''Banco à Bangkok pour OSS 117'', released in the USA as ''Shadow of Evil'', is a 1964 French/Italian

international co-production A co-production is a joint venture A joint venture (JV) is a business entity created by two or more parties, generally characterized by shared ownership, shared returns and risks, and shared governance. Companies typically pursue joint vent ...

Eurospy Eurospy film, or Spaghetti spy film (when referring to Cinema of Italy, 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 ...

spy-fi film. It was based on

Jean Bruce Jean Bruce (22 March 1921 – 26 March 1963), born Jean Brochet, was a prolific French popular writer. He also wrote under the pseudonyms of Jean Alexandre, Jean Alexandre Brochet, Jean-Martin Rouan, and Joyce Lindsay. He died in a car accident in ...

's 1960 novel ''Lila de Calcutta'', the 74th OSS 117 novel. It was the second

OSS 117 OSS 117 is the codename for Hubert Bonisseur de La Bath, a fictional secret agent created by French writer Jean Bruce (and continued by his widow Josette following Bruce's accidental death). Hubert Bonisseur de La Bath is described as being an Am ...

film directed by

André Hunebelle André Hunebelle (; 1 September 1896 – 27 November 1985) was a French maître verrier (master glassmaker) and film director. Master Glass Artist After attending polytechnic school for mathematics, he became a decorator, a designer, and then a m ...

and produced by Paul Cadéac, the first in the series in colour, the first co-produced by the Italian company Da.Ma. Cinematografica and the last to star

Kerwin Mathews Kerwin Mathews (January 8, 1926 – July 5, 2007) was an American actor best known for playing the titular heroes in ''The 7th Voyage of Sinbad'' (1958), ''The Three Worlds of Gulliver'' (1960), and ''Jack the Giant Killer (1962 film), Jack the G ...

as OSS 117. The film was shot on Thai locations and featured action scenes arranged by Hunebelle's

stunt coordinator A stunt coordinator, usually an experienced stunt performer, is hired by a TV, film or theatre director or production company for casting stunt performers. Their job is to arrange the casting (stunt players and stunt doubles) and performance of s ...

Claude Carliez Claude Carliez (January 10, 1925 – May 17, 2015) was a French master at arms in classical fencing who became a period and fencing advisor for French films. He then became a stunt performer, stunt coordinator, special effects person, and film d ...

with

production design In film industry, film and television, a production designer is the individual responsible for the overall aesthetic of the story. The production design gives the viewers a sense of the time period, the plot location, and character actions and ...

René Moulaert René Moulaert (1901–1965) was a Belgian art director who worked on designing stage (theatre), stage and film sets.Thys p.316 Selected filmography * ''The Marriage of Mademoiselle Beulemans (1932 film), The Marriage of Mademoiselle Beulemans'' ...

Plot

Secret Agent OSS 117,

Colonel Colonel ( ; abbreviated as Col., Col, or COL) is a senior military Officer (armed forces), officer rank used in many countries. It is also used in some police forces and paramilitary organizations. In the 17th, 18th, and 19th centuries, a colon ...

Hubert Bonisseur de La Bath (

) is sent to Thailand following the murder of OSS agent Christopher Lemmon. Lemmon had been investigating the break out of plague epidemics in India following health workers inoculating the locals to protect them from

cholera Cholera () is an infection of the small intestine by some Strain (biology), strains of the Bacteria, bacterium ''Vibrio cholerae''. Symptoms may range from none, to mild, to severe. The classic symptom is large amounts of watery diarrhea last ...

. Lemmon had discovered that the medicine made in Hogby Laboratories in

Bangkok Bangkok, officially known in Thai language, Thai as Krung Thep Maha Nakhon and colloquially as Krung Thep, is the capital and most populous city of Thailand. The city occupies in the Chao Phraya River delta in central Thailand and has an estim ...

had been switched with plague germs infecting the population with fatal results. After surviving several assassination attempts, OSS 117 infiltrates the secret lair of Dr. Sinn (

Robert Hossein Robert Hossein (30 December 1927 – 31 December 2020) was a French film actor, director, and writer. He directed Les Misérables (1982 film), the 1982 adaptation of ''Les Misérables'' and appeared in ''Vice and Virtue'', ''Le Casse'', ''Les U ...

