| The Wrecking Crew | |
|---|---|
 Theatrical release poster byRobert McGinnis | |
| Directed by | Phil Karlson |
| Screenplay by | William McGivern |
| Based on | The Wrecking Crew byDonald Hamilton |
| Produced by | Irving Allen |
| Starring | |
| Cinematography | Sam Leavitt |
| Edited by | Maury Winetrobe |
| Music by | Hugo Montenegro |
Production company | Meadway-Claude Productions Company |
| Distributed by | Columbia Pictures |
Release dates |
|
Running time | 105 minutes |
| Country | United States |
| Language | English |
| Box office | $2.4 million (US/Canadarentals)[1] |
The Wrecking Crew is a 1968 Americanspycomedy film directed byPhil Karlson and starringDean Martin asMatt Helm, along withElke Sommer,Sharon Tate,Nancy Kwan,Nigel Green, andTina Louise. It is thefourth and final film in the Matt Helm series, and is loosely based on the 1960novel of the same name byDonald Hamilton. The film opened in Canada in December 1968 before premiering in the United States in February 1969.[2]
It was Tate's last film released beforeher death in 1969. It was also theHollywood film debut for two futureaction movie stars:Bruce Lee, who worked behind the scenes as anaction choreographer, andChuck Norris, who made his film debut in a small role.
Matt Helm is assigned by his secret agency, ICE, to bring down an evil count named Contini, who is trying to collapse the world economy by stealing a billion dollars in gold. Helm travels to Copenhagen, where he is given a guide, Freya Carlson, a beautiful but bumbling woman from a Danish tourism bureau.
A pair of Contini's accomplices, the seductive Linka Karensky and Wen Yurang, each attempt to foil Helm's plans. The former is killed in an ambush intended for Helm, the latter in an explosion. On each occasion, Freya's clumsy attempts to assist Matt are helpful, but not particularly appreciated.
McDonald, his chief at ICE, turns up to aid Helm, but is wounded in action. McDonald confides to Helm that the seemingly inept Freya is actually a top-secret British agent herself, using a clever guise. They go to Contini's chateau for a showdown, and Helm creates chaos and destruction with a variety of unique gadgets. Contini escapes with the gold on a train bound for Luxembourg, but Helm and Freya are able to catch up to him in a minihelicopter. Freya is almost killed by Contini, but Helm rescues her, then kills Contini by throwing him through a trap door onto the railroad tracks. Successful and alone at last, Helm finally has an opportunity to thank an appreciative Freya as only he can.
The film featured a number ofwrestlers,boxers, andkarate experts in small or uncredited roles, includingWilhelm von Homburg,Pepper Martin, Joe Gray,Joe Lewis,Ed Parker and – in his first screen role –Chuck Norris (background player in the House of 7 Joys scene).Bruce Lee does not appear in the film, but receives a production credit as "Karate advisor" (what would later be called anaction choreographer) for training the actors and orchestrating the fight scenes.
The Wrecking Crew was Tate's last film released beforeher murder in August 1969.
The film is the first in the series to not be written or co-written by regular screenwriterHerbert Baker, who was working on Irving Allen's more serious spy filmHammerhead. The screenplay was written by former police reporter and crime novel authorWilliam P. McGivern.
Helm's chief at ICE, MacDonald, is played byJohn Larch in this film, replacingJames Gregory, who played the role in the other three films. Gregory said in an interview inFilmfax magazine that he was sent a reduced amount for his fee in the film. He was told that the film was reducing its budget, and Gregory refused to take the lower fee.[3]
Bruce Lee, who worked on set as an action choreographer, remarked that he "tried to teach Dean Martin how to kick but he was too lazy and too clumsy" and that they had to mostly rely on stand-in Mike Stone. Lee stated that Sharon Tate and Nancy Kwan were better, "doing sidekicks pretty good with just a minimum of teaching". Lee said that Kwan approached him to become her private long-term teacher but he told her that she wouldn't be able to afford him.[4]
The Wrecking Crew is the only film in the series not to feature Helm's secretary, Lovey Kravesit, played byBeverly Adams, who was also appearing inHammerhead. It is also the only movie in the series not to feature the villainous group BIG O.
Principal photography took place in California, with locations includingPalm Springs,Idyllwild, and theWalt Disney Ranch.[2]
Hugo Montenegro who wrote the score forThe Ambushers returned to compose the score.Mack David andFrank DeVol wrote the theme song played over the opening and end credits, "House of Seven Joys", which was theworking title of the film.[5]
The Wrecking Crew opened in New York in 44 theaters and despite the worst snowstorm in New York in eight years on the Sunday, grossed $316,000 in its first five days.[6][7][8]In the United States and Canada, the film earned$2.4 million intheatrical rentals.[1]
The film ends with the announcement of a fifth Matt Helm entry,The Ravagers (which would have been based upon Hamilton's 1964novel of the same title). However, Martin declined to return for another film in despair over themurder of Tate six months after the film's release. When Martin refused to makeThe Ravagers, Columbia held up Martin's share of the profits from the second Matt Helm film,Murderers' Row.[9] The project was then cancelled.
Several years later, aMatt Helm TV series featuringTony Franciosa was attempted, with Helm now a private detective.
Sharon Tate's biographerGreg King describedThe Wrecking Crew as containing probably the best performance in her short acting career, with contemporary reviews often praising her comedic role as a highlight of the film.[10]
The Wrecking Crew is referenced and briefly seen inQuentin Tarantino's 2019 filmOnce Upon a Time in Hollywood, in which Tate (played byMargot Robbie) is shown enjoying the film while barefoot at theFox Bruin Theater.[11]
Thefirst name of Kwan's character is Yurang. The realYu Rang was a Chinese assassin during theSpring and Autumn period.
