Matt Helm is a fictional character created by American author

Donald Hamilton Donald Bengtsson Hamilton (March 24, 1916 – November 20, 2006) was an American writer of novels, short stories, and non-fiction about the outdoors. His novels consist mostly of paperback originals, principally spy fiction, but also crime ...

(1916-2006). Helm is a U.S. government counter-agent, a man whose primary job is to kill or nullify enemy agents—not a spy or secret agent in the ordinary sense of the term as used in most spy thrillers. Helm appeared in 27 adventure/suspense novels by Hamilton, first published in 1960, and the character was later adapted into film, television and other media.

The character and the series

Published between 1960 and 1993, the 27 books in the series portrayed Helm, who acquired the code name "Eric" during his secret wartime assignments, as jaded, ruthless, pragmatic, and competent. The series was noted for its between-books continuity, which was somewhat rare for the genre. In the later books, Helm's origins as a man of action in

World War II World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great powers—forming two opposin ...

disappeared and he became an apparently ageless character, a common fate of long-running fictional heroes. The first book in the series, ''

Death of a Citizen ''Death of a Citizen'' is a 1960 spy novel by Donald Hamilton, and was the first in a long-running series of books featuring the adventures of assassin Matt Helm. The title refers to the metaphorical death of peaceful citizen and family man Matt ...

,'' takes place in the summer of 1958, 13 years after the end of the war. In the book, other characters describe Helm as verging on middle age and apparently soft and out of shape, although no specific age for him is given. In the next story, which apparently takes place in the summer of 1959, a hostile agent from a rival American spy organization taunts Helm as a shopworn 36-year-old and clearly over the hill as a physical specimen. Later in the book, Helm himself says that he is 36 years old. Writer Hayford Peirce examined the issue of Helm's age, and found this figure to be improbably young given the information about Helm's background in ''Death of a Citizen.'' Peirce postulated that Helm was actually several years older than the 36 years mentioned in '' The Wrecking Crew'' and that he was probably born around 1918. By '' The Betrayers'', the tenth book, the age issue vanishes completely. Critic

Anthony Boucher William Anthony Parker White (August 21, 1911 – April 29, 1968), better known by his pen name Anthony Boucher (), was an American author, critic, and editor who wrote several classic mystery novels, short stories, science fiction, and radio d ...

wrote: "Donald Hamilton has brought to the spy novel the authentic hard realism of

Dashiell Hammett Samuel Dashiell Hammett (; May 27, 1894 – January 10, 1961) was an American writer of hard-boiled detective novels and short stories. He was also a screenwriter and political activist. Among the enduring characters he created are Sam Spade ('' ...

; and his stories are as compelling, and probably as close to the sordid truth of espionage, as any now being told."

Golden Age The term Golden Age comes from Greek mythology, particularly the ''Works and Days'' of Hesiod, and is part of the description of temporal decline of the state of peoples through five Ages of Man, Ages, Gold being the first and the one during ...

mystery writer

John Dickson Carr John Dickson Carr (November 30, 1906 – February 27, 1977) was an American author of detective stories, who also published using the pseudonyms Carter Dickson, Carr Dickson, and Roger Fairbairn. He lived in England for a number of years, and is ...

began reviewing books for ''

Ellery Queen's Mystery Magazine ''Ellery Queen's Mystery Magazine'' is a bi-monthly American digest size fiction magazine specializing in crime fiction, particularly detective fiction, and mystery fiction. Launched in fall 1941 by Mercury Press, ''EQMM'' is named after the fict ...

'' in 1969. According to Carr's biographer, "Carr found Donald Hamilton's Matt Helm to be 'my favorite secret agent,'" although Hamilton's books had little in common with Carr's. "The explanation may lie in Carr's comment that in espionage novels he preferred Matt Helm's 'cloud-cuckooland' land. Carr never valued realism in fiction."

