DIE SLOWLY, YOU'LL ENJOY IT MORE

Brad Harris and Lex Barker

DIE SLOWLY, YOU'LL ENJOY IT MORE (aka Spy Today, Die Tomorrow aka Mister Dynamit -- morgan kust euch der tod/1967). Director: Franz Josef Gottlieb.

A wealthy criminal named Baretti (Amedeo Nazzari) -- an arms smuggler who loves playing with toy trains --  has managed to steal a nuclear missile away from a stockpile in New Mexico, and now demands a billion dollars from the U.S. government or he will drop the bomb on Washington, D.C. Agent Bob Urban (Lex Barker), also known as "Mr. Dynamite," is assigned to the case. He is briefly assisted by a man named Cliff (Brad Harris) and dallies with a lovely lady, Lu (Maria Perschy), who may or may not be on the side of the angels. A certain General Burch (Jose Suarez) is secretly working with Baretti. 

Amedeo Nazzari

Die Slowly is yet another poor imitation of Thunderball. Former Tarzan Lex Barker is fine as the super-spy but his vehicle is padded with too many scenes of generals sitting around talking and talking, trying to decide what to do about Baretti and his bomb while there are only occasional spurts of action from Urban. (One late sequence involving a lot of metal barrels is at least well-staged). Other cast members you may have heard of include Gustavo Rojo and Wolfgang Preiss. Virtually everyone in this international production is dubbed. 

Verdict: Thunderball it ain't. **.

JUNGLE HEAT

Mari Blanchard and Lex Barker

JUNGLE HEAT (1957). Director: Howard W. Koch.     

Roger McRae (Glenn Langan) and his wife, Ann (Mari Blanchard), arrive in Hawaii and discover that the manager of the plantation where they are to reside has been murdered. Roger takes over, while his unhappy wife becomes friendly with Dr. Jim Ransom (Lex Barker). There is a lot of talk of Japanese fifth columnists in Hawaii during this pre-WW2 period, as well as difficulties with the plantation workers, whom the entitled McRae sees mostly as slaves. Major Dick Grey (Rhodes Reason of the Bus Stop TV series) has a Japanese wife, Kimi-San (Miyoko Sasaki), whom is unfairly suspected of being a fifth columnist. Meanwhile a planter named Mathews (James Westerfield) manipulates things behind the scenes as a worker named Felix Agun (Glenn Dixon) is hunted by the law.

Rhodes Reason and Lex Barker

Jungle Heat tries to add some substance to its melodramatic story but nothing ever really jells. With this cast, one would have hoped for a sexy and lurid romp but the movie only briefly veers in that direction and never goes anywhere. As usual, Barker reads his lines without adding any nuances, although Blanchard, Langan, and Westerfield, as well as the other cast members -- including an intense Dixon -- are more on target. The score by Les Baxter seems to do most of the work, giving the flick an energy it generally lacks. The ironic ending isn't much of a surprise given the time period. Another cheap production from Bel-Air.    

Verdict: Half-baked melodrama with interesting elements that don't quite add up. **.