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Derek Flint is a fictional world adventurer and master spy featured in a series of movies and comic books. Flint, a parody of James Bond and Doc Savage, is an agent for Z.O.W.I.E. (Zonal Organization World Intelligence Espionage).
In 1965, 20th Century Fox presented its own version of a master spy to take on United Artists' popular James Bond franchise. The first three James Bond movies had already made considerable money for that studio. Fox decided to try for itself with an original character, not based on books.
Derek Flint was the creation of Hal Fimberg, whose writing credentials, though sparse, did go back quite a few years. Whether it was in keeping with a growing trend to try to "out-Bond Bond" or, more likely, to spoof the macho Double-0 agent, Flint was the best at whatever he did and he did a lot. The abilities and achievements of Derek Flint are far too numerous to list here. Just a few include a black belt in Judo, Olympic medals in at least five different events, degrees from 17 different universities, creation of highly prized paintings, and the ability to speak fluently in 45 languages and dialects. Derek Flint created the sonic amplifier, which was a tuning fork shaped brass fork that hooks into a cigarette lighter and could be seen moving a pool cue ball around on the table by sonic force. By adjusting the meter to a specific pitch he is able to explode the ball by mere sonic force. This is perhaps a bit of foreshadowing of events to come. Flint uses his belt buckle/sonic manipulator to shatter the glass to his cell and free himself and before both are frozen in suspended animation. Later, in the Virgin Islands, Flint's escape from the space capsule to the Orbiting Space Platform.[ clarification needed ] Using one secret device, Derek Flint ensnares General Carter with a cigarette lighter grappling hook gun. Flint exits the space capsule as easily as jumping out of an airplane and propels himself toward the space station using his sonic vibrator. Flint, using his all-in-one device, launches a grappling hook and manages to slide along his way across the tight rope from one roof top to another, and once again, retracting his grappling hook device, he escapes to safely via a rooftop air shaft.
According to his "boss", Lloyd C. Cramden, Flint was the most undisciplined, insubordinate man he had ever had to deal with. During World War II, Cramden was Flint's senior officer and as such had the task of trying to lead him. When a crisis arises that demands someone of Flint's abilities, Cramden has to mend fences and get Derek to help save the world.
The first movie, Our Man Flint (1965), did well and turned star James Coburn into a leading man. From gruff, simmering ruffian-style characters he had played before, Coburn portrayed a suave, sophisticated man-of-the-world and he did so with the same ease that he had played the coarser roles.
In 1967, Coburn reprised the role in In Like Flint [1] [2] This movie did not perform as well and the theatrical franchise stopped at two.
Flintlock, a 1972 script by Harlan Ellison (primarily a writer of short-form fiction and nonfiction, but also a screenwriter), never saw production. It did subsequently appear in print, both in the retrospective The Essential Ellison and in standalone print form. If produced, the script would have acted as a TV Movie pilot for a TV series starring the character.
In 1976, ABC aired a TV movie, Dead on Target , starring Ray Danton as Flint. Like the Ellison script, it was intended as a pilot for a possible series that did not materialise.
In Our Man Flint by Jack Pearl (1964), a villainous group of scientists have banded together as "GALAXY". With a weather control device of their invention, they plan on changing it in a drastic fashion, they wish to plan to extort from the governments of the world total disarmament to bring about peace and give GALAXY the chance to "correctly" rule the planet.
In Bradford Street's 1967 sequel, In Like Flint, feminists have decided to take over the world. The first step is to replace the male leaders of the major powers with identical replicas. AFter the President is replaced, Cramden begins to suspect and calls in Derek Flint to solve the problem.
In 2011 Moonstone Books released That Man Flint, a one-shot comic written by Gary Phillips and drawn by Kevin Jones. Its synopsis read: Mods, mini-skirts and Vietnam. Paisley shirts and satellites. Afros and lasers. The Cold War is hot and the Red Chinese aren't the only ones doing the brainwashing. Love is in the air, but everyone isn't groovy.
Derek Flint, inventor, ballet instructor, editor and contributor of the revised Kama Sutra, transcendentalist and translator of an ancient Mayan cookbook, seeker of the third eye and freelance spy, is the one M.A.C.E. (Mandated Actions for Covert Enforcement) calls on to tackle their most perilous assignments.
From crazed Nazi scientists hatching dastardly plans, sultry Russian spies with killer bodies and kung fu grips, super strength cyborg assassins, to fiendish henchmen and quixotic masterminds, these are examples of adversaries mystery writer Gary Phillips (Operator 5 and Decimator Smith) will throw at the cool, collected Mr. Flint. With his gadgets and skills, aided by his quartet of brainy glamour gals, That Man Flint is a retro revisionist series capturing the fun, feel and excitement of halcyon espionage fare such as The Man from U.N.C.L.E., Bond in Goldfinger, and Steranko's Nick Fury for today's audience.
In the movie Austin Powers: The Spy Who Shagged Me , the main character Austin Powers (while being on honeymoon with his new wife Vanessa Kensington) switches on the television to a scene from In Like Flint. He mentions to Vanessa that it is his favorite movie. Also, in all three Austin Powers movies, the Emergency Red Telephone ring was a variation on the Flint films' Presidential Red Telephone ring.