Matt Helm in film and television

In 1965,

Columbia Pictures Columbia Pictures Industries, Inc. is an American film production studio that is a member of the Sony Pictures Motion Picture Group, a division of Sony Pictures Entertainment, which is one of the Big Five studios and a subsidiary of the mu ...

acquired the film rights to eight Matt Helm novels. A five-film parody or spoof spy

movie series A film series or movie series (also referred to as a film franchise or movie franchise) is a collection of related films in succession that share the same fictional universe, or are marketed as a series. This article explains what film series are ...

was planned and four were made, debuting with ''

The Silencers ''The Silencers'' is the title of a 1962 spy novel by Donald Hamilton, the fourth in a series of books featuring assassin Matt Helm. Plot summary When a female agent in Mexico is killed before Helm can complete his mission to extract her, he f ...

'' (from Hamilton's novels ''The Silencers'' and ''Death of a Citizen'', adapted by acclaimed ''A Streetcar Named Desire'' screenwriter

Oscar Saul Oscar Saul (December 26, 1912, New York City – May 23, 1994, Los Angeles) was an American screenwriter. Saul wrote or collaborated on the screenplays for numerous movies from the 1940s through to the early 1980s. His best-known work was on the sc ...

). They were made to star

Dean Martin Dean Martin (born Dino Paul Crocetti; June 7, 1917 – December 25, 1995) was an American singer, actor and comedian. One of the most popular and enduring American entertainers of the mid-20th century, Martin was nicknamed "The King of Cool". M ...

, who co-produced with his Meadway-Claude Production company and received a partnership in the films. The series was produced by

Irving Allen Irving Allen (born Irving Applebaum, November 24, 1905 – December 17, 1987) was a theatrical and cinematic producer and director. He received an Academy Award in 1948 for producing the short movie ''Climbing the Matterhorn''. In the early 19 ...

, who had once been the partner of

James Bond The ''James Bond'' series focuses on a fictional British Secret Service agent created in 1953 by writer Ian Fleming, who featured him in twelve novels and two short-story collections. Since Fleming's death in 1964, eight other authors have ...

film producer

Albert R. Broccoli Albert Romolo Broccoli ( ; April 5, 1909 – June 27, 1996), nicknamed "Cubby", was an American film producer who made more than 40 motion pictures throughout his career. Most of the films were made in the United Kingdom and often filmed at Pi ...

. The films used the name Matt Helm, his cover identity, plus book titles and some very loose plot elements, but otherwise the series bore no resemblance to the character, atmosphere, or themes of Hamilton's original books, nor to the hard-edged action of Bond. Martin played the part with his own persona of a fun-loving, easygoing, wisecracking playboy with plenty of references to singing and alcohol consumption. Although unnamed in the novels, Helm's department was called Intelligence and Counter-Espionage (ICE) in the films. Like the Bond films, the Helm movies feature a number of "sexy" women in each, sometimes referred to as "The Slaygirls". Martin co-starred in the films with popular '60s actresses such as

Stella Stevens Stella Stevens (born Estelle Eggleston; October 1, 1938) is a American former actress. She began her acting career in 1959 and starred in such popular films as '' Girls! Girls! Girls!'' (1962), '' The Nutty Professor'' (1963), ''The Courtship of ...

Ann-Margret Ann-Margret Olsson (born April 28, 1941) is a Swedish–American actress, singer, and dancer. As an actress and singer, she is credited as Ann-Margret. She is known for her roles in '' Pocketful of Miracles'' (1961), ''State Fair'' (1962), '' ...

Sharon Tate Sharon Marie Tate Polanski (January 24, 1943 – August 9, 1969) was an American actress and model. During the 1960s, she played small television roles before appearing in films and was regularly featured in fashion magazines as a model and cover ...

, Elke Sommer,

Janice Rule Mary Janice Rule (August 15, 1931 – October 17, 2003) was an American actress and psychotherapist, earning her PhD while still acting, then acting occasionally while working in her new profession. Early life Rule was born in Norwood, Ohio, to ...

