Hot Enough for June (1964)

For those of us who were growing up after World War II, there wasn't much about the Cold War that was funny. At least, not during the late 1940s and 1950s. But after Nikita Khrushchev's visit to the U.S. in September, 1959, things began to change. Still on guard and wary of the Soviets, America and Western Europe began to take the Cold War a little more lightly at times. So, films such as "Agent 8 ¾" began to appear. Others have noted the films based on Ian Fleming's James Bond character, and similar spoofs. But, this was still a time of tension. People were fleeing Soviet controlled countries, and Berlin was one of the last places of escape. So, the Soviets began building the Berlin wall in August 1961. Even after the wall was up, there were occasional daring escapes. Hollywood turned out some excellent films that looked at the escape attempts and other espionage thrillers. "The Spy Who Came in from the Cold" came out in 1965. It gave a realistic and excellent feel for the east-west tension in Germany at the time. I recall an incident when I was in the Army and stationed in Germany, 1962-1964. A friend and I flew the mail plane from Frankfurt to Berlin for a long weekend visit to tour the city. We took an American military tour bus through Checkpoint Charlie into East Berlin. We made a stop at the Soviet War Memorial, and as we were leaving, a small group of East German boys approached us. GIs in those days always had gum or candy on hand, and we gave the boys both. As our bus was pulling out, our guide told us that the German Police would take the goodies from the boys. Sure enough, as we watched through the rear window, two cars pulled up and men in long black coats got out and corralled the kids. Hollywood couldn't have staged it any better.Most of the espionage films during the1960s were combination action, mystery and thrillers. They were interesting and the better ones kept viewers on the edge of their seats. Some had humor. Some of the best were "The Prize" in 1963, "The Ipcress File" in 1965, "Arabesque" in 1966, "The Deadly Affair" in 1966, "Funeral in Berlin" in 1966, "Torn Curtain" in 1966, "Ice Station Zebra" in 1968, and "Topaz" in 1969. A number of spy spoofs also came out in that time, but none were very exceptional. Films other than espionage around the Cold War were quite good and funny. But the Cold War spy spoofs mostly were so-so. "Agent 8 3/4 "is about as good as they got, and it's little more than a light, somewhat entertaining movie. The plot is OK, but the script is weak. There are no great funny lines, and only a few laughs over panning one thing or another about the British or Soviet secret agencies. The actors are good but not exceptional.

This film is very funny indeed, because it was well directed by Ralph Thomas, who could sometimes make terrible films, such as SOME GIRLS DO (1969, see my review). But primarily the film is carried by the superb and delicately delivered performances of those three old pros, Robert Morley, Leo McKern, and Dirk Bogarde. They all knew so well what they were doing that they could always direct themselves. McKern had a passion for Indian food, and I often used to sit near him in the Shahbhag on Roslyn Hill, as he scoffed his curry, but I never thought it tactful to speak to him, as disturbing a man at his curry is simply not the done thing. McKern's greatest acting triumph was his performance as Peer Gynt, in the play of that title by Ibsen. I saw that extremely long and brilliant production at the Old Vic in a long-gone era, but have never forgotten that McKern was a classical actor of enormous stature, and if he had not had such a rumpled face and a funny expression, he might have done more to prove it to people. This film has an absurd story which is satirically and lightly done, so that it all ends up being just lots of fun on the principle of: Who cares if it's ridiculous? It works. Sometimes they do and sometimes they don't. You take your life in your hands when you try to make a satirical comedy. John le Mesurier provides solid backup, as usual, making his comical long face and joining in the fun of pretending to be a spy. Everyone in the film is either a spy or pretends to be a spy or doesn't know he is a spy because nobody has told him. During the Cold War we needed this kind of comic consolation sometimes, because the realities were so grim. There are also some pointed jokes about people sponging on the dole, lazy chaps who claim to be writers and will one day write a great novel but never do (Bogarde plays this for all the laughs he can get), and there is Sylva Koscina having fun falling in love with him whilst spying on him in Prague. All good solid sixties nonsense. And there is a wonderful 'in-joke'. At one point Bogarde is looking at a newspaper, and a secondary story which most people would not notice is headed: '"I'm not a spy!' says Ralph Thomas', Ralph Thomas of course being the film's director. Lots of laughs on the set, I'm sure. 'And now time for a pint,' I suspect.

Released in the wake of 'From Russia With Love', 'Hot Enough For June' was one of the earliest 007 spoofs. 007 is referred to ( reportedly killed in action! ) in the opening scene. Nicholas Whistler ( Dirk Bogarde ) is dragged out of the dole queue, and sent to Prague by what believes to be a glass-manufacturing company. In actual fact, he is being used as an unwitting secret agent by M15, to recover a stolen Communist formula. Once Whistler realises the awful truth, the film turns into 'The 39 Steps' revisited! Bogarde plays Whistler much like Dr.Simon Sparrow, the best performances come from the irreplaceable Robert Morley as the delightfully droll Colonel Cunliffe, and gruff Leo McKern as his Russian opposite number. Sylva Koscina provides glamour as McKern's daughter, with whom Whistler falls in love. Ralph Thomas expertly mixes the comedy and suspense, the audience is cheering Whistler on as he makes a desperate attempt to enter the British Embassy in Prague at the climax. Good fun.

I remember this film used to be shone on PBS, now and again, and I always looked forward to watching it.(this was before VCRs, so I caught it when it braodcasted) It was one of the better low key spy films to come out during the James Bond phenomena of the mid 60's, a light comedic film that turned into a good suspense thriller by the end. I hope somebody acquires a good print and puts it out on DVD.