Ring-a-Ding-Ding!!!
OK, so the 1960s are known for many things, but one of the reasons I like the 60s is: Spies! The 60s gave birth to the whole love affair with spies. I mean, James Bond is the most obvious example of this phenom, but there was also James Coburn's Derek Flint (In Like Flint and Our Man Flint), plus the TV show I Spy (featuring young and handsome Bill Cosby and Robert Culp - lately seen as Debra's dad on Everybody Loves Raymond, but forever beloved by me as the FBI agent in Greatest American Hero, a show before its time). And then there was the cat so cool that my granddad named the family cat after him - Napoleon Solo in The Man from UNCLE.
Of course all this spy stuff gave birth to rollicking send-ups almost immediately. The one that leaps to mind is the TV show Get Smart, which I discovered during the summer months as a child in the 70s, when there was no cable and that was how they filled the long hours during the day - no Jerry Springer back then either. But there was also a very funny send-up of James Bond, called Casino Royale, which I believe was actually co-written by Ian Fleming, which starred Peter Sellers (always a man before his time as well) as James Bond.
So you see, boys and girls, as funny as Austin Powers was, Mike Myers wasn't the first to come up with the concept. However, there are SO MANY tie-ins to original 60s spy stuff that most of the jokes have further meaning if you are conversant in the originals. I am pretty conversant, but I was amazed to discover the source for Felicity Shagwell (from the second AP movie). Are you ready for this?
DEAN MARTIN STARRED IN FOUR SPY MOVIES IN THE 60S. Yes, you heard that right - my favorite alcoholic celebrity of all time (and a very handsome and talented one to boot) starred in Four Groovy Spy Thrillers in the Swinging Sixties!
Not only that, his co-stars (for you fellas out there) included Tina Louise (Ginger from Gilligan's Island), Ann-Margret, Elke Sommer and Sharon Tate (yes, that one). In fact, Sharon Tate's character in the fourth "Matt Helm" movie was the basis for Felicity Shagwell. Betcha didn't know that!
It appears there were 4 Matt Helm movies: The Silencers (1966), Murderer's Row (1966), The Ambushers (1967) and The Wrecking Crew (1969). The bad news is: according to Netflix, the only one currently available on DVD is The Silencers.
But, oh baby, is it EVER on my Netflix list! Ring-a-Ding-Ding!!!
Of course all this spy stuff gave birth to rollicking send-ups almost immediately. The one that leaps to mind is the TV show Get Smart, which I discovered during the summer months as a child in the 70s, when there was no cable and that was how they filled the long hours during the day - no Jerry Springer back then either. But there was also a very funny send-up of James Bond, called Casino Royale, which I believe was actually co-written by Ian Fleming, which starred Peter Sellers (always a man before his time as well) as James Bond.
So you see, boys and girls, as funny as Austin Powers was, Mike Myers wasn't the first to come up with the concept. However, there are SO MANY tie-ins to original 60s spy stuff that most of the jokes have further meaning if you are conversant in the originals. I am pretty conversant, but I was amazed to discover the source for Felicity Shagwell (from the second AP movie). Are you ready for this?
DEAN MARTIN STARRED IN FOUR SPY MOVIES IN THE 60S. Yes, you heard that right - my favorite alcoholic celebrity of all time (and a very handsome and talented one to boot) starred in Four Groovy Spy Thrillers in the Swinging Sixties!
Not only that, his co-stars (for you fellas out there) included Tina Louise (Ginger from Gilligan's Island), Ann-Margret, Elke Sommer and Sharon Tate (yes, that one). In fact, Sharon Tate's character in the fourth "Matt Helm" movie was the basis for Felicity Shagwell. Betcha didn't know that!
It appears there were 4 Matt Helm movies: The Silencers (1966), Murderer's Row (1966), The Ambushers (1967) and The Wrecking Crew (1969). The bad news is: according to Netflix, the only one currently available on DVD is The Silencers.
But, oh baby, is it EVER on my Netflix list! Ring-a-Ding-Ding!!!
posted by The Big Seester | 1:06 PM
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