''A Man Called Dagger'' (1968) is a low-budget spy film that was the first collaboration between director

Richard Rush Richard Rush (August 29, 1780 – July 30, 1859) was the 8th United States Attorney General and the 8th United States Secretary of the Treasury. He also served as John Quincy Adams's running mate on the National Republican ticket in 1828. Born ...

, cinematographer László Kovács, and stuntman Gary Warner Kent (who also did the film's special effects). It was filmed in 1966 by Lew Horwitz's Global Screen Associates (GSA) under the title ''Why Spy?'' The film was originally intended to have been released by Mike Ripps' Cinema Distributors of America (CDA) in September 1966. When GSA and CDA's partnership collapsed, the film was picked up by MGM and released a year later.

Plot

Secret agents Dick Dagger and Harper Davis are on the trail of former SS Colonel Rudolph Koffman, who is using a meat-packing plant as his secret lair. Ingrid is the wheelchair-using Koffman's mistress and runs a beauty spa. A massage therapist there, Joy, reveals to Dagger that another employee, Erica, is being held captive in Koffman's secret lair. Erica has been brainwashed and tries to kill Dagger, but does not succeed. After the madman also kidnaps Harper, it is up to Dagger to stage a daring rescue operation. He is captured and tortured, but escapes thanks to a laser beam in his wristwatch. Koffman tries to kill him with a meat cleaver, but Dagger foils the villain and gets the women.

Cast

Paul Mantee Paul Mantee (born Paul Marianetti; January 9, 1931 – November 7, 2013) was an American film and television actor. Biography Mantee was born Paul Marianetti in San Francisco, California. A journalism major at San Mateo Junior College, Mante ...

as Dick Dagger * Jan Murray as Rudolph Koffman * Terry Moore as Harper Davis * Maureen Arthur as Joy * Richard Kiel as Otto *

Eileen O'Neill Eileen T. O'Neill (born July 3, 1939) is an American film and television actress. She is known for playing Sgt. Gloria Ames in the American detective fiction television series '' Burke's Law''. Life and career O'Neill was born in Philadelph ...

as Erica *

Sue Ane Langdon Sue Ane Langdon is an American actress. She has appeared in dozens of television series and had featured roles in films such as ''A Guide for the Married Man'' and ''The Cheyenne Social Club'', both directed by Gene Kelly, as well as '' The Round ...

as Ingrid * Bruno VeSota as Dr. Grulik *Mimi Dillard as Melissa * Leonard Stone as Karl Rainer

Score

Steve Allen composed the film's score with

Ronald Stein Ronald is a masculine given name derived from the Old Norse ''Rögnvaldr'', Hanks; Hardcastle; Hodges (2006) p. 234; Hanks; Hodges (2003) § Ronald. or possibly from Old English '' Regenweald''. In some cases ''Ronald'' is an Anglicised form of ...

arranging and conducting it. Maureen Arthur sang Buddy Kaye's lyrics to Allen's title song.

Deleted scenes

Sue Ane Langdon recalled two scenes that did not make the final print. One featured a West Highland White Terrier whose fur was dyed to match Langdon's hair in the film. When she toured with the dog, people thought the fur colouring was hurting the dog. As a result, the dog's scenes were cut. She also recalled scenes of people hanging on meat hooks that were cut.p. 173 Lisanti, Tom and Paul, Louis ''Film fatales: women in espionage films and television, 1962-1973'' 2002 McFarland

References

External links