Agent 8 3/4 [Import]

VCI Entertainment and The Rank Collection presents "AGENT 8 3/4" (aka: Hot Enough For June) (1964) (97 min/Color) -- Starring: Dirk Bogarde, Sylva Koscina, Robert Morley, Leo McKern, Roger Delgado, John LeMesurier, Derek Fowlds, Amanda Grinling, Noel Harrison, Philo Hauser, John Junkin, Gertan Klauber

Directed by: Ralph Thomas

VCI has restored and brought from their vaults another great film from the British Invasion.

A nice combination of suspense adventure and romantic comedy. A light comedic film that turned into a good suspense thriller by the end, there are many amusing moments to be had along the way.

Unemployed Czech-speaking writer Nicholas Whistler (Dirk Bogarde) thinks he's got a job visiting Prague for a bit of industrial espionage. In fact he is now in the employ of British Intelligence. His pretty chauffeurs on arrival behind the Iron Curtain, Comrade Vlasta Simonova (Sylva Koscina), is herself a Czech agent, the film is a combination between James Bond and 'North by Northwest'.

Well directed by Ralph Thomas, the film is carried by the superb and delicately delivered performances of those three old pros, Robert Morley, Leo McKern, and Dirk Bogarde.

And there is a wonderful 'in-joke'. At one point Bogarde is looking at a newspaper, and a secondary story which most people would not notice is headed: '"I'm not a spy!' says Ralph Thomas', Ralph Thomas of course being the film's director.

For product description and editorial review check this out on the Amazon site above my review

SPECIAL BONUS FEATURES:
1. Photo Gallery
2. Original Trailer

BIOS:
1. Ralph Thomas (Director)
Date of Birth: 10 August 1915 - Hull, Yorkshire, England, UK
Date of Death: 17 March 2001 - London, England, UK

2. Dirk Bogarde [aka: Derek Jules Gaspard Ulric Niven van den Bogaerde]
Date of Birth: 28 March 1921 - Hampstead, London, England, UK
Date of Death: 8 May 1999 - Chelsea, London, England, UK

3. Sylva Koscina
Date of Birth: 22 August 1933 - Zagreb, Croatia, Yugoslavia (now Zagreb, Croatia)
Date of Death: 26 December 1994 - Rome, Italy

4. Robert Morley
Date of Birth: 26 May 1908 - Semley, Wiltshire, England, UK
Date of Death: 3 June 1992 - Wargrave, Berkshire, England, UK

5. Leo McKern [aka: Reginald McKern]
Date of Birth: 16 March 1920 - Sydney, New South Wales, Australia
Date of Death: 23 July 2002 - Bath, England, UK

Mr. Jim's Ratings:
Quality of Picture & Sound: 5 Stars
Performance: 5 Stars
Story & Screenplay: 4 Stars
Overall: 4 Stars [Original Music, Cinematography & Film Editing]

Total Time: 97 min on DVD ~ VCI Entertainment #9015 ~ (August 16, 2011)