots of good fight scenes, spy gadgets, and groovy clothes are other highlights of Special Mission Lady Chaplin. The exotic locations add a lot to the overall feel of the film. I've already mentioned the music, but I'll do so again. Bruno Nicolai's score is rock solid. That theme music will definitely get stuck in your head. Anyway you look at it, this one's a keeper. If I've got one complaint it would be the poor quality of the dubbing. It really distracts from things.
7 out of 7 found this helpful. Was this review helpful? Sign in to vote.
Permalink
8/10
Like a true Bond film
RodrigAndrisan20 May 2016
"Lady Chaplin, in her touch, there is something that means much..." says the song sung by Bobby Solo early in the film, as Daniela Bianchi appears only in some turquoise panties, very sexy, and we see the yellow car rolling down the rocks, when she might as well keep it, she had no reason to push it into the sea. Ken Clark is better than in "Tiffany Memorandum", the story is better(actually, we got a story), we even have an original hanging scene at minute 15.24. So, when disguised as a nun, when as an old lady in a wheelchair, Lady Chaplin-Daniela Bianchi (the beautiful from "From Russia with Love") kills in cold blood everyone she has to. Actually, they are a team of two sexy young women killers, exactly like in Deadlier Than the Male. The gadgets are not missing: if Elke Sommer kills with a bullet-cigar, Bianchi(who looks like a twin sister of Jill Ireland) kills with a gun disguised in the wheelchair. All the fight scenes look very real and, overall, it is pleasant to watch.
5 out of 6 found this helpful. Was this review helpful? Sign in to vote.
Permalink
8/10
Many DVD versions are available.
larryanderson2 August 2017
SPECIAL OPERATION LADY CHAPLIN Ken Clark, Daniela Bianchi, Jacques Bergerac, Helga Linne, Evelyne Stewart, Mable Karr, Philippe Hersent

Ken Clark again plays secret Agent Dick Malloy for a continuation of the series. When he gets in a cab, they have 077 printed on the cab door.

Helga Linne is in it, even though they never have her name listed in any of the English language credits. Her name does appear in the Spanish version. The end scene in the Spanish version is "similar" but very different in the action than in the English. This is a minor discrepancy but worth noting. Also, the Spanish version has complete END CREDITS that the others omit. Same train scene, but no written credit.

I just watched the Blu-Ray version of FROM Russia WITH LOVE, where Daniela Bianchi first became know to western audiences. Her accent was so think that they had to have someone dub her voice. It is interesting to watch the 2009 Rai-TV, show, STRACULT, with Ken Clark and Daniela together on the same stage. Ken died on June 1st, 2009, just a few months after the show was taped.

They use Scorpions a lot in this movie.

The movie has a very believable story about stealing nuclear missiles from a sunken US Navy Submarine. It snaps along great until the final battle where Ken is in a plane and suddenly comes out of the water wearing a wet-suit and using a spear-gun that fires exploding grenades. I always thought there was a cut there but this new longer version I received has that Jump as well.

There is also a great TRAILER on You Tube for this movie, in case you want to watch it.

Larry Anderson, Canada
2 out of 2 found this helpful. Was this review helpful? Sign in to vote.
Permalink

See also

Awards | FAQ | User Ratings | External Reviews | Metacritic Reviews


Recently Viewed