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Our Man Flint (1966)

 
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Bud Brewster
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PostPosted: Sun Mar 08, 2015 6:11 pm    Post subject: Our Man Flint (1966) Reply with quote



James Coburn is Derek Flint, America's answer to that Limy wimp, James Bond. Anything Bond can do, Flint can do better in this highly imaginative spoof of the 1960s spy craze.





Flint has four live-in lovelies in his hi-tech, high-rise apartment.











He wears a wrist watch that also serves as a spectroscopic analyser, and he carries a cigarette lighter with 82 built-in functions (including blow-torch and gun). Natually Flint invented both gizmos himself (unlike Bond, who was given all his equipment).





Before leaving on a mission to save the world, Flint suspends himself between two chairs, supported only at head and heels, and "relaxes" by stopping his heart!





The villians are three kindly scientist who want to control the world for its own good, using science to provide the maximum possible drug-induced pleasure to the world's populace. The scientists hope to cow the governments of every nation into submission by controlling the world's weather and threatening a series of natural disasters. The best secret agents of America and England fail to stop them, so Flint agrees to help (he's a free agent, employed by no one).





The action-packed climax takes palce on the scientists' island paradise (inside a fake volcano!) where Flint is attacked by an eagle trained to attack Americans (!).











He karate fights his way through a legion of soldiers and rescues his kidnapped harem of girlfriends, along with the shapely Gila Golan ("Valley of Gwangi").







Good special effects, a fine cast, and wonderful music by Jerry Goldsmith. Directed with great style by Daniel Mann.



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Robert (Butch) Day
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PostPosted: Sun Mar 08, 2015 6:55 pm    Post subject: Re: Our Man Flint - (1966) Reply with quote



Notice the ship in the air. It's was modified in to the Spindrift of Land Of The Giants (ABC 1968 - 1970)!
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orzel-w
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PostPosted: Sun Mar 08, 2015 8:18 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

That's a monorail car, right?
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Brent Gair
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PostPosted: Sun Mar 08, 2015 8:21 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

Not only was the Spindrift from LAND OF THE GIANTS used but note this:



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Bud Brewster
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PostPosted: Sun Mar 08, 2015 11:44 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

orzel-w wrote:
That's a monorail car, right?

Well, you're close. It's a cable car, running on a long black line that's barely visible. If travels from one side of the volcano's interior to the other, in two separate shots.

Butch wrote:
Notice the ship in the air. It's was modified into the Spindrift of Land Of The Giants (ABC 1968 - 1970)!

You're right that the front resembles the Spindrift (allowing for the fuzzy image) —







— but how sure are we that it really became the Spindrift? There are more differences than similarities.

Here it is from the other direction in two screen grabs I got from the Stagevu download, headed away from the camera.








I'll leave the final determination to our experts. Very Happy



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scotpens
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PostPosted: Mon Mar 09, 2015 12:29 am    Post subject: Re: Our Man Flint - (1966) Reply with quote

Bud Brewster wrote:
He wears a wrist watch that also serves as a spectroscopic analyser, and he carries a cigarette lighter with 82 built-in functions (including blow-torch and gun).

Actually 83 if you want to light a cigarette.

Bud Brewster wrote:
He karate fights his way through a legion of soldiers and rescues his kidnapped harem of girlfriends, along with the shapely Gila Golan ("Valley of Gwangi").


That lobby card depicts a bit of sadomasochism that's rather kinky for a 1960s film. Gila insists that Flint mark her shoulder with an electric branding device so she can pass as a supposedly brainwashed "pleasure unit". From the way they play the scene, it seems as if they both enjoyed the experience!
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Pow
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PostPosted: Mon Mar 09, 2015 7:39 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

I'm fascinated with movie sets, be they exterior or interior.

Peking City from 55 Days At Peking, Roman Forum from Fall Of The Roman Empire, Shangri-La from Lost Horizon, & so forth. They are all marvels of size & architecture to behold.

So thanks for the pix of some of the incredible sets from Flint. Never a fan of the film except to appreciate the sets . . . & beautiful women, of course.
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Bud Brewster
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PostPosted: Sun May 21, 2017 7:43 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

________________________________

IMDB has 18 trivia items for this enjoyable movie. Here's the best of the bunch! Very Happy
________________________________

When Flint 'relaxes' (suspending his body supported only by 2 chairs: one under his head, & one under his heels — the rest, with no support), it was not a special effects shot. James Coburn was able to do so, and it was incorporated into the script.

Note from me: Gee, all these years I've assumed he was laying on a board.

The safe door locking bars, which Flint easily melts, were cast from "Woods metal", an alloy whose melting point is only about 200 degrees F, so low it can be melted in boiling water.

Note from me: So THAT'S why I've been able to find a cigarette lighter that had a built-in blow torch! Darn . . .

Raquel Welch was originally considered for the role Gila Golan plays in the film.

Note from me: As lovely as Raquel is, I'm glad they cast Gila instead.

On the official studio soundtrack album, the song 'Galaxy a Go-Go' was written by a young Randy Newman, who is in fact the nephew of Lionel Newman, the head of 20th Century-Fox's Music Department at that time.


_______________________ Galaxy A Go-Go


__________



________ Galaxy A Go-Go clip from Our Man Flint


__________




~ (Two separate items shown below.)