), an Indian hypnotist and psychologist with the help of his sister Lila (

Pier Angeli Anna Maria Pierangeli (19 June 193210 September 1971), known internationally by the stage name Pier Angeli, was an Italian actress, model and singer. She won the Nastro d'Argento for Best Actress for her debut role in the 1950 film '' Tomorrow ...

). Dr Sinn is the cape wearing

supervillain A supervillain, supervillainess or supercriminal is a major antagonist and variant of the villainous stock character who possesses Superpower (ability), superpowers. The character type is sometimes found in comic books and is often the primary ...

and mastermind

mad scientist The mad scientist (also mad doctor or mad professor) is a stock character of a scientist who is perceived as "mad, bad and dangerous to know" or "insanity, insane" owing to a combination of unusual or unsettling personality traits and the unabas ...

of a

Malthusian Malthusianism is a theory that population growth is potentially exponential, according to the Malthusian growth model, while the growth of the food supply or other resources is linear, which eventually reduces living standards to the point of trig ...

organisation known as the "People Elect". The "People Elect" (inoculated by Dr Sinn for immunity) desire to spread plague around the world to reduce the Earth's population and stop atomic testing that is ruining the planet.

Cast

Hubert Bonisseur de La Bath OSS 117 is the codename for Hubert Bonisseur de La Bath, a fictional secret agent created by French writer Jean Bruce (and continued by his widow Josette following Bruce's accidental death). Hubert Bonisseur de La Bath is described as being an Am ...

as Lila Sinn, the doctor's sister *

as Dr Sinn *

Dominique Wilms Dominique Wilms (born 8 June 1930) is a Belgian film actress. Life and career Married to actor Jean Gaven, she was widowed by him in 2014.Lentz IIII, Harris. Obituaries in the Performing Arts, 2014', p. 126. Jefferson, North Carolina: McFarland ...

as Eva Davidson, Leacock's secretary *

Gamil Ratib Gamil Abu Bakr Ratib (; 18 August 1926 – 19 September 2018) was an Egyptian actor. He appeared in television and film productions and briefly in theater over a 65-year career. He was known for numerous villainous roles and his appearance in the ...

as Akhom *

Henri Virlojeux Henri Virlogeux (22 March 1924 – 19 December 1995) was a French actor. He is known for "The 400 Blows" (1959), "Les rois maudits" (1972) and "Schulmeister, espion de l'empereur" (1971). He was married to Véronique Silver. He died on 19 December ...

as Leacock *

Jacques Mauclair Jacques Mauclair (12 January 1919 – 20 December 2001) was a French film actor. He appeared in 30 films between 1950 and 2000. He was born in Paris Paris () is the Capital city, capital and List of communes in France with over 20,0 ...

as Mr Smith *

Henri Guégan Henri is the French form of the masculine given name Henry, also in Estonian, Finnish, German and Luxembourgish. Bearers of the given name include: People French nobles * Henri I de Montmorency (1534–1614), Marshal and Constable of France * ...

as Karloff *

Raoul Billerey Raoul Billerey (1920 - 2010) was a French actor, stuntman, fencing master and director of combat choreography for French TV, theater and film. Partial filmography *''The Three Musketeers'' (1953) *''Cadet Rousselle'' (1954) - Un soldat à l'au ...

as Christopher Lemmon *

Jacques Hilling Jacques Hilling (26 May 1922 – 16 February 1975) was a French film actor. He appeared in more than 90 films between 1949 and 1975. Selected filmography * '' Return to Life'' (1949) - Un soldat (segment 4 : "Le retour de René") (uncredit ...

as Hogby

References

External links

* * original French film trailer https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tycLRoQtpbg 1964 films 1960s spy thriller films Films directed by André Hunebelle Films set in Thailand Films shot in Thailand 1960s French-language films French spy thriller films French sequel films 1960s French films Films scored by Michel Magne OSS 117 films {{1960s-France-film-stub