Matt Helm

I first heard of the Matt Helm movies around 1967 when I saw a copy of the magazine, SPIES, SPOOFS AND SUPER GUYS. I already knew Dean Martin from television but I wasn't a fan of his "sophisticated" drinking man's humor or his half-hearted singing. In fact, I never did warm up to Dean all that much and when I finally did catch the Matt Helm films a few years later, I had to admit they weren't really very good. In fact, they seemed about as half-hearted as Dean's singing, not even taking themselves seriously within their own milieu. That said, it's hard to deny that a nostalgic charm has settled on the Helm films over time, giving them an almost Austin Powers feel (which is odd when you consider that the original book series by Donald Hamilton was played more or less straight!). Ann-Margret and Sharon Tate highlight a bevy of sixties beauties who appear throughout, along with Beverly Adams (the future Beverly Sassoon) as Helm's sexytary...err...I mean, secretary. One thing the movies had from the beginning though--great posters!

Maisie

I first knew Ann Sothern from her appearances on TV's THE LUCY SHOW and her voice as MY MOTHER, THE CAR. Later I caught some reruns of THE ANN SOTHERN SHOW. But her place in motion picture history lies with Maisie, a wisecracking showgirl with a heart of gold who ends up in a variety of situations over a series of 9 years and 10 B movies. These B films were form MGM, though, which means they looked like everybody else's A list features! Ann's co-stars included major talents such as Robert Young, Red Skelton, Lew Ayres, and George Murphy. The role of Maisie was said to have been tailored for Jean Harlow who passed before the first film.

Fritz the Cat

I didn't see FRITZ THE CAT when it first came out in 1972. I had enjoyed Ralph Bakshi's TV cartoons but didn't yet know his name. I had NO idea who Robert Crumb was! On top of all that, I was only 13 years old! I was 17 when I finally caught FRITZ on a triple bill with its non-Bakshi sequel, THE 9 LIVES OF FRITZ THE CAT and Bakshi's far superior non-Fritz follow-up, HEAVY TRAFFIC.

When i did finally catch it, though--and by now I knew the comics character and Crumb--I was pretty impressed. It was more a Bakshi film than a Crumb film but at the same time, it remained fairly true to its source other than making the title character a little more familiar in the time honored funny animal mode...albeit dirtier