''Requiem for a Secret Agent'' (also known as ''Requiem per un agente segreto'') is an Italian international co-production

Eurospy film 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 Bo ...

. It was co-produced with Spain (where it was released as ''Consigna: Tánger 67'') and

West Germany West Germany is the colloquial term used to indicate the Federal Republic of Germany (FRG; german: Bundesrepublik Deutschland , BRD) between its formation on 23 May 1949 and the German reunification through the accession of East Germany on 3 O ...

(where it was released as ''Der Chef schickt seinen besten Mann''). The film was directed by

Sergio Sollima Sergio Sollima (17 April 1921 – 1 July 2015) was an Italian film director and Screenwriter, script writer. Biography Sollima graduated from the Centro Sperimentale di Cinematografia in 1935. During World War II he was in the Italian Resistanc ...

, and was Sollima's third and last Eurospy film, and the first one he directed with his real name (in the two previous spy films he was credited as Simon Sterling). It was shot in Morocco.

Plot

O’Brien (Franco Andrei) is driving through the streets of Tangier in a sporty blue convertible, when he notices that he is being followed, He stops for petrol, and makes a phone call to Bressart (

Luis Induni Luis Induni (5 March 1920, in Romano di Lombardia, Bergamo, Lombardy, Italy – 31 December 1979, in Barcelona, Spain) was an Italian film actor of the 1950s 1960s and 1970s. He made his debut in the western film ''Billy the Kid'' (1962) along ...

), warning that he might have to cancel their meeting. O'Brien kills his pursuer but later, when he arrives at his rendezvous, he finds Bressart dead and is in turn killed by the mysterious Alexej (Wolf Hillinger), who works for the former Nazi intelligence officer Rubeck ( Peter van Eyck). The American secret services operating in Morocco need a replacement for agent A139 (O'Brien). The old man (

John Karlsen John Karlsen, sometimes credited as Charles John Karlsen or John Karlson (20 October 1919 – 5 July 2017), was an actor from New Zealand who was active in cinema between 1958 and 2003. He is best known for ''Bill & Ted's Excellent Adventure' ...

), who runs the service, does not think that a conventional agent will be effective against Rubeck's ruthless syndicate, and instructs Moran (Benny Deus) to contact the mercenary but effective British agent John Merrill (

Stewart Granger Stewart Granger (born James Lablache Stewart; 6 May 1913 – 16 August 1993) was a British film actor, mainly associated with heroic and romantic leading roles. He was a popular leading man from the 1940s to the early 1960s, rising to fame thr ...

) in Berlin, and bring him to Tangier. Merrill, who has the code name Bingo, has been helping a family escape to the West from East Germany, but only in exchange for all their valuables. Merrill arrives in Tangier, and sees that a fellow passenger Evelyn (

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 ...

) has a gun in her handbag. Ever the gentleman, Bingo removes it, smuggles it through security without her knowledge, and then returns it to her. He is met at the airport by Olafson (

Giulio Bosetti Giulio Bosetti (26 December 1930 – 24 December 2009) was an Italian actor and director. Career Giulio Bosetti appeared in film, on television and on stage over 30 times. In 1972, he narrated the television special ''La vita di Leonardo da Vi ...

), an idealistic Norwegian agent who - together with his colleague Edith (

Giorgia Moll Giorgia Moll (born 14 January 1938) is an Italian film actress. She was sometimes credited as Georgia Moll and Georgia Mool. Background Moll was born in Prata di Pordenone to a German father and an Italian mother. At a young age, she began a br ...

