''Agent for H.A.R.M.'' is a 1966

science fiction Science fiction (sometimes shortened to Sci-Fi or SF) is a genre of speculative fiction which typically deals with imagination, imaginative and futuristic concepts such as advanced science and technology, space exploration, time travel, Paral ...

spy thriller Spy fiction is a genre of literature involving espionage as an important context or plot device. It emerged in the early twentieth century, inspired by rivalries and intrigues between the major powers, and the establishment of modern intelligen ...

directed by Gerd Oswald and starring Mark Richman, one of a number of spy thrillers of the era having conspicuous sci-fi elements. Here it is the deadly

spores In biology, a spore is a unit of sexual or asexual reproduction that may be adapted for dispersal and for survival, often for extended periods of time, in unfavourable conditions. Spores form part of the life cycles of many plants, algae, ...

which turn human flesh into

fungus A fungus (plural, : fungi or funguses) is any member of the group of Eukaryote, eukaryotic organisms that includes microorganisms such as yeasts and Mold (fungus), molds, as well as the more familiar mushrooms. These organisms are classified ...

on contact. The film was intended to be the

television pilot A television pilot (also known as a pilot or a pilot episode and sometimes marketed as a tele-movie), in United States television, is a standalone episode of a television series that is used to sell a show to a television network or other dis ...

for a new

spy Espionage, spying, or intelligence gathering is the act of obtaining secret or confidential information (intelligence) from non-disclosed sources or divulging of the same without the permission of the holder of the information for a tangibl ...

series. However, it was later decided that it should be given a theatrical release instead. It was released as a

double feature The double feature is a motion picture industry phenomenon in which theatres would exhibit two films for the price of one, supplanting an earlier format in which one feature film and various short subject reels would be shown. Opera use Opera ho ...

with ''

Wild Wild Winter ''Wild Wild Winter'' is a 1966 Universal Pictures beach party comedy film directed by standup comedian Lennie Weinrib and starring Gary Clarke and Chris Noel. It was produced by Bart Patton and is notable for featuring Jay and the Americans and ...

''.

Plot

Adam Chance (

Peter Mark Richman Peter Mark Richman (born Marvin Jack Richman; April 16, 1927 – January 14, 2021) was an American actor in films and on television, who was for many years credited as Mark Richman. He appeared in about 30 films and 130 television series from th ...

), works for an American agency, H.A.R.M. (Human Aetiological Relations Machine). He is assigned to protