Hot Enough for June [Agent 8 3/4] ** (1964, Dirk Bogarde, Sylva Koscina, Robert Morley, Leo McKern) – Classic Movie Review 8855

In the year after From Russia with Love, The Rank Organisation studios thought it was time to send up secret agents, so they got Dirk Bogarde to play Nicholas Whistler, a bumbling British Czech-fluent writer sent to Prague on a secret mission by the Americans, in director Ralph Thomas’s silly 1964 spy comedy spoof Hot Enough for June [Agent 8 ¾].

Whistler has got a curvy driver to take him around, in the shape of Comrade Vlasta Simoneva (Sylva Koscina), a Czech agent. Yugoslavian actress Koscina is making her British movie debut, though she was considered for Tatiana Romanova in From Russia with Love (1963).

Hot Enough for June [Agent 8 ¾] is a waste of Bogarde, whose mind was on higher things, and more oomph, imagination and verve are needed. But bright spots include some jolly overplaying by Robert Morley (as Cunliffe) and Leo McKern (as Mr Simoneva), who could brighten up any movie dark spots around this time.

And there is a typically good support cast: Roger Delgado, John le Mesurier, Richard Vernon, Amanda Grinling, Noel Harrison, Derek Nimmo, Jill Melford, Richard Pasco, Eric Pohlmann, Derek Fowlds, Philo Hauser, John Junkin, Alan Tilvern, Brook Williams, Gertan Klauber, Frank Finlay, Norman Bird, Andre Charisse, Harriet Medin, William Mervyn, George Pravda and John Standing.

The comedy thriller screenplay by Lukas Heller is based on the straight espionage novel Night of Wenceslas by Lionel Davidson. Mordecai Richler’s first draft screenplay was rejected and the subsequent credited screenplay by the serious-minded Heller may have been re-worked by other writers.

And, of course, a film with a Dirk and two Dereks must be welcome.

It was shot at Padua, Veneto, Italy, for the scenes set in Prague, Czechoslovakia; and at Pinewood Studios, Iver Heath, Buckinghamshire, England.

The title refers to the name of a code used to identify Whistler’s contact in Czechoslovakia.

Bogarde turned down the movie and Tom Courtenay was cast, then Bogarde changed his mind, but Courtenay ended up starring in the spy comedy Otley (1969).

This movie’s American title is Agent 8¾, spoofing James Bond’s 007. This movie actually has an Agent 007 who is killed off at the start.

Carry On Spying (1964) was released in the same year.

Hot Enough for June [Agent 8 3/4] is directed by Ralph Thomas, runs 98 minutes, is made by The Rank Organisation, is released by Rank Film Distributors (1964) (UK) and Continental Distributing (1965) (US), is written by Lukas Heller, based on the novel Night of Wenceslas by Lionel Davidson, is shot in Eastmancolor by Ernest Steward, produced by Earl St John (executive producer) and Betty E Box, scored by Angelo Lavagnino and Muir Matheson (conductor), and designed by Syd Cain.

Ralph Thomas made several other spy movies: The 39 Steps (1959), Deadlier Than the Male (1967), The High Commissioner (1968), and Some Girls Do (1969).

© Derek Winnert 2019 Classic Movie Review 8855

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