Danger!! Death Ray
Danger!! Death Ray is a 1967 Italian Eurospy secret agent spy film starring Gordon Scott.
Danger!! Death Ray | |
---|---|
Directed by | Gianfranco Baldanello |
Produced by | Daniel P. Culvert |
Written by | Dick Arthur Juan Antonio Cabezas Al Christian Jaime Comas Gil Aldo Cristiani Domenico Paolella |
Starring | Gordon Scott Maureen Delphy Nello Pazzafini as Ted Carter Tullio Altamura as Tor Altmayer |
Music by | Gianni Ferrio |
Distributed by | Asdrúbal |
Release date | January 28, 1967 (Italy) March 18, 1968 (Spain) |
Running time | 93 min. |
Language | Italian |
The film was released at a time when the James Bond films, and spy films in general, were very popular internationally. Its original Italian title was Il Raggio infernale, which translates as "The Infernal Ray", and it was also released in English as Nest of Spies and Death Ray.[1] It was known in France as Le Rayon Infernal.
The film was satirized on a 1995 episode of Mystery Science Theater 3000.
Synopsis
Scientist Jean Karl Michael invents a death ray which, according to him, is for "peaceful purposes". He arranges to demonstrate the ray to a group of European NATO representatives. As he is demonstrating it, a group of enemy agents disguised as NATO officials steals the death ray, kidnap the scientist, and escape by car under the cover of night. Following a pursuit and gun battle, they escape by helicopter which lands on a submarine and is discarded as the submarine submerges.
As Agent Bart Fargo is about to go on vacation, he is given the assignment of retrieving the death ray and saving the scientist. He travels to Barcelona on a lead to find an evil organization that may be behind this. Rooting out a nest of spies in an ever-enclosing trail, Fargo meets a lady when he hides in her house from the opposition and befriends an enemy agent who later helps him to stop the evil organization.
In popular culture
Danger!! Death Ray was 'riffed' (parodied) on Mystery Science Theater 3000 on January 7, 1995 and remains a cult favorite to this day.
Canadian Surf Rock band Danger!! Death Ray is named after the film.
Bibliography
- Blake, Matt; Deal, David (2004). The Eurospy Guide. Baltimore: Luminary Press. ISBN 1-887664-52-1.
References
- Blake, Deal, p.56