ALL SCI-FI

[Krel.]

The Assassination Bureau (U.S. title) is a 1969 black comedy with science fiction overtones.

In the early 1900s, aspiring journalist and woman's activist Sonia Winter (Diana Rigg) approaches London newspaper publisher Lord Bostwick (Telly Savalas) about doing a story on an organization that does murder for hire.

The organization, the Assassination Bureau Limited (British title) is led by the Chairman, the son of the founder, Ivan Dragomiroff (Oliver Reed). Miss Winter wants to hire the Bureau to kill Ivan. Far from being outraged, Ivan is amused and accepts her commission. Ivan has been troubled by the activities of the Bureau. The Bureau started off with high moral ideals that they would only kill those that deserved to die. Murderers, tyrants, despots and such.

Ivan has been concerned as of late that his older colleges have lost sight of the the Bureaus principles, and have been killing more for financial gain. He puts the commission before the board over their protests. He further adds that if they must kill him before he kills therm.

Miss Winter follows Ivan at the urging of her publisher Lord Bostwick. Unknown to her, Lord Bostwick is the Vice-Chairman of the Bureau, and is using her to keep track of Ivan as he travels across Europe eliminating Board members.

The climax takes place aboard a Zeppelin.

The Assassination Bureau is based on an unfinished Jack London novel The Assassination Burea, Ltd.. The novel was finished after his death by Robert L. Fish, and was published in 1963. The novel took place in the United States.

The movie was originally suppose to star Burt Landcaster but he backed out of the production.

David.

[Pow]

Intriguing premise. Never have seen this movie and now would like to do so.

Diana Rigg co-starred with Telly Savalas in the James Bond film "On Her Majesty's Secret Service."

Oliver Reed might have made a good 007 after Sean Connery left the franchise. But from what I read Reed loved his imbibing and was quite the wild man off screen in his personal life.

Years later the movie "The Star Chamber'' with Michael Douglas was made with a similar premise to TAB.

In TSC Douglas is a respected judge who is invited into a covert group of fellow judges. They examine cases where vicious killers have been able to escape conviction.

To that end they hire a professional assassin to execute the sentence that these judges decide that the guilty should pay even though the criminal justice system fouled up by letting these thugs free.

[Bud Brewster]

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I saw it in 1969, but I don't remember being overly impressed. I suspect I'd like it more if I watched it again.

____________ The Assassination Bureau (8/8)


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