Joe Christopher an American in London working for British Intelligence joins forces with Phoebe Stewart to investigate the death of a fellow agent who was the victim of a blackmail plot. Their pursuit of the truth takes them to Paris and an Alpineski resort.
The film was produced by MGM Television and shot mainly at MGM studios in Hollywood.[3][4] It was the last film directed by Thorpe in a lengthy and prolific career.[5]
There are significant differences between the book and the film version,[citation needed] which was designed to take advantage of the spy boom following the success of James Bond. Eaton was imported from Britain to play the female lead[6] and her Bond link was advertised by billing her as "The Goldfinger Girl".
It was broadcast by ABC in the United States while being given a theatrical release in several countries including Britain.
Reception
The Monthly Film Bulletin wrote: "This latest imitation Bond is a dud from start to finish, mainly because it ignores the basic rules of the spy thriller formula (original gimmicks to frost over the implausible and villains mean enough to be worth tracking down in the first place). Here the criminal organisation to be destroyed is about as threatening as a set of toy poodles, and Alex Cord as the agent looks more like an irate scoutmaster than an iron man of action. Some awkward plot continuity might have been broken up by fast cutting, but instead the script pauses at regular intervals to explain what it's all about. The result is a plodding piece of hokum without a whit of originality."[7]
Kine Weekly wrote: "A rather complicated and talkative adventure, this will, however, be acceptable in most situations. Routine double-programmer.... The trouble with this film in its role as a thriller is that it has too much mystery and not enough action. It starts with promise, when a man falls to his death from a high window, but subsequently loses its way on the track of red herrings wilfully created by having not only a ubiquitous organisation of villains but also two mildly rival British secret service agencies operating on the same problem apparently without liaison. The result is a certain amount of unnecessary confusion and a great deal of explanatory dialogue at the expense of action."[8]
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