William Beddoes (Garner) is a bank official sent to Lisbon to do a survey. When he's mistaken for the replacement agent for a man who was killed, he steps into a hotbed of espionage, smuggling and assorted underworld characters. He encounters Steve (Tony Franciosa) a young American smuggler masquerading as a Spaniard and Aurora (Mercouri) the former girlfriend of the deceased agent, who has ideas about how to resolve the mess he's fallen into. Meanwhile Steve has been accosted by Amy Franklin (Sandra Dee) a friend from home who's about to blow his cover. Will they figure out where the missing diamonds are before they get bumped off?
This caper comedy has a complicated plot that is deftly handled by a charming cast. Mercouri is delightful as usual and Garner is at his befuddled best. Though the romance between Franciosa and Dee is the least likely aspect of a highly unlikely plot, it's still enjoyable to watch. Look for a funny scene where Mercouri is forced to strip.
Though it's not yet been released on DVD, this film can be found in full on YouTube. Above is the entire film, uploaded by 99WhatsUpDoc99.
Obscurity factor: 9 (not on DVD, available on YouTube, largely forgotten)
For those of you who are fans of the Doris Day/Rock Hudson comedies, I have a treat for you. In 1962 Sandra Dee and Bobby Darin took a stab at the genre with this cute film. Free spirit Chantal Stacy (Sandra Dee) finds romance with photographer Eugene Wright (Bobby Darin), and after a whirlwind courtship, they're married. The course of love is never smooth in this genre, however, and Chantal soon finds herself neglected by her husband. So, advised by her French mother, she sets about to solve this using a series of deceptions and is, of course, eventually deceived herself. As in all these films, all is well in the end. The cast also includes a young Stefanie Powers and veteran Caesar Romero. The production values are top of the line with beautiful color photography and lush sets and costumes. It's a frothy bonbon, but a fun way to spend an evening.
I was completely unaware of this film until I stumbled across it on Netflix. It's been pretty much forgotten and is rarely seen on TV. There is a DVD of it available and you can find the trailer, uploaded to YouTube by bobbyfan64 above.
Obscurity factor: 5 (largely forgotten, rarely on TV, DVD available)
