''O.K. Connery'', released in America as ''Operation Kid Brother'', is a 1967 Italian

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 ...

comedy film A comedy film is a category of film which emphasizes humor. These films are designed to make the audience laugh through amusement. Films in this style traditionally have a happy ending ( black comedy being an exception). Comedy is one of the o ...

shot in

Technicolor Technicolor is a series of Color motion picture film, color motion picture processes, the first version dating back to 1916, and followed by improved versions over several decades. Definitive Technicolor movies using three black and white films ...

and

Techniscope Techniscope or 2-perf is a 35 mm motion picture camera film format introduced by Technicolor Italia in 1960. The Techniscope format uses a two film-perforation negative pulldown per frame, instead of the standard four-perforation frame us ...

and directed by

Alberto De Martino Alberto De Martino (12 June 1929 – 2 June 2015) was an Italian film director and screenwriter. Born in Rome, De Martino started as a child actor and later returned to the cinema where worked as a screenwriter, director and dubbing supervis ...

. The Spy-Fi plot involves the brother of the British spy

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 ...

, played by

Neil Connery Neil Niren Connery (16 December 1938 – 9 May 2021) was a Scottish actor and the younger brother of actor Sean Connery. Personal Connery was born in Edinburgh, Scotland, on 16 December 1938. The Connery family is of partial Irish origin. His ...

(the actual brother of

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 ...

, star of the

Eon Productions Eon Productions Ltd. is a British film production company that primarily produces the ''James Bond'' film series. The company is based in London's Piccadilly and also operates from Pinewood Studios in the UK. ''Bond'' films Eon was started ...

Bond films) who is obliged to take the lead in foiling a world-domination plot. The film's cast included several actors from the Eon-produced James Bond film series, '' From Russia with Love''s

Daniela Bianchi Daniela Bianchi (born 31 January 1942) is an Italian actress, best known for her role of Bond girl Tatiana Romanova in the 1963 movie '' From Russia with Love''. She played a Soviet cipher clerk sent to entrap agent 007, James Bond. Bianchi's fa ...

, '' Thunderball''s

Adolfo Celi Adolfo Celi (; 27 July 1922 – 19 February 1986) was an Italian film actor and director. Born in Curcuraci, Messina, Sicily, Celi appeared in nearly 100 films, specialising in international villains. Although a prominent actor in Italian ...

, '' Dr. No''s

Anthony Dawson Anthony Douglas Gillon Dawson (18 October 1916 – 8 January 1992) was a Scottish actor, best known for his supporting roles as villains in films such as Alfred Hitchcock's ''Dial M for Murder'' (1954) and ''Midnight Lace'' (1960), and playin ...

, Bernard Lee ( M), and

Lois Maxwell Lois Ruth Maxwell (born Lois Ruth Hooker; 14 February 1927 – 29 September 2007) was a Canadian actress who portrayed Miss Moneypenny in the first fourteen Eon-produced ''James Bond'' films (1962–1985). She was the first actress to play the ...

( Moneypenny), as well as the producer's wife

Agata Flori Agata Flori (born 1938) is an Italian former film actress.Hughes p.173 She starred in several spaghetti westerns during the 1960s and 1970s. She was married to the producer Dario Sabatello. Selected filmography * ''Seven Guns for the MacGregors' ...

Gina Lollobrigida Luigia "Gina" Lollobrigida (born 4 July 1927) is an Italian actress, photojournalist, and politician. She was one of the highest-profile European actresses of the 1950s and early 1960s, a period in which she was an international sex symbol. As o ...

's cousin Guido Lollobrigida, and Yasuko Yama (aka Yee-Wah Young and Yee-Wah Yang, then in the publicity spotlight due to her relationship with

James Mason James Neville Mason (; 15 May 190927 July 1984) was an English actor. He achieved considerable success in British cinema before becoming a star in Hollywood. He was the top box-office attraction in the UK in 1944 and 1945; his British films inc ...

; she appeared as a bath girl in '' You Only Live Twice'' under the name Yee-Wah Yang). The film received generally negative reviews from the ''

New York Times ''The New York Times'' (''the Times'', ''NYT'', or the Gray Lady) is a daily newspaper based in New York City with a worldwide readership reported in 2020 to comprise a declining 840,000 paid print subscribers, and a growing 6 million paid ...

'', ''

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), ...

