DEATH IS A WOMAN

Mark Burns

DEATH IS A WOMAN (aka Love is a Woman/1966.) Director: Frederic Goode.

British Agent Dennis Parbury ( Mark Burns) is sent to Malta to investigate casino owners Blake (Jim Brady) and Malo (William Dexter), who may be in the heroin trade. Blake is murdered at the outset, and then Malo -- who loaned Dennis money as part of his cover as a losing gambler -- is also killed, creating a locked room mystery; Dennis becomes a suspect in the eyes of Police Chief Costello (Mark Singleton). A female agent named Priscilla (Wanda Ventham) arrives to portray Dennis' fiance, but of much more interest is deadly Francesca (Trisha/Patsy Ann Noble), a lascivious brunette who has her boyfriend, Joe (Shaun Curry), do her killing for her. She has plans to get away with loads of heroin and loot and she has no intention of sharing the booty with anyone. 

Trisha Noble and Shaun Curry

Death is a Woman is a fair-to-middling British spy flick with a handsome lead, a title tune, and some decent acting. Wanda Ventham, however, is more like a freckle-faced girl next door than a sexy femme agent, but Trisha Noble is more on the mark as the murderous femme fatale. Terence de Marnay also makes an impression as the weird, toothless Jacomini, who may know more than he's saying, and William Dexter is suitably oily as casino owner Malo. Arguably the most memorable and charismatic performance is given by Shaun Curry as Joe, who makes the mistake of trusting Francesca while he's secretly dallying with sexy blonde Mary (Caron Gardner). The picture has some exciting moments and fight scenes, but is too leisurely-paced to amount to much more than a mediocre time passer. Lead Mark Burns appeared in a great many films and TV shows in succeeding years, as did Curry. 

Verdict: The Malta scenery is often attractive. **1/2.