The emblem of the Galaxy organization, which was composed of crossed ellipses with a "G" in the middle and appeared on the uniforms of its members, was reused for those of the civilian aerospace transport firm of Land of the Giants , after rotating it ninety degrees clockwise.
Derek Flint is mentioned in the Beastie Boys song "Grasshopper Unit" from Hello Nasty .
Flint was parodied in Eurospy films where Raimondo Vianello played "Derek Flit" in Il vostro super agente Flit (1966) [3] and Italian comic book artist Franco "Bonvi" Bonvicini played "Derek Flit" in Franco and Ciccio's Come rubammo la bomba atomica (1967) [4]
Sir Austin Danger Powers is a fictional character from the Austin Powers series of films, and is created and portrayed by Mike Myers. He is the protagonist of Austin Powers: International Man of Mystery (1997), The Spy Who Shagged Me (1999) and Austin Powers in Goldmember (2002).
The spy film, also known as the spy thriller, is a genre of film that deals with the subject of fictional espionage, either in a realistic way or as a basis for fantasy. Many novels in the spy fiction genre have been adapted as films, including works by John Buchan, le Carré, Ian Fleming (Bond) and Len Deighton. It is a significant aspect of British cinema, with leading British directors such as Alfred Hitchcock and Carol Reed making notable contributions and many films set in the British Secret Service.
James Harrison Coburn III was an American film and television actor who was featured in more than 70 films, largely action roles, and made 100 television appearances during a 45-year career.
Our Man Flint is a 1966 American spy-fi comedy film that parodies the James Bond film series. The film was directed by Daniel Mann, written by Hal Fimberg and Ben Starr, and starred James Coburn as master spy Derek Flint. A sequel, In Like Flint, was released the following year, with Coburn reprising his role.
Robert M. Peak was an American commercial illustrator. He is best known for his developments in the design of the modern film poster.
Spy-fi is a subgenre of spy fiction that includes elements of science fiction, and is often associated with the Cold War. Features of spy-fi include the effects of technology on the espionage trade and the technological gadgets used by the characters, even though the technologies and gadgets portrayed are well beyond contemporary scientific reality.
Bonvi, pen name of Franco Bonvicini was an Italian comic book artist, creator of the comic strips Sturmtruppen and Nick Carter.
In Like Flint is a 1967 American spy fi comedy film directed by Gordon Douglas, the sequel to the parody spy film Our Man Flint (1966).
Murderers' Row is a 1966 American comedy spy-fi film starring Dean Martin as Matt Helm. It is the second of four films in the Matt Helm series, and is very loosely based upon the 1962 spy novel Murderers' Row by Donald Hamilton.
Austin Powers is a series of American satirical spy comedy films created by Mike Myers, who stars as the eponymous title character as well as his arch-nemesis, Dr. Evil. The series consists of 1997's International Man of Mystery, 1999's The Spy Who Shagged Me and 2002's Goldmember, all of which were directed by Jay Roach, and co-produced and released by New Line Cinema.
Eurospy film, or Spaghetti spy film, is a genre of spy films produced in Europe, especially in Italy, France, and Spain, that either sincerely imitated or else parodied the British James Bond spy series feature films. The first wave of Eurospy films was released in 1964, two years after the first James Bond film, Dr. No, and in the same year as the premiere of what many consider to be the apotheosis of the Bond series, Goldfinger. For the most part, the Eurospy craze lasted until around 1967 or 1968. In Italy, where most of these films were produced, this trend replaced the declining sword and sandal genre.
James Tont operazione D.U.E. or The Wacky World of James Tont is a 1966 French/Italian international co-production spy film spoof based on James Bond's Thunderball and featuring elements predating the release of You Only Live Twice. Directed by Bruno Corbucci, the Eurospy spy-fi comedy adventure is the sequel to James Tont operazione U.N.O. (1965) with Lando Buzzanca repeating his role as 00 Agent James Tont, a satire of James Bond and Loris Gizzi as the black monocle wearing supervillain spoof of Emilio Largo.
Il vostro superagente Flit is a 1966 Italian spy comedy film that is a parody of Our Man Flint. Starring Raimondo Vianello and Raffaella Carra, it was directed by Mariano Laurenti in his debut as a director and written by Bruno Corbucci, who also wrote the James Tont films.
Bruno Canfora was an Italian composer, conductor, and music arranger.
Diane Loretta Bond is an American former actress and feminist artist and writer, best known for her minor roles in movies during the 1960s. She appeared in films like In Like Flint (1967), House of 1,000 Dolls (1967), A Swingin' Summer (1965), Pajama Party (1964) and as a beach extra in the TV series The Beverly Hillbillies. Bond also had several uncredited roles such as an air hostess in Seconds (1966) and a body double for Claudia Cardinale in Blindfold (1965). After relocating to Italy and studying art, she became an artist using mainly feminist issues to fuel her creativity.
Giuliana Attenni was an Italian film editor. She worked on dozens of films between 1947 and 1973, and frequently worked with directors like Mariano Laurenti, Mario Mattoli, and Stefano Vanzina.