, and

Tina Louise Tina Louise ( Blacker; born February 11, 1934) is an American actress widely known for her role as movie star Ginger Grant in the CBS television situation comedy ''Gilligan's Island''. With the death of Dawn Wells in 2020, Louise became the las ...

. A 1970s TV series ''

Matt Helm Matt Helm is a fictional character created by American author Donald Hamilton (1916-2006). Helm is a U.S. government counter-agent, a man whose primary job is to kill or nullify enemy agents—not a spy or secret agent in the ordinary sense of t ...

,'' which cast

Tony Franciosa Anthony George Franciosa (né Papaleo; October 25, 1928 – January 19, 2006) was an American actor most often billed as Tony Franciosa at the height of his career. He began his career on stage and made a breakthrough portraying the brother of t ...

as Helm, an ex-spy turned

private detective A private investigator (often abbreviated to PI and informally called a private eye), a private detective, or inquiry agent is a person who can be hired by individuals or groups to undertake investigatory law services. Private investigators of ...

, also departed from the books and was unsuccessful. In 2002, it was reported that

DreamWorks SKG DreamWorks may refer to: * DreamWorks Pictures, an American film production company of Amblin ** DreamWorks Television, an American television production company and division of the film studio ** DreamWorks Records, an American record label and ...

had

optioned In the film industry, an option is a contractual agreement pertaining to film rights between a potential film producer (such as a movie studio, a production company, or an individual) and the author of source material, such as a book, play, or s ...

the entire Helm book series. In 2005, ''

Variety Variety may refer to: Arts and entertainment Entertainment formats * Variety (radio) * Variety show, in theater and television Films * ''Variety'' (1925 film), a German silent film directed by Ewald Andre Dupont * ''Variety'' (1935 film), ...

'' reported that DreamWorks had signed

Michael Brandt Michael Brandt (born October 1, 1968) is an American writer and director. Life and career Brandt is an alumnus of Baylor University in Waco, Texas, where as an undergrad he earned a BBA and in graduate school earned Master of Arts in Communicat ...

and

Derek Haas Derek Haas (born June 30, 1970) is an American writer and producer. Life and career Derek Haas attended Baylor University in Waco, Texas, where he earned both his B.A. and M.A. in English Literature. He lives in Los Angeles, and has made a na ...

to write a screenplay for a high six-figure deal. According to the article, the film was to be a contemporary adaptation of the character, but no casting or release information was announced.

Paramount Paramount (from the word ''paramount'' meaning "above all others") may refer to: Entertainment and music companies * Paramount Global, also known simply as Paramount, an American mass media company formerly known as ViacomCBS. The following busin ...

retained the film rights to the Matt Helm series after its 2008 split from DreamWorks. In 2009, it was reported that

Alex Kurtzman Alexander Hilary Kurtzman (born September 7, 1973) is an American filmmaker. He is best known for his work on the ''Star Trek'' franchise since 2009, co-writing the scripts to ''Transformers (film), Transformers'' (2007), ''Transformers: Revenge ...

and

Roberto Orci Roberto Gaston Orcí (born July 20, 1973) is a Mexican-American film and television screenwriter and producer. He began his longtime collaboration with Alex Kurtzman while at school in California. Together they have been employed on television ...

would produce a more serious version of the Helm franchise, with ''Variety'' saying that the tone of

Paul Attanasio Paul Albert Attanasio (born November 14, 1959) is an American screenwriter and film and television producer. He has twice been nominated for the Academy Award for Best Adapted Screenplay, for ''Quiz Show (film), Quiz Show'' (1994) and ''Donnie ...

