''Kiss the Girls and Make Them Die'' (

Italian Italian(s) may refer to: * Anything of, from, or related to the people of Italy over the centuries ** Italians, an ethnic group or simply a citizen of the Italian Republic or Italian Kingdom ** Italian language, a Romance language *** Regional Ita ...

: ''Se tutte le donne del mondo... (Operazione Paradiso)'') is a

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 hav ...

spoof film released in 1966 as an Italian-American co-production between

Dino De Laurentiis Agostino "Dino" De Laurentiis (; 8 August 1919 – 10 November 2010) was an Italian-American film producer. Along with Carlo Ponti, he was one of the producers who brought Italian cinema to the international scene at the end of World War II. He ...

' Cinematografica and

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 ...

. Directed by Henry Levin, with stars

Mike Connors Krekor Ohanian (August 15, 1925 – January 26, 2017), known professionally as Mike Connors, was an American actor best known for playing private detective Joe Mannix in the CBS television series ''Mannix'' from 1967 to 1975, a role which earne ...

Dorothy Provine Dorothy Michelle Provine (January 20, 1935 – April 25, 2010) was an American singer, dancer and actress. Born in 1935 in Deadwood, South Dakota, she grew up in Seattle, Washington, and was hired in 1958 by Warner Bros., after which she firs ...

, and as the villain,

Raf Vallone The Royal Air Force (RAF) is the United Kingdom's Air force, air and space force. It was formed towards the end of the World War I, First World War on 1 April 1918, becoming the first independent air force in the world, by regrouping the Royal ...

, it was originally filmed from January to March 1966 under the title ''Operation Paradise'' and distributed in some parts of the English-speaking world as ''If All the Women in the World''.

Plot

Financed by Red China, a Brazilian industrialist (Vallone) plans to sterilize the United States through massive doses of radiation courtesy of his

satellite A satellite or artificial satellite is an object intentionally placed into orbit in outer space. Except for passive satellites, most satellites have an electricity generation system for equipment on board, such as solar panels or radioiso ...

. He double crosses the Chinese by scheming to sterilize the entire Earth, then personally repopulate the planet with beautiful women he has kidnapped and is holding in

suspended animation Suspended animation is the temporary (short- or long-term) slowing or stopping of biological function so that physiological capabilities are preserved. It may be either hypometabolic or ametabolic in nature. It may be induced by either endogen ...

. A down-to-earth

CIA The Central Intelligence Agency (CIA ), known informally as the Agency and historically as the Company, is a civilian foreign intelligence service of the federal government of the United States, officially tasked with gathering, processing, ...

agent (Michael Connors), an aristocratic female

MI-6 The Secret Intelligence Service (SIS), commonly known as MI6 ( Military Intelligence, Section 6), is the foreign intelligence service of the United Kingdom, tasked mainly with the covert overseas collection and analysis of human intelligen ...

agent (Provine), and her chauffeur (

Terry-Thomas Terry-Thomas (born Thomas Terry Hoar Stevens; 10 July 19118 January 1990) was an English character actor and comedian who became internationally known through his films during the 1950s and 1960s. He often portrayed disreputable members of th ...

), driving a

Rolls-Royce car This is a list of Rolls-Royce branded motor cars and includes vehicles manufactured by: *Rolls-Royce Limited (1906–1973) * Rolls-Royce Motors (1973–2003), which was created as a result of the demerger of Rolls-Royce Limited in 1973. Vickers ...

filled with spy gadgets, team up to stop the madman.

Cast

Music credits

*Music and special musical effects by

Mario Nascimbene Mario Nascimbene (28 November 1913 – 6 January 2002) was one of the best known Italian film soundtrack composers of the 20th century. His career spanned six decades, during which time he earned several awards for the innovative contents of his ...

*Conducted by

Roberto Pregadio Roberto Pregadio (6 December 1928 – 15 November 2010) was an Italian composer, conductor and TV-personality. Born in Catania and graduated in piano at the San Pietro a Majella Conservatory in Naples, in 1960 Pregadio became a pianist in the RAI ...

*Harmonica soloist John Sebastian *The song "Kiss the Girls and Make Them Die" :is sung by Lydia MacDonald :Lyrics by

Howard Greenfield Howard Greenfield (March 15, 1936 – March 4, 1986) was an American lyricist and songwriter, who for several years in the 1960s worked out of the famous Brill Building. He is best known for his successful songwriting collaborations, including o ...

