MISIÓN LISBOA - Jesús Franco & Daniel White - "077: Espionage In Lisbon" (1965)

 

Tonight's feature is the perfect example of the fascination Eurospy filmmakers had with the number seven after the success of James Bond! Kick to the head!!

The German version of the film is so confused, even the title card said 007, even though the movie was called 077! Auf Der Oops!! Welcome to the second installment of The Summer of Super Spies down in The Dungeon, and tonight's special feature, "Espionage In Lisbon!"

This is our hero, Brett Halsey as George Farrell, Agent 077! Georgie boy has just been disturbed again, and he's none too happy about it! Brett Halsey is a world class act, and his portfolio ranges from Ma and Pa Kettle, to 50's classic hot rod and horror, to 60's Italian sword and sandal and Eurospy, to X-Men and soap operas! And by 50's classic horror, I mean Real Classic titles like "Revenge Of The Creature," "Return Of The Fly," and "The Atomic Submarine!" Last time I checked, Brett was still working!

Seems like these secret agent types always get rudely interrupted during their vacations with stuff like secret formulas, nutty professors, female agents, and Portugal, but sounds like a good time, even if you had to leave this scene!!

"Espionage In Lisbon" is a complex and cryptic tale, and this is the first piece in the puzzle I'm not even sure Sherlock could have figured out! I gave up and made 3 bean salad instead! I got it, her tee shot went to the right, and she's dying to get some lessons!

This is Marilù (Colossus And The Amazon Queen, Kiss The Girls And Make Them Die, The Witches) Tolo as Terry Brown. Like 077, she is also a secret agent! I don't know what her number is, but I wish I did! 077 knows that she's a secret agent, but Terry doesn't know that he is one too!! Makes for an interesting relationship! Marilù and Brett would team up together 5 years later in "Murder By Music!" Speaking of music, the composers of the music in this jewel are no slackers either, Jesús Franco and Daniel White! It's hard to get much cooler than that! Here's just a little taste to whet your taste buds!

Here come the cool gadgets!!! 077 has a RC flying bug with a microphone built into it. He sends it into the next room, the bug lands somewhere, and the controller turns into a speaker that allows him to hear every word that is said! Pretty nifty!!

The big cheese at the top of the enchilada of bad guys is Fernando (The Face Of Fear, The Two Faces Of Fear) Rey! That is a microphone extended out of that mannequin's stomach that keeps him in contact with the rest of the guys in the "New World Organization!" I could have put up 20 pictures just of Fernando talking into the dummy tummy, but there were too many other good shots that would have been left behind!

Like this clown, 077's boss......he's got what appears to be a 1965 laptop, and he is able to spy on 077 and other areas of the Hotel, but instead he's peeping on some sweet young thang!

"Misión Lisboa" is a strange film! It is definitely not a comedy, but it's funny, not silly or stupid, but actually funny! There was another secret agent posing as Terry Brown's husband, and she finds him dead, and then asks 077 if he'll help her do something with the body! Remember, she still doesn't know he's a secret agent! So they go on quite an extended journey climbing in and out of windows and rooms carrying this body!

There's a big party going on in the Hotel, so when they get to a bathroom, they prop the body up in a corner when a drunken party-goer bursts in on them. The drunk is played by Dungeon Hero George (Jerry Cotton) Nader in a walk through 30 second scene!

I  can't even remember all the places they carry this body around to! It's like a long chase scene, but nobody's pursuing them, so for a while, they even push the body around in this laundry cart, and then, as the next picture shows, they're underground!

So I got this goofy thought, what would the world be like without the letter G? First off, there'd be no spy movies like this because we wouldn't have any Girls, Guns, Gizmos, or Gadgets! There'd be no Garlic or Ginger or Ginkgo Biloba, but that wouldn't matter because we wouldn't be able to eat anyway because there would be no Gastronomy! Good Grief, we'd still be living in the 17th centrury because there would be no Gasoline, and there'd be no God, no Gnomes, Gerbils, Guzanos, Geckos or Goobers! Gee whiz, I don't think life would be worth living without the letter G!

Remember there was a big party going on back at the Hotel, so while the revelers are away, George and Terry sneak the corpse onto the party bus right before they get back, and as the bus drives off, 077 waves at the body leaning up against the window!

Of course, 077 does get chased too, and this one time he ducks inside a door, and finds himself inside an upscale fashion show! The goons back behind the ladies are not quite sure how to deal with the situation!

"Model 13,"  I shit you not, "Mood Indigo!"

It was great to see that they used the interior of a real record store for this scene because that's one set that we never get to see enough of!

"Misión Lisboa" is almost Disneyesque in places! When they were moving that body around, 077 accidentally went in to a woman's bathroom while she was in the tub, and when she gets out, she asks him to drape the towel around her, and as a gentleman, he averts his eyes, and she basically accuses him of being gay because of it! Here, towards the end, this good lookin' gal lets herself into his room, and offers herself up to 077, but instead, because he's a nice guy, he takes her downstairs, and turns her over to the authorities, even though they had been making eyes at each other earlier down by the pool!

The cinematography in "Espionage In Lisbon" is brilliant throughout at worst, and is the handiwork of Angelo Lotti, who was also responsible for the looks of "Toto Vs, Maciste," the two "Kriminal" movies and "Venus In Furs" among many others! Lisbon had a lot to offer, and they took advantage of it!

Geez, here I am at The End again, and I was just getting started too, so I'll leave you with this shot of Terry holding a gun on 077, and leave the rest to your imagination! Want to know the whole story, then contact The Cult Action Team!!