45th anniversary of Dino as Matt Helm in The Silencers

Hey pallies, likes gotta 'fess up that for some reason the pallies at google have not been doin' their usual outstandin' job of sharin' Dino-'lerts and likes as a result many cool Dino-features have been likes slippin' my Dino-view. Case in point, today's cool Dino-gram from the pallies at the Bond pad "HER MAJESTY’S SECRET SERVANT" Weblong was posted over a week ago and likes I just happened 'pon it while doin' a blogger search for "Dean Martin."

So glad to have found it pallies, 'cause likes as you will see below, it is an anniversary Dino-trib to the first of the Matt Helm quartet of spy flicks. It was 45years in February that our Dino as Matt Helm made history on the big screen..and likes as the pallies a HMSS note, the series was "arguably the most successful non-Bond spy series of the 1960s." Likes how cool is that dudes!

Anyway, great to find this Bond pad (likes clicks on tag to goes there) has honored our Dino in this way by rememberin' this anniverary date of the debut of our beloved Dino as swingin' spy agent Matt Helm. Thanks to the pallies at HMSS for spreadin' the Dino-message in this way! Dino-loved, DMP

45th anniversary of Dino as Matt Helm in The Silencers

Posted on February 19, 2011 by The HMSS Editors

This week was the 45th anniversary of The Silencers, the first of four Matt Helm films starring Dean Martin and arguably the most successful non-Bond spy series of the 1960s.

Some of the film’s cast and crew had a shot at doing Bond movies but it didn’t happen.

Studio Columbia Pictures had turned down Bond, with United Artists instead making a deal with Bond producers Albert R. Broccoli and Harry Saltzman; producer Irving Allen had been Broccoli’s partner but thought Ian Fleming’s 007 novels were terrible; 007 screenwriter Richard Maibaum suggested Victor Buono to play Goldfinger; some United Artists executive wanted Phil Karlson to direct Dr. No, but he had a $75,000 asking price while Terence Young would work for $40,000.

Allen took Donald Hamilton’s serious novels and made them into spoofs, though the films did use some plot elements of Hamilton’s originals, particularly The Silencers. To get Dean Martin on board, Allen had to make him a partner. That’s why the films have a copyright notice reading “Meadway-Claude” — Claude was Martin’s production company.

Below is the latter part of main titles of The Silencers, in which Cyd Charisse lipsynchs the title song performed by Vikki Carr and written by Elmer Berstein and Mack David.



Filed under: The Other Spies Tagged: | Albert R. Broccoli, Columbia Pictures, Cyd Charisse, Dean Martin, Donald Hamilton, Elmer Berstein, Harry Saltzman, Irving Allen, Mack David, Matt Helm, Murderers' Row, Phil Karlson, Richard Maibaum, The Other Spies, The Silencers, The Wrecking Crew, United Artists, Victor Buono, Vikki Carr

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