Background

An example of the mod

Eurospy Eurospy film, or Spaghetti spy film (when referring to Italian-produced films in the genre), is a genre of spy films produced in Europe, especially in Italy, France, and Spain, that either sincerely imitated or else parodied the British James ...

form, then at the height of its popularity, ''Kiss the Girls and Make Them Die'' reflected that genre's formula of exaggerated semicomic action filmed in colorful locales around the world (

Rio de Janeiro Rio de Janeiro ( , , ; literally 'River of January'), or simply Rio, is the capital of the state of the same name, Brazil's third-most populous state, and the second-most populous city in Brazil, after São Paulo. Listed by the GaWC as a b ...

in this case), frequently using average-reputation American directors ( Henry Levin subsequently directed two

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 ...

films) and American leads best known for starring in television shows and appearing in occasional films. As far as the casting for this production was concerned, Michael Connors had earlier been the star of a 1959–60 crime series, '' Tightrope!'', and the following year, after streamlining his

stage name A stage name is a pseudonym used by performers and entertainers—such as actors, comedians, singers, and musicians. Such professional aliases are adopted for a wide variety of reasons and they may be similar, or nearly identical, to an individu ...

to "Mike Connors", starred as the long-running

private eye ''Private Eye'' is a British fortnightly satirical and current affairs news magazine, founded in 1961. It is published in London and has been edited by Ian Hislop since 1986. The publication is widely recognised for its prominent critici ...

, ''

Mannix ''Mannix'' is an American detective television series that ran from 1967 to 1975 on CBS. It was created by Richard Levinson and William Link, and developed by executive producer Bruce Geller. The title character, Joe Mannix, is a private in ...

'' (1967–75), while Dorothy Provine was one of the stars in '' The Alaskans'' (1959–60) and '' The Roaring 20's'' (1960–62). Two years earlier, Provine and Connors played key supporting roles as second leads in the 1964

Jack Lemmon John Uhler Lemmon III (February 8, 1925 – June 27, 2001) was an American actor. Considered equally proficient in both dramatic and comic roles, Lemmon was known for his anxious, middle-class everyman screen persona in dramedy pictures, leadi ...

–

Romy Schneider Romy Schneider (; born Rosemarie Magdalena Albach; 23 September 1938 – 29 May 1982) was a German-French actress. She began her career in the German genre in the early 1950s when she was 15. From 1955 to 1957, she played the central chara ...

comedy vehicle ''

Good Neighbor Sam ''Good Neighbor Sam'' is a 1964 American Eastman Color screwball comedy film co-written and directed by David Swift, based on the 1963 novel of the same name by Jack Finney. The film stars Jack Lemmon, Romy Schneider, Dorothy Provine, Michael ...

''. All the other ''Kiss the Girls'' cast members were primarily recognizable as regular players in European films, including co-stars Raf Vallone, Margaret Lee, and

comedy relief Comic relief is the inclusion of a humorous character, scene, or witty dialogue in an otherwise serious work, often to relieve tension. Definition Comic relief usually means a releasing of emotional or other tension resulting from a comic episo ...

Terry-Thomas, who was given a special "and" billing at the end of the actors' credits. This film was rushed into release by

to avoid colliding with their better-known James Bond

satire Satire is a genre of the visual, literary, and performing arts, usually in the form of fiction and less frequently non-fiction, in which vices, follies, abuses, and shortcomings are held up to ridicule, often with the intent of shaming o ...

, '' Casino Royale''. The plot of ''Kiss the Girls and Make Them Die'' is similar to the James Bond film '' Moonraker'', which was released 13 years later.

Production

Michael Connors recalled that Columbia Pictures gave him the lead after he had been a strong contender for the role of

that

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 ...

played.p.33 Weaver, Tom ''Eye of Science Fiction: 20 Interviews with Classic SF and Horror Filmmakers'' McFarland 2003 Connors said that Dorothy Provine was whisked to Rome for a week, returning in a glamorous makeover. While Connors portrayed a

Sean Connery Sir Sean Connery (born Thomas Connery; 25 August 1930 – 31 October 2020) was a Scottish actor. He was the first actor to portray fictional British secret agent James Bond on film, starring in seven Bond films between 1962 and 1983. Origina ...

-type American superspy, Dorothy Provine played her role with an upper-class British accent similar to Lady Penelope Creighton-Ward of the '' Thunderbirds'' TV series. Her character rode a gadget-filled

Rolls-Royce Rolls-Royce (always hyphenated) may refer to: * Rolls-Royce Limited, a British manufacturer of cars and later aero engines, founded in 1906, now defunct Automobiles * Rolls-Royce Motor Cars, the current car manufacturing company incorporated in ...

driven by an

Aloysius Parker Aloysius "Nosey" Parker is a fictional character introduced in the British 1960s Supermarionation television series '' Thunderbirds'', who also appears in the film sequels '' Thunderbirds Are Go'' (1966) and '' Thunderbird 6'' (1968) and the 2004 ...

