TV • PAGE 27
THE BULLETIN • JUNE 3 - 9, 2021
BY JAY BOBBIN
Dean Martin is Matt Helm, or vice
versa, in ‘The Silencers’
At the peak of the spy-movie craze, there was James Bond, of course ... but there was also Matt Helm.
Novelist Donald Hamilton’s rugged secret-agent character gave Columbia Pictures what would become a four-
film franchise, but Helm’s image underwent quite a transformation in the hands of Dean Martin, who reshaped it
(with the help of directors and screenwriters, of course) to fit his famously casual persona. The first picture in the
series – 1966’s “The Silencers” – leads off a Turner Classic Movies birthday tribute to Martin on Monday, June 7.
Helm’s professional cover is that of a professional photographer, and he just happens to have a specially rigged
camera that fires knives for his work in espionage. Ostensibly retired from sleuthing, he’s drawn back into active
duty by the agency ICE. A villain (Victor Buono, whose consumption of cans of a diet supplement in the
opening sequence sets the movie’s tone) is bent on using a missile potentially to spark a nuclear war, and Helm is
deemed to be the man to stop him.
If that seems like standard-issue spy stuff, the difference is Martin, whose breezy style lightens the proceedings
considerably without making them totally comical. It’s hard to say that any real suspense is generated here, but
the star performs what action he’s called upon to do quite ably, whether getting tough with a possible enemy
agent (Stella Stevens) or handling weapons in the inevitable climactic shootout.
There’s little question that certain elements of “The Silencers” belong to their original times – the name of
Helm’s alluring assistant, Lovey Kravezit (played by Beverly Adams) isn’t likely to please come viewers now – but
that somewhat dated feel, which was meant to be oh-so-hip 55 years ago (extending to Martin also singing on the
soundtrack), offers its own sort of entertainment value
today. That also goes for the special effects, decidedly
low-rent when put up against modern standards.
The Helm movies got progressively weaker with
“Murderers’ Row,” “The Ambushers” and “The
Wrecking Crew” ... so as TCM evidently knows, if
you’re going to see one of the pictures, “The Silencers”
is the one. It also benefits from having such performing
stalwarts as Arthur O’Connell, Robert Webber, James
Gregory (who would reprise the part of Helm’s boss
in later movies), Roger C. Carmel and MGM-musical
veteran Cyd Charisse, who basically is on hand for a
couple of dance-performance sequences.
Even with all of them also on hand, “The Silencers”
Dean Martin and
Stella Stevens in principally is Dean Martin’s show, making it a fitting
“The Silencers” choice to start his birthday the TCM way.
Solution on page 18