Fathom (1967)

FATHOM is a frothy, silly spy adventure clearly taking advantage of the spy craze of the 1960s. It follows the misadventures of Raquel Welch's Fathom, a female agent sent in to recover a secret atomic device that has the power to destroy the world in the wrong hands. Treachery, adventure and battle ensue. Sadly, it's all a bit of a bore, and not a patch on the two Bulldog Drummond movies that Richard Johnson knocked out at around the same time.The problem with this film is the script. It's listless and inconsequential, focusing on unengaging characters and throwing in enough twists, turns and betrayals to bore even the most ardent viewer of thrillers. It's a succession of sunny locales and overacting characters, with bizarre scientists and outlandish fellow agents.Raquel Welch, bless her, is extremely limited as the main attraction and simply required to parade a series of form-fitting outfits on her admittedly impressive frame. For the most part I found her airhead character to be vacuous and irritating, almost unwatchable in places. There's a stalwart cast of British dependables, including, bizarrely, Richard Briers as a key ally, but that doesn't save this from being a pointless and plodding movie.

I have been fortunate enough to have been in my prime,when RAQUEL WELCH was in hers.This was worth the bathing suit romps and strengthens the fact that more is less in movies.She has had quite a tongue in cheek career.I do take issue with any director who would have this wonderful,perfect woman on the same screen as that ugly missing link Jim Brown.I am a Black man and have always felt that the brother had zero class man...A Sean Connery he is not...you know what I'm saying..Sidney Poitier maybe,Tony Franciosa yes.Tony was kind enough to occasionally hire me to do errands for him and I even sat in a projection room with seven other people who screened? the film and added the music.Even then,I felt that all that constant background noise took away..what the Spanish atmosphere and scenery gave to the film.I miss Mr.Tony a lot..even now.He was always too kind to me.

Back in 1967, Raquel Welch's appearance (rather than performance) in "Fathom" helped jump-start the puberties of around 40 million baby-boomer boys. I never got the chance to see this picture back in '67, unfortunately, and had to have MY puberty jump-started the old-fashioned way: by watching James Bond in the movies and Honey West and Emma Peel on TV (not to mention Laurie R. in junior high!). But 40 years after the fact, I finally caught up with "Fathom" last night. And you know what? The picture really isn't half bad. It's got a good, twisty, intelligent script, tongue in cheek though it may be; beautiful Spanish location shooting; and some colorful characters. The picture also moves quickly and features some good action sequences (such as Racky dodging a maddened bull in a bullring and swimming away from a harpooner in a speedboat). Half the fun in the movie comes from trying to figure out who is lying and what the characters' various motivations are (nobody seems to be telling the truth about anything in this film, and poor Fathom is understandably confused throughout). I quite enjoyed the film, and must say that Raquel's acting is much better than she is given credit for, and that she does indeed look sensational in every scene. Now I can finally understand all those raised hormonal levels 40 years ago!

Welch looks good in this, to be sure. But she also carries across the oddball charm this movie is attempting to convey. She looked good in Bedazzled and Myra Breckinridge as well, but wasn't given much to do. Here she gets some good dialogue to parry the men with, and she comes across as an exciting heroine that unlike Flynt or Matt Helm, should have been given more than one movie to do her thing. This film is very reminiscent of the more whacked-out Modesty Blaise. Just a little funnier. One could also find the roots of the current Charlie's Angels flix in this movie, albeit without the battering music.Leslie H. Martinson is a director who should be studied more closely. He did so many TV shows, it would be easy to dismiss him as style-free. But from what I've seen (Hot Rod Girl, PT 109, Batman) he uses simplicity in his favor, and makes good little movies that stick with you.