-type chauffeur played by Terry-Thomas. The movie was filmed on location in Rio de Janeiro and Rome with Dino De Laurentiis spending a lot of money on production. Connors also recalled that he did the stuntwork of dangling from a rope ladder attached to a helicopter flying off the Christ the Redeemer statue in Rio when the local stuntman refused to do it. Connors said that they were the only film company ever granted permission to film at the landmark.

Reception

A review of the film (bylined "Murf.") in the January 11, 1967 issue of ''

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), ...

'' stated, "Undoubtedly, there will be some people who will enjoy ''"Kiss the Girls And Make Them Die,"'' but fact is that producer Dino De Laurentiis has made a limp, banal spy spoof, inept in all departments. Pace is plodding, dialog pallid, direction pedestrian, acting an embarrassment, and technical composition awkward."''Variety's Complete Science Fiction Reviews'' (1985)

In film guides

Leonard Maltin's Movie Guide ''Leonard Maltin's Movie Guide'' was a book-format collection of movie capsule reviews that began in 1969, was updated biannually after 1978, and then annually after 1986. The final edition was published in September 2014. It was originally calle ...

'' (2014 edition) gives ''Kiss the Girls and Make Them Die'' its lowest rating, BOMB, describing it as a " ll spy spoof" and commenting that "a satellite capable of sterilizing the world" is "something Bond, Flint, and Matt Helm wouldn't mind. Awful film." '' Steven H. Scheuer's Movies on TV and Videocassette'' (1993–1994 edition) had a barely higher opinion, allowing 1½ stars (out of 4) and dispatching it with the final line, " ngue-in-cheek secret-agent stuff doesn't come off: a yawn." ''

The Motion Picture Guide ''The Motion Picture Guide'' is a film reference work first published by Cinebooks in 1985. It was written by Jay Robert Nash, Stanley Ralph Ross, and Robert B. Connelly. It was annually updated through new volumes and had a CD-ROM version, whic ...

'' assigned the film its lowest ranking of 1 star (out of 5), proclaiming that " ere is little to recommend in this secret-agent spoof" and pointing out that " erything from the sloppy special effects to the irritating music radiates an uncanny cheapness. Dubbed in English." Two specialized guidebooks arrive at a split vote. '' Michael Weldon's Psychotronic Encyclopedia of Film'' (1983 edition, page 407) agrees with the denigrators, giving it a plot outline that ends with the words, " e worst Bond imitation known to man. With Terry-Thomas, Margaret Lee, Beverly Adams, Marilu Tolo, Nazi scientists, and Communist Chinese. Filmed in Rio De Janeiro. Connors did ''Mannix'' next." On the other hand, ''John Stanley's Creature Features The Science Fiction, Fantasy, and Horror Movie Guide'' (2000 edition) decided that " though a pale copy of 007's exploits, it has a sparkle to its comedy, gorgeous women in figure-flattering wardrobes, and scenic action set against picturesque Rio." After describing the plot, Stanley concludes with, "Michael Connors walks somnambulistic through his role as super agent Kelly who has minipistols hidden in his clothing and is always eating bananas. A standout is Terry-Thomas as a chauffeur secret agent. Directed by Henry Levin and Dino Maiuri. Dorothy Provine portrays Connors' charming, sexy contact." The sole British cinema compiler to acknowledge the film,

Leslie Halliwell Robert James Leslie Halliwell (23 February 1929 – 21 January 1989) was a British film critic, encyclopaedist and television rights buyer for ITV, the British commercial network, and Channel 4. He is best known for his reference guides, '' Fi ...

in his 1985 ''Film and Video Guide'' 5th edition, gave no stars (Halliwell's top rating is 4), dismissing it as a " tchy James Bond spoof."

References

Bibliography

External links

* * * * *
''Kiss the Girls and Make Them Die''
at ''

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'' (revised form of this 1987 write-up was originally published in ''The Motion Picture Guide'') *
If All the Women in the World (Full Movie)
{{Henry Levin 1966 films English-language Italian films Italian spy comedy films 1960s spy comedy films Italian parody films Columbia Pictures films Films set in Rio de Janeiro (city) Films directed by Henry Levin Sterilization in fiction Films produced by Dino De Laurentiis Films scored by Mario Nascimbene Parody films based on James Bond films 1960s parody films 1966 comedy films 1960s English-language films 1960s Italian films