SECRET AGENT FIREBALL

Richard Harrison as agent Bob Fleming

SECRET AGENT FIREBALL (aka Le spie uccidono a Beirut/1965).  Director: Luciano Martino (Martin Donan)

American agent Bob Fleming (Richard Harrison) is assigned to locate a missing scientist before the Russians do. His boss gives him "unlimited expenses and permission to kill." When the scientist is murdered, Fleming must find a piece of microfilm that has a formula for the H bomb on it, and goes after the dead man's niece, Liz (Dominique Boschero), to see if she knows anything. Unfortunately, sinister Soviet agents have the same idea, and Fleming is forced to rescue the young lady more than once. 

Harrison and Dominique Boschero

This Italian Eurospy movie is typical of the genre, with a horny and ruthless hero, sadistic spies, a femme fatale, and a variety of colorful locations. Fleming is certainly not chivalrous, however. When he and another, older woman are kidnapped at one point, he escapes from the car they are in and just leaves her behind to be murdered! Although there is some globe-hopping, most of the action takes place in Beirut.

Richard Harrison

One spy uses a pipe that contains a lethal dart, used to kill the aforementioned scientist and others. A police car that suddenly turns into a boat reminds one of a sequence in the later Moonraker. There is a knife fight with the two participants tied together with a rope, and two lady wrestlers are the entertainment in a nightclub. Fleming is assisted by Lepetit (Alcide Borik), an alleged taxi driver who has a lot of tricks up his sleeve. Harrison makes a good-looking super-spy and handles both love scenes and fist fights with aplomb. He played Bob Fleming in a later film as well. 

Verdict: Not to be confused with a classy James Bond flick. **1/4.