's script was closer to that of the film '' The Bourne Identity'' and that

Steven Spielberg Steven Allan Spielberg (; born December 18, 1946) is an American director, writer, and producer. A major figure of the New Hollywood era and pioneer of the modern blockbuster, he is the most commercially successful director of all time. Spie ...

was considering directing or producing. In March 2018, Deadline Hollywood reported that Tom Shepard had been hired by Paramount to rewrite the script, with Bradley Cooper attached to play the title character. Spielberg reportedly would remain involved in some unspecified capacity.

Books

(all by Donald Hamilton) #''

'' (1960) #'' The Wrecking Crew'' (1960) #''

The Removers ''The Removers'' is a spy novel by Donald Hamilton first published in 1961. It was the third novel featuring Hamilton's creation, counter-agent and assassin Matt Helm Matt Helm is a fictional character created by American author Donald Hamilt ...

'' (1961) #''

'' (1962) #'' Murderers' Row'' (1962) #''

The Ambushers ''The Ambushers'' is a novel by Donald Hamilton first published in 1963, continuing the exploits of assassin Matt Helm. Plot introduction Matt Helm conducts a by-the-book assassination in the (fictional) Central American nation of Costa Verde. A ...

'' (1963) #'' The Shadowers'' (1964) #'' The Ravagers'' (1964) #'' The Devastators'' (1965) #'' The Betrayers'' (1966) #''

The Menacers ''The Menacers'', first published in 1968, was the eleventh novel in the Matt Helm spy series by Donald Hamilton and the first published since the launch of the ''Matt Helm'' film series starring Dean Martin. Plot summary For reasons unknown, fl ...

'' (1968) #'' The Interlopers'' (1969) #''

The Poisoners ''The Poisoners'' was the first Matt Helm novel of the 1970s. It was first published in 1971, as the thirteenth novel in the spy series by Donald Hamilton. Plot summary After a novice secret agent (Annette from ''The Menacers ''The Menacers'', ...

'' (1971) #''

The Intriguers ''The Intriguers'', first published in 1972, was the fourteenth novel in the Matt Helm spy series by Donald Hamilton. Plot summary

This novel is a direct follow-up to ''The Poisoners''. It is also the first book in the Matt Helm series to foc ...

'' (1972) #''

The Intimidators ''The Intimidators'' was the fifteenth novel in the Matt Helm secret agent novel series by Donald Hamilton Donald Bengtsson Hamilton (March 24, 1916 – November 20, 2006) was an American writer of novels, short stories, and non-fiction a ...

'' (1974) #'' The Terminators'' (1975) #'' The Retaliators'' (1976) #'' The Terrorizers'' (1977) #'' The Revengers'' (1982) #'' The Annihilators'' (1983) #'' The Infiltrators'' (1984) #'' The Detonators'' (1985) #'' The Vanishers'' (1986) #'' The Demolishers'' (1987) #''

The Frighteners ''The Frighteners'' is a 1996 supernatural comedy horror film directed by Peter Jackson and co-written with Fran Walsh. The film stars Michael J. Fox, Trini Alvarado, Peter Dobson, John Astin, Dee Wallace Stone, Jeffrey Combs, R. Lee Ermey an ...

'' (1989) #''

The Threateners ''The Threateners'' is a spy novel by Donald Hamilton first published in 1992. It is the twenty-sixth installment of the Matt Helm Matt Helm is a fictional character created by American author Donald Hamilton (1916-2006). Helm is a U.S. gover ...

'' (1992) #''

The Damagers ''The Damagers'', published in 1993, is a spy novel by Donald Hamilton, and the twenty-seventh volume of the adventures of government assassin Matt Helm. Hamilton had launched the series in 1960 with ''Death of a Citizen'' and this novel is a sequ ...

'' (1993) #''

The Dominators ''The Dominators'' is the first serial of the sixth season of the British science fiction television series '' Doctor Who'', which originally aired in five weekly parts from 10 August to 7 September 1968. In the serial, the Second Doctor (Patri ...