) - explains their side of the mission. Rubeck was responsible for the bombing of a U.N. airplane carrying Norwegian mediators to peace negotiations in Egypt, so Merrill's job is to both neutralise Rubeck's organisation and to send him to Norway to stand trial. Bingo and Olafson track down Bressart's lover Betty Lou (Maria Granada), but Rubeck has anticipated this and has stationed two of his men in her room. Merrill and Olafson kill the two henchmen, but Betty Lou runs away before they can talk to her. Evelyn meets Betty Lou and reveals that she is Bressart's wife, and has come to Tangier to avenge his death. Bingo tries to speak to Betty Lou, but Alexej kills her, leaving Evelyn with the idea that Bingo ws responsible. It is revealed that Alexej had been found and adopted as a young boy by Rubeck in Poland during World Wat II, and that Rubeck has raised him as his protege. Assuming that Bingo was also responsible for her husband's death, Evelyn hires some locals to kill him, but Bingo overpowers them and visits Evelyn to demand an explanation. He gives her a slapping, and tells her what really happened, but she does not believe his story and pulls a gun on him. In the ensuing struggle, she is shot and killed with her own gun. Bingo decides to use Evelyn's death to find Rubeck, and persuades the Moroccan police that a blonde European was the killer. Rubeck is one of the suspects picked up by the police, and once he has been positively identified by Edith, Bingo and Olafson kidnap him. After Bingo threatens to roast him in an oven, Rubeck provides details about his syndicate, but is then rescued by Alexej. Bingo escapes by jumping through a window, and returns to Tangier where Edith tends to his injuries. Meanwhile Olafson has broken into Rubeck's house and stolen incriminating documents. Rubeck realises the weakness of his position and makes a deal with the Americans, so that he will betray his organisation in exchange for immunity from prosecution for himself and Alexej. Bingo is offered a financial bonus, and agrees to square the deal with the Norwegians. With this in mind, Bingo waits until Olafson goes out, then seduces Edith, steals the documents that Olafson had obtained, and hands them to Moran. Rubeck arranges a meeting of his syndicate on a yacht, then he and Bingo ensure that it is blown up, killing the senior members of the gang. Moran promises Bingo more money if he can dig up enough evidence to ensure that Rubeck is convicted. Olafson realises that Bingo has betrayed him and angrily berates him about his morals and character, but he still believes he and Edith know enough to ensure that Rubeck will be prosecuted in Norway. However, Alexej overhears the conversation, murders Olafson and plans to eliminate Edith as well. Edith plans to fly to Oslo, but Rubeck anticipates this and sends Alexej to the airport to intercept her. Edith runs away but Alexej traps her in a hangar and is about to kill her when Bingo arrives and beats Alexej in a brutal fist fight. He goes to Rubeck's villa, where Rubeck pulls a gun on him and calls for help from Moran. But Bingo had previously removed the magazine from the gun, leaving Rubeck at his mercy. Bingo decides not to kill Rubeck, but to hand him over to Norwegian agents, infuriating Moran and sacrificing his payment from the Americans. It seems that his interaction with Olafson has enabled Bingo to find his conscience. Edith tries again to go to Oslo, but this time she is intercepted by Bingo. They drive into the sunset together.

Cast

: John Merrill *

: Evelyn * Peter van Eyck: Oscar Rubeck *

: Erik Olafson * Maria Granada: Betty Lou *

: Edith *

: The old man *

: Charles Bressart *

Gianni Rizzo Gianni Rizzo (1925–1992) was an Italian film actor. Between 1944 and 1986 he appeared in over seventy films and television productions, in a variety of supporting roles. His screen roles included parts in a number of peplum films, such as '' Th ...

: Atenopoulos * Benny Deus: Moran * Enrique Navarro: Galvao * Franco Andrei: Ned Robbins * Wolf Hillinger: Alexej * Mirella Pamphili: Stripper *

: Edith

Soundtrack

The film's theme song was "Before it's Too Late", sung by Lydia MacDonald.

References

External links

* 1966 films 1960s spy thriller films West German films Films shot in Morocco Films set in Morocco Films set in Tangier Films directed by Sergio Sollima Films scored by Piero Umiliani Italian spy thriller films German spy thriller films Spanish spy thriller films Films with screenplays by Sergio Donati 1960s Italian films 1960s German films {{1960s-Italy-film-stub