'' and the ''

Monthly Film Bulletin ''The Monthly Film Bulletin'' was a periodical of the British Film Institute published monthly from February 1934 to April 1991, when it merged with '' Sight & Sound''. It reviewed all films on release in the United Kingdom, including those with ...

'' with the latter two reviews noting that the film could leave audiences with unintentional laughter at its ineptitude. The film was featured on the film-mocking television series ''

Mystery Science Theater 3000 ''Mystery Science Theater 3000'' (abbreviated as ''MST3K'') is an American science fiction comedy film review television series created by Joel Hodgson. The show premiered on WUCW, KTMA-TV (now WUCW) in Minneapolis, Minnesota, on November 24, 1 ...

'' in 1993.

Plot

When a legendary

British Intelligence The Government of the United Kingdom maintains intelligence agencies within three government departments, the Foreign Office, the Home Office and the Ministry of Defence. These agencies are responsible for collecting and analysing foreign and d ...

(SIS) agent is murdered, fellow agent Miss Maxwell (

) is sent to find the late spy's girlfriend, Miss Yashuko (Yashuko Yama), who is unwittingly in possession of valuable information. Maxwell discovers that Yashuko is in the care of Dr.

, a

cosmetic surgeon Plastic surgery is a surgical specialty involving the restoration, reconstruction or alteration of the human body. It can be divided into two main categories: reconstructive surgery and cosmetic surgery. Reconstructive surgery includes craniofa ...

who uses hypnotism in his practice. Yashuko is kidnapped from a medical conference in

Monte Carlo Monte Carlo (; ; french: Monte-Carlo , or colloquially ''Monte-Carl'' ; lij, Munte Carlu ; ) is officially an administrative area of the Principality of Monaco, specifically the ward of Monte Carlo/Spélugues, where the Monte Carlo Casino is ...

by Maya Rafis (

), as part of a plot by Mr. Thayer (

), code name Beta, of the terrorist organization

THANATOS In Greek mythology, Thanatos (; grc, Θάνατος, pronounced in "Death", from θνῄσκω ''thnēskō'' "(I) die, am dying") was the personification of death. He was a minor figure in Greek mythology, often referred to but rarely appea ...

. The

Secret Service A secret service is a government agency, intelligence agency, or the activities of a government agency, concerned with the gathering of intelligence data. The tasks and powers of a secret service can vary greatly from one country to another. Fo ...

's Commander Cunningham ( Bernard Lee) assigns—or rather, extorts—Connery to join the mission to find Miss Yashuko. Connery hypnotizes a beautiful girl named Mildred (Agata Flori) to acquire information and discovers that Miss Yashuko is located in a

Spanish Spanish might refer to: * Items from or related to Spain: **Spaniards are a nation and ethnic group indigenous to Spain **Spanish language, spoken in Spain and many Latin American countries **Spanish cuisine Other places * Spanish, Ontario, Can ...

castle belonging to Lotte Krayendorf (Anne-Marie Noé). Connery rescues Miss Yashuko and obtains critical intelligence. This information leads to the discovery of THANATOS's plan to build a super magnet, powerful enough to turn off all mechanical products from

New York New York most commonly refers to: * New York City, the most populous city in the United States, located in the state of New York * New York (state), a state in the northeastern United States New York may also refer to: Film and television * '' ...

Moscow Moscow ( , US chiefly ; rus, links=no, Москва, r=Moskva, p=mɐskˈva, a=Москва.ogg) is the capital and largest city of Russia. The city stands on the Moskva River in Central Russia, with a population estimated at 13.0 million ...

. The weapon is being assembled in a Moroccan rug factory, where all the employees are blind. Miss Yashuko is murdered by Mildred before revealing any further information. Mildred is then killed by Juan (

Franco Giacobini Franco Giacobini (5 March 1926 – 27 December 2015) was an Italian actor. Born in Rome as Francesco Giacobini, he graduated at Accademia Nazionale di Arte Drammatica Silvio D'Amico in 1948, then started a prolific stage career, working in comed ...

), Connery's aide. After arriving in Morocco, Connery is invited by Maya Rafis to a party held by Thayer. During the reception, Connery discovers that Thayer is planning to assassinate the head of THANATOS, known as Alpha (

), and he wants Connery to surgically alter an underling to become Alpha's double; however, Connery instead hypnotizes the underling into attacking Thayer, allowing Connery to escape. He warns Maya about his discovery as she leads him to the rug factory. Upon entering the factory, Connery realizes that it is actually producing strands of

uranium Uranium is a chemical element with the symbol U and atomic number 92. It is a silvery-grey metal in the actinide series of the periodic table. A uranium atom has 92 protons and 92 electrons, of which 6 are valence electrons. Uranium is weak ...