'' – unpublished. Hamilton finished this novel in the late 1990s, and was reportedly revising it in preparation for seeking a publisher in mid-2002. All of Hamilton's Matt Helm novels were first published in the United States by

Fawcett Publications Fawcett Publications was an American publishing company founded in 1919 in Robbinsdale, Minnesota by Wilford Hamilton "Captain Billy" Fawcett (1885–1940). It kicked off with the publication of the bawdy humor magazine ''Captain Billy's Whiz B ...

under their

Gold Medal A gold medal is a medal awarded for highest achievement in a non-military field. Its name derives from the use of at least a fraction of gold in form of plating or alloying in its manufacture. Since the eighteenth century, gold medals have bee ...

imprint Imprint or imprinting may refer to: Entertainment * ''Imprint'' (TV series), Canadian television series * "Imprint" (''Masters of Horror''), episode of TV show ''Masters of Horror'' * ''Imprint'' (film), a 2007 independent drama/thriller film ...

. These titles have since been republished by

Titan Books Titan Publishing Group is the publishing division of Titan Entertainment Group, which was established in 1981. The books division has two main areas of publishing: film and television tie-ins and cinema reference books; and graphic novels and co ...

Films

(all starring

as Helm) #''

'' (1966) #'' Murderers' Row'' (1966) #''

'' (1967) #'' The Wrecking Crew'' (1969) A fifth film was planned, based upon the novel ''The Ravagers'', but Martin declined the opportunity to play the role once more, even though the title of the film was announced at the end of ''The Wrecking Crew''.

Box office performance

Home media

''Murderer's Row'' was initially released on VHS in 1980, with reissues in 1987 and 1993. ''The Ambushers'' was released on VHS in 1987, with a reissue in 1996. ''The Silencers'' and ''The Wrecking Crew'' were both released on VHS only in 1996, with no reissues for either film. The 1996 releases consisted of 2 box sets, one containing ''Murderer's Row'' and ''The Ambushers'', with the other containing ''The Silencers'' and ''The Wrecking Crew''. It is unknown if these releases were sold exclusively as box sets, or if they were also issued individually. A 4-

DVD The DVD (common abbreviation for Digital Video Disc or Digital Versatile Disc) is a digital optical disc data storage format. It was invented and developed in 1995 and first released on November 1, 1996, in Japan. The medium can store any kind ...

box set containing the four films was released in

North America North America is a continent in the Northern Hemisphere and almost entirely within the Western Hemisphere. It is bordered to the north by the Arctic Ocean, to the east by the Atlantic Ocean, to the southeast by South America and the Car ...

in December 2005.

Television series

A television series loosely based upon Hamilton's character was launched by the ABC Network in 1975. Titled simply ''

,'' the series starred

Anthony Franciosa Anthony George Franciosa (né Papaleo; October 25, 1928 – January 19, 2006) was an American actor most often billed as Tony Franciosa at the height of his career. He began his career on stage and made a breakthrough portraying the brother of t ...

as a retired spy who becomes a

. After being launched by a pilot TV movie, it ran for only 14 episodes.

Manga

Japan Japan ( ja, 日本, or , and formally , ''Nihonkoku'') is an island country in East Asia. It is situated in the northwest Pacific Ocean, and is bordered on the west by the Sea of Japan, while extending from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north ...

, Jin Kimura ( ja, 木村仁), also known as ( ja, 木村光久, links=no) drew , based on the novel, in the magazine '' Boy's Life'' ( ja, ボーイズライフ, links=no), November 1968 – March 1969.

References

External links

*Article on the history of the Matt Helm films:
Mr Helm Goes to Hollywood
" November 14, 2011. ''

Cinema Retro ''Cinema Retro'' is an English magazine devoted to "celebrating films of the 1960s & 1970s". Founded in 2005 by Lee Pfeiffer and Dave Worrall, it is subtitled "the Essential Guide to Cult and Classic Movies". The 64-page full-colour magazine is p ...

.'' {{Authority control Helm, Matt Novel series Helm, Matt American film series