Own the rights?
9 out of 12 people found the following review useful: Under-rated gem, especially for Roger Moore fans, 4 December 2002 Author: Jonathon Dabell (barnaby.rudge@hotmail.co.uk) from Wakefield, England
Crossplot rattles along at a breakneck pace and is a smart, ingenious and enormously entertaining adventure film. Roger Moore is great in a pre-Bond role as an advertising executive who hires a beautiful Hungarian girl to pose for some modelling shots. What he doesn't realise is that she has eavesdropped on an assassination plot and is the target of some killers.The film reminds me a lot of a John Buchan novel, brought up to date in the swinging sixties. Moore runs from the villains and takes every conceivable route to escape their grasp, fleeing in a classic car, deliberately causing havoc at a wedding, and finally tracking his prey to the scene of their planned atrocity. It's a fast-moving ride!The film has never been available on video in the UK, and I'm pretty sure that it's never been released in the States. Come on guys, what are you waiting for? Get this movie released! It's a corker!
7 out of 10 people found the following review useful: For Roger Moore fans only., 30 November 2001 Author: Ffolkes-3
'Crossplot' was Roger Moore's first attempt to return to the big screen after seven years in television as Simon Templar. Unfortunately, it all went wrong. The budget of the film proved to be much too small as for an action picture. It was also too old-fashioned and in a way too much television-like since entire crew consisted of 'The Saint' personnel. The result is a movie which today can be only suggested for Roger Moore fans. I'm one of them and so I enjoyed watching the film really much. The acting is pretty good. Moore is doing good job, trying to eliminate as many elements for which he was recognizable as the Saint as it's possible, but still it feels a lot like another 'saintly' adventure. The script is very predictable and its only great moments are when Moore is let to show his light sense of humour and prove that he does really great in such genres as for instance the 'romantic comedy'. The opening sequence (my favourite) is very much like if it was taken from all those 'lovely' Cary Grant movies from the 50s, with Moore at his best, having fun while playing a sort of a less distinguished Brett Sinclair. The film's weakness seems to be that it's not sure if it's a serious thriller, action picture or maybe a comedy. There are too many 'romantic' and 'funny' moments in it as for a true action film but on the other hand 'Crossplot's' script seems to be seriously dramatized since at least three people are to die during the film. Hm, not the best thing, but still worth seeing for Roger Moore fans.
8 out of 12 people found the following review useful: Faux James Bond Film Gone Awry, 6 January 2007 Author: dglink from Alexandria, VA
A boyish pre-James-Bond Roger Moore plays advertising executive Gary Fenn in this preposterous tale about uncovering a sinister plot in London. "Crossplot," directed by Alvin Rakoff, is more 60s nostalgia than exciting movie-making. The dated costumes and hairstyles, the period dancing and songs, and the misfire mix of comedy and espionage seem like an early Bond film gone haywire. The presence of Bernard Lee, who distinguished himself as "M" in the Bond series, adds to the faux-Bond look, but adds little to the proceedings. The flimsy plot gets underway when a photograph is substituted in an advertising proposal, and Moore pursues an elusive model for his campaign. The writers were likely inhaling something stronger than Lucky Strike when they came up with this idea. Claudie Lange plays the exotic model as though she had studied under a drag queen doing Gina Lollabrigida, and she gives new meaning to wooden. Only her ample bosoms show any charisma. The scenes between her and Moore lack any chemistry, and the photo shoot destroys her supposed appeal for the advertising as she poses and grins embarrassingly for the camera. While Martha Hyer looks lovely, well coiffed, and classy as Claudie's aunt, she has little to do but make eyes at Moore and keep her hair in place.The story wanders over London and the English countryside, but the sights offer little distraction from the nonsense. "Crossplot" does offer a pastiche of scenes culled from other, better movies. A sequence that takes place in an antique car and period costumes seems like it was lifted from "The Great Chase," but without the talent involved in that film. Like the Bond films, the villains all have lousy aim, and the mechanics of the plot when it unravels make no sense whatsoever. A helicopter chase has been included to remind viewers that "From Russia with Love" was a far better film and starred a far better actor. The scene in which Moore disrupts a wedding is more than an echo of Cary Grant's antics in the auction scene in "North by Northwest." Only die-hard fans of Roger Moore will relish this movie, although he was admittedly more appealing here than in much of his later work. Either "Crossplot" was made as an audition for Moore to play James Bond or as a tax write-off for its investors. Either way the audience suffers.
