CinemaSerf

Now who didn’t enjoy Bette Davis doing her very own impression of “Fu Manchu”? She’s so hammy it’s good! Sadly, though, it also features Robert Wagner who was never the most compelling of actors to watch. He’s an agent for the American government whom she uses her mind-bending ray upon so that he will help her and her scheming henchman “De Vere” (Denholm Elliott) to pinch a billion-dollar Polaris nuclear submarine from it’s Scottish loch base. To that end, she uses her guile and expert manipulation techniques to get him to kidnap his pal “Cavendish” (Gordon Jackson) who co-ordinates all the naval activity and whom she hopes to brainwash into diverting this vessel into the clutches of her evil client. The question is, though, might “Lawrence” (Wagner) have enough cerebral mettle to resist her powerful gadgetry and thwart her cunning plan? What I did enjoy about this is the sheer joy of a star who is out to send the whole thing up. She’s having fun - and Elliott actually does quite well too as her dastardly cohort. There’s some lovely Argyllshire scenery and plenty of toys straight out of the “Doctor Who” end-of-season sale from 1972. Though there are a few interlopers from time to time, it’s really just left to the three of them to tell us this daft story and for my money they do it fine. No, you’ll never see it up for an award but I did rather savour the conclusion, her aspirations for Windsor Castle and that malevolent grin on her face could strip paint! Aim low and you ought not to be disappointed.