, and the employees' blindness prevents them from discovering their dangerous role. Together, Connery and Maya track the final uranium shipment to

Switzerland ). Swiss law does not designate a ''capital'' as such, but the federal parliament and government are installed in Bern, while other federal institutions, such as the federal courts, are in other cities (Bellinzona, Lausanne, Luzern, Neuchâtel ...

, where Thayer, having abandoned his plan to replace Alpha, has completed development of the powerful magnet and soon activates it. Together, with the help of a team of Scottish archers (as firearms are rendered inoperative by the magnet), Connery and Maya kill Thayer and most of his underlings before destroying THANATOS's Swiss base. After the completion of the mission, Commander Cunningham attempts to finagle Connery into continuing to work for him, but Connery hypnotizes Cunningham into departing for London immediately and leaving Connery in peace, allowing him, Maya, and an all-female yacht crew (formerly employed by Thayer) to enjoy a relaxing cruise.

Cast

as Dr. Neil Connery *

as Maya Rafis *

as Mr. Thayer (Beta) *

as Mildred * Bernard Lee as Commander Cunningham *

as Alpha *

as Miss Maxwell *Yee-Wah Yang (as Yachuo Yama) as Yachuko *

as Juan * Ana María Noé as Lotte Krayendorf * Guido Lollobrigida as Kurt

Production

was working as a

plasterer A plasterer is a tradesman or tradesperson who works with plaster, such as forming a layer of plaster on an interior wall or plaster decorative moldings on ceilings or walls. The process of creating plasterwork, called plastering, has been ...

in Scotland until he was sacked for losing his tools. Based on Neil's relation to his brother

Sean Sean, also spelled Seán or Séan in Irish English, is a male given name of Irish origin. It comes from the Irish versions of the Biblical Hebrew name ''Yohanan'' (), Seán ( anglicized as '' Shaun/Shawn/ Shon'') and Séan ( Ulster variant; a ...

, the matter received international media attention. When Terence Young heard Neil interviewed with his trade union about the matter on the radio he mentioned to Italian producer

Dario Sabatello Dario Sabatello (1911–1992) was an Italian film producer. He was married to the actress Agata Flori. Biography Sabatello worked as a journalist and an art critic for ''Il Tevere'', the newspaper founded by Benito Mussolini in December 1924. Fro ...

that Neil sounded like his brother Sean. Sabatello met Neil at the

Caledonian Hotel Waldorf Astoria Edinburgh - The Caledonian is a five-star hotel in Edinburgh, Scotland. Opened in December 1903, it is an example of a British grand railway hotel, formerly called The Caledonian Hotel, and nicknamed 'The Caley'. It stands at t ...

in Edinburgh to recruit him to play the lead role in a

film. Neil recalled when he did his

screen test A screen test is a method of determining the suitability of an actor or actress for performing on film or in a particular role. The performer is generally given a scene, or selected lines and actions, and instructed to perform in front of a came ...

the crew kept saying "OK, Connery, OK" that became the title for the film. Experienced director

who had previously filmed '' Upperseven, the Man to Kill'' and ''

Special Mission Lady Chaplin ''Special Mission Lady Chaplin'' ( it, Missione speciale Lady Chaplin, french: L'affaire Lady Chaplin, es, Operación Lady Chaplin, also known as ''Operation Lady Chaplin'') is a 1966 Italian-French-Spanish Eurospy film directed by Alberto De Ma ...

'' (both 1966) recalled his father Romolo de Martino doing Neil's extensive makeup and problems with Neil's inexperience as an actor. He also recalled Sabatello approaching

to do an appearance in the film that Connery emphatically refused. Neil Connery's voice is dubbed by an actor with an American accent. In an interview in

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 ...

, Neil said that he was undergoing medical treatment when voice

dubbing Dubbing (re-recording and mixing) is a post-production process used in filmmaking and video production, often in concert with sound design, in which additional or supplementary recordings are lip-synced and "mixed" with original production sou ...

of the film was in progress, leading another person to voice his lines in the English version.

recalled she earned more money for the film than her combined award wage payments from all her appearances in the

007 films put together. ''O.K. Connery'' was filmed in Tetuán,

Morocco Morocco (),, ) officially the Kingdom of Morocco, is the westernmost country in the Maghreb region of North Africa. It overlooks the Mediterranean Sea to the north and the Atlantic Ocean to the west, and has land borders with Algeria to A ...

Monaco Monaco (; ), officially the Principality of Monaco (french: Principauté de Monaco; Ligurian: ; oc, Principat de Mónegue), is a sovereign city-state and microstate on the French Riviera a few kilometres west of the Italian region of Lig ...

and

Spain , image_flag = Bandera de España.svg , image_coat = Escudo de España (mazonado).svg , national_motto = '' Plus ultra'' (Latin)(English: "Further Beyond") , national_anthem = (English: "Royal March") , ...

Release

''O.K. Connery'' was released in Italy in 1967. The film was distributed in the United States by

United Artists United Artists Corporation (UA), currently doing business as United Artists Digital Studios, is an American digital production company. Founded in 1919 by D. W. Griffith, Charlie Chaplin, Mary Pickford, and Douglas Fairbanks, the stu ...

, the year

left the James Bond series, under the title ''Operation Kid Brother''. It was one of six Italian films released worldwide by United Artists in 1967. On video release the film had alternate titles which included ''Operation Double 007'', ''Secret Agent 00'' and ''Operation Kid Brother''. ''O.K. Connery'' was featured on the television series ''

'' on September 11, 1993 as "Operation Double 007".

Reception

In contemporary reviews,

Bosley Crowther Francis Bosley Crowther Jr. (July 13, 1905 – March 7, 1981) was an American journalist, writer, and film critic for ''The New York Times'' for 27 years. His work helped shape the careers of many actors, directors and screenwriters, though his ...

writing for ''

The New York Times ''The New York Times'' (''the Times'', ''NYT'', or the Gray Lady) is a daily newspaper based in New York City with a worldwide readership reported in 2020 to comprise a declining 840,000 paid print subscribers, and a growing 6 million paid ...

'' referred to the film as "a wobbly carbon copy of the James Bond thrillers" ''

'' described the film as so "unbelievably inept", that "many viewers may find it hilarious fun." The ''

'' stated that ''O.K. Connery'' was a "grotesque parody of a parody" noting endless allusions to Neil Connery's brother

. The review concluded that "the film as a whole is bad enough to be hysterically funny." ''

The Cleveland Press The ''Cleveland Press'' was a daily American newspaper published in Cleveland, Ohio from November 2, 1878, through June 17, 1982. From 1928 to 1966, the paper's editor was Louis B. Seltzer. Known for many years as one of the country's most in ...

'' referred to the film as a "dreary and dismal espionage movie" stating that the film lacked the "flair and skill with which the Bond films are made. The script is labored, the direction slow and the acting is barely adequate." In Phil Hardy's book ''Science Fiction'' (1984), a review noted that "though it's stylishly mounted, the result is a routine Italian spy romp." In an interview in 1996, Lois Maxwell said that Sean Connery, when he learned that she would join the cast, got very angry and started screaming: "You have betrayed me!" but he later forgave her. As a "James Bond rip-off", reaction to the film is mixed. Ben Child from ''

The Guardian ''The Guardian'' is a British daily newspaper. It was founded in 1821 as ''The Manchester Guardian'', and changed its name in 1959. Along with its sister papers '' The Observer'' and '' The Guardian Weekly'', ''The Guardian'' is part of the ...

'' called it one of the worst movies made for the genre. In contrast, Andy Roberts from ''

The Daily Telegraph ''The Daily Telegraph'', known online and elsewhere as ''The Telegraph'', is a national British daily broadsheet newspaper published in London by Telegraph Media Group and distributed across the United Kingdom and internationally. It was f ...

'' and Tom Cole for ''

Radio Times ''Radio Times'' (currently styled as ''RadioTimes'') is a British weekly listings magazine devoted to television and radio Radio is the technology of signaling and communicating using radio waves. Radio waves are electromagnetic waves ...

'' considered it to be one of the best.

References

Footnotes

Sources

* * *

External links

* {{Alberto De Martino 1967 films Italian spy comedy films English-language Italian films 1960s Italian-language films Films directed by Alberto De Martino Films scored by Ennio Morricone Films shot in Morocco Films shot in Monaco Films shot in Spain Films about hypnosis Italian parody films 1960s spy comedy films United Artists films Titanus films James Bond Parody films based on James Bond films 1960s parody films 1967 comedy films 1960s Italian films