3 out of 3 people found the following review useful: CROSSPLOT (Alvin Rakoff, 1969) **1/2, 3 December 2008 Author: MARIO GAUCI (marrod@melita.com) from Naxxar, Malta
*** This review may contain spoilers ***
While this has been likened to a James Bond adventure (which star Roger Moore was still four years away from first tackling), it actually plays more like a tenth-rate copy of an Alfred Hitchcock suspenser – and, specifically, NORTH BY NORTHWEST (1959)-meets-THE MAN WHO KNEW TOO MUCH (1956).In fact, Moore is an advertising executive who unwittingly runs into a person involved in deadly political games – model Claudie Lange (who, amusingly, is depicted as being constantly famished!). Incidentally, her equally attractive aunt (Martha Hyer) is revealed to be the chief villainess of the piece (along with Bond-Moore's future superior 'M' himself, Bernard Lee!) intent on assassinating a visiting South African leader – as always in the most public of places (in this case, Hyde Park) and synchronized to take place during the customary 21-gun salute. Two other very obvious borrowings from NORTH BY NORTHWEST are a helicopter chase (imitating the legendary crop-dusting sequence) and the rather funny disruption of a church wedding recalling the auction scene in the Hitchcock classic where Cary Grant was similarly drawing attention to himself in order to stall his pursuers! Also in the cast are Alexis Kanner as a would-be decadent lord who actually advocates peace and ultimately emerges to be on the side of the good guys, as well as Hammer regular Francis Matthews playing a hit-man for Hyer {sic}. Moore having just come off "The Saint" (a series in which director Rakoff was also involved), this still has that bland TV look to it – despite the rather incongruous Swinging London backdrop. The film includes mild dollops of style, wit, sexiness, action and suspense – all of which were prime features of NORTH BY NORTHWEST in particular, but which were also part and parcel of the Bond saga. In the long run, taken on its own merits, CROSSPLOT is a harmless time-waster but one that has added value if seen as a transition between Moore's trademark personae i.e. Simon Templar aka "The Saint" and James Bond aka 007.
4 out of 5 people found the following review useful: The original Austin Powers, 9 June 2006 Author: (wild-seven) from United Kingdom
Set in 1960's London and full of girls in miniskirts and hip young gunslingers who work in advertising - quicker than you can say 'Hey Swinging London!' this lighthearted romp through the world of Espionage and babes sees Roger Moore's womanising character pursuing a Hungarian model across London not realising that he isn't the only person who wants to find her. Basically an extended episode of 'The Saint' it's fun but not the kind of film you could watch too many times. The main reason I sought it out is to see a post-'Prisoner' acting performance by the late Alexis Kanner and his performance, whilst not demanding of his acting skills, is the most memorable of any of the characters. One to watch when it's shown on television late at night but don't get too excited.
2 out of 2 people found the following review useful: Cheap and cheerful 60s fluff, 8 February 2008 Author: Belphunga from United Kingdom
Crossplot is an energetic yet disjointed blend of Hitchcockian romantic thriller, slapstick caper and spy thriller action gimmickry which must have looked pretty hackneyed by 1969 but now just about holds up on period charm value. For fans of the genre there is fun to be had in ticking off the 60s tropes as they come: cheesy crooning theme tune? Yep. Psychedelic op art graphics? Yep. Characters dressing up in Victorian/Edwardian costumes? Yep. Military marching bands, unconvincing hippies, minis driven over cliffs and exploding? Yep, yep and thrice yep.Made in 1968, the film manages to refract, despite its general frothiness, some of the darker events of the era – the Grosvenor Square riot, troubles in post-colonial Africa, political assassinations – but never takes itself seriously for a moment. Which is just as well given the general absurdity of the storyline. Moore plays a dashing advertising executive (shades of Cary Grant in North by Northwest) caught up in the plotting of a sinister international organisation bent on creating disorder and chaos so as to sweep aside 'decadent democracy'. Martha Hyer is the Hitchcock blonde (and obligatory token American) whilst Claudie Lange, an Italian who made few English language films, is the feisty (and hungry) Hungarian model who the sinister types are pursuing.It was the first project Moore worked on after completing his last series of The Saint and many of the personnel involved were veterans of that long running show. Unfortunately, it's quite apparent that the budget wasn't much in excess of an average Saint episode and the film is generally compromised by a lack of adequate location filming. A notable exception being the helicopter chase sequence which is well choreographed and distinguished by some great stunt flying.After 6 years as The Saint, Moore could play suave, wry and debonair in his sleep but here he moderates his unflappable Templar persona with a bit of 'confused everyman' and some comedy pratfalls. At the end, the spectre of his ironic 70s Bond (still some 4 years away) looms as he beds the girl, frowns at the camera and coyly pulls the sheets up. Incidentally, for a truly revelatory demonstration of Moore's range as an actor from the gap years between Templar and Bond check out 'The Man Who Haunted Himself'.For some, however, this film will be chiefly of interest for the appearance of Alexis Kanner as the aristocratic leader of the protest movement Marchers for Peace. Kanner was cast off the back of his memorable appearances in the last episodes of Patrick McGoohan's uber 60s TV meisterwerk The Prisoner. Here he plays a variant of his rebellious youth, No. 48 but, besides a spirited fight with our man Rog, and a bit of trademark methody eccentricity he isn't really given much to do and exits the picture before the final reel. Other appearances of note: Gabrielle Drake, sister of the tragic folk bard and soon to be Lieutenant Gay Ellis of UFO, as one of Moore's staff. Francis – voice of Captain Scarlet – Matthews is one of the leading baddies (and suffers death by unconvincing back projection). Bernard 'M' Lee is wheeled out to lend a bit of James Bond class to the proceedings. Dudley Sutton uses his psycho-baby features to unsettle Claudie Lange and the forever hangdog David Battley plays a confused groom whose wedding is disrupted by Moore and co. with, you guessed it, hilarious consequences.If, like me, you enjoy this kind of thing, Crossplot is now available on DVD in the UK (an undistinguished but generally acceptable transfer) for around a fiver. There are probably more productive ways you could spend 90 minutes of your life but, as one hippy character memorably utters, "what's time, man?"
7 out of 12 people found the following review useful: Lightweight Bond, 7 July 1999 Author: nobita from Australia
This film, basically a vehicle for Roger Moore, is a 90 minute television-style action adventure film. Roger Moore plays an advertising executive who utilises an Eastern European girl in a promotional campaign who just happens to be sharing a house with spies and unwittingly discovers their darstadly plot. This now provides a perfect opportunity for Roger Moore to slip into his Simon Templar/James Bond persona and save the day.This film lies somewhere between an extended Saint episode and an early James Bond movie, but as Roger Moore was the best James Bond, (as we all know), this film is nevertheless enjoyable just for his suave, Mr smooth 1960's London swinger acting. The original Austin Powers.Nothing exceptional, however this film is reasonably enjoyable in a mild mannered way. You could certainly do worse.
4 out of 9 people found the following review useful: Loved it.., 24 July 2004 Author: lewdrum73 from New York, NY
It was great to see Roger Moore in his post-Simon Templar pre-Bond role. He wasn't fighting off the guys in his usual spy-guy image. It was rather refreshing also to see him get into situations like this. Plus, the charm and beauty of Martha Hyer was always a pleasure to watch. There is a scene where he falls in the water trying to save her. Simon Templar would not put himself in such a way like that. Also when he fights off the bad guys you'll notice the sequences seem not so much as a spy-guy karate-chop image but he still ends up being the hero. There was a vulnerable side of him I enjoyed. I would also like to see this movie on video. It was on cable a couple of days ago.
3 out of 16 people found the following review useful: Good helicopter sequence, 26 April 2004 Author: mark-453 from Los Angeles, USA
I must confess that I watched this movie with the sound down, whilst chatting on the phone, but the helicopter chase across the English countryside was fabulous.Roger Moore was driving a vintage/veteran car across farmland, and the chopper was skimming across the wheat fields, only two or three feet from the ground.Most impressive!The opening of the movie was reminiscent of 28 Days later, in that there was a curiously quiet Westminster Bridge, with the Houses of Parliamnet and Big Ben in view. This was evidently very early on a midsummer morning for it to be so bereft of people and traffic, but to be so well lit.Only watchable for the helicopter sequence, which should be a classic.
Add another review