TV super sub Seaview modified for entering Galaxy Island complex.

TV sub seaview dressed up for movie.


Note from me: These claims are, I'm sure, entirely bogus. Shocked

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Is there no man on Earth who has the wisdom and innocence of a child?
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Eadie
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PostPosted: Thu Jan 30, 2020 6:18 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

Production illustrator Fred Harpman's Galaxy lab concept:


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Gord Green
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PostPosted: Thu Jan 30, 2020 10:42 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

I loved these movies back in the day!

I always thought of Derek Flint as a present day super cool version of Doc Savage.

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Krel
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PostPosted: Tue Feb 04, 2020 3:32 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

This movie used practically every SF set, set piece and prop on the Fox Studio lot.

Z.O.W.I.E command is the C.M.D.F. set from "Fantastic Voyage". The Z.O.W.I.E. set uses the girders from the Batcave's atomic reactor turned upside down. The girders are also used on a Galaxy Island set.

The Galaxy sub, sub control room and dock are a redressed Seaview miniature, control room set, deck set and the Seaview dock.

The Electro Fragmentizer is made of set pieces from the Irwin Allen shows, with the Seaview's reactor perched on top.

It is possible that some of these set pieces were made for the movie, an IA later used them in his shows. In at least on first season VTTBOTS episode, you can see a forklift with the Galaxy emblem on the Seaview dock.

The "Fantastic Voyage" Miniaturizer hex panels are used as set dressing on Galaxy Island.

The all-purpose, tall, black cone-shaped device with the gold prongs on top, from "Lost in Space" is seen by the giant drill.

I'm sure that there is more, but that's all I can remember. It's been a few years since I watched the movie.

David.
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Bud Brewster
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PostPosted: Tue Feb 04, 2020 5:45 pm    Post subject: Re: Our Man Flint - (1966) Reply with quote

scotpens wrote:
That lobby card depicts a bit of sadomasochism that's rather kinky for a 1960s film. Gila insists that Flint mark her shoulder with an electric branding device so she can pass as a supposedly brainwashed "pleasure unit". From the way they play the scene, it seems as if they both enjoyed the experience!

The lobby card is apparently misleading, scotpens.

Gila cries out from the pain when Flint brands her, and then she falls into his arms, sobbing pitifully. And he gives no indication that it was a pleasant experience and appears completely sympathetic as he comforts her.

I tried to find a clip of scene on YouTube, but there doesn't seem to me one. But that lobby card certainly shows off Miss Golan's lovely figure! Wink

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Is there no man on Earth who has the wisdom and innocence of a child?
~ The Space Children (1958)


Last edited by Bud Brewster on Wed Sep 16, 2020 4:38 pm; edited 1 time in total
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Bud Brewster
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PostPosted: Wed Sep 16, 2020 4:36 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

Pow wrote:
I'm fascinated with movie sets, be they exterior or interior.

Peking City from 55 Days At Peking, Roman Forum from Fall Of The Roman Empire, Shangri-La from Lost Horizon, & so forth. They are all marvels of size & architecture to behold.

Same here, Mike!

We all know that Forbidden Planet is a prime example of great set designs, but there are thousands of others that have been created throughout Hollywood's long history.
Cool
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Bud Brewster
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PostPosted: Fri May 13, 2022 6:10 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

__________________________________________________

20th Century Fox made a huge mistake when the didn't produce several worthy sequels to this fresh new take on the overly-serious spy craze.

The Bond films started out semi-serious with Dr. No, then it got even more serious with From Russia With Love, and then nailed it Goldfinger.

Our Man Flint boldly explored the genre's truly outrageous nature by dialing up ever aspect of the Bond character to the Nth degree!

For example, Flint didn't just seduce the women he casually met — he kept five beloved and adoring beauties in his home, all of which were happy to serve his every need . . . right down to providing a hot shaves!

When Flint went out for an evening on the town, he took all five with him.






And Flint wasn't just knowledgeable on many subjects, he was an expert on everything. He even wrote books on some of them!

Finally, Flint didn't need some grouchy old genius at MI6 to hand him hi-tech gizmos he could use to compete his missions. He just invented the damn things himself! Shocked






All in all, Derek Flint was the true culmination of the 1960s spy craze. He was a Fan Boy's ultimate dream come true . . . and he was portrayed brilliantly by James Coburn.

So, why was the second movie such a disappointing seque — and why did Fox simply drop the franchise afterwards. Confused

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Is there no man on Earth who has the wisdom and innocence of a child?
~ The Space Children (1958)


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Bud Brewster
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PostPosted: Sat Jan 07, 2023 7:23 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

Gord Green wrote:
I loved these movies back in the day!

I always thought of Derek Flint as a present day super cool version of Doc Savage.

That's a very apt description of Derek Flint, Gord! I never thought of him that way. Cool

It seems to me that 20th Century Fox was hoping to make a series of Flint films that would take full advantage of the popular spy craze of the sixties. They wanted to give the James Bond franchise a run for their money. Very Happy

One of the reasons I think this is the wonderful promotional artwork done for the Flint films by Robert McGinnus, the great artist responsible for the Bond posters.

I'm sure Mr. McGinnus collected a hefty fee for his work, and he must have spent a great deal of time creating these magnificent paintings.




















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~ The Space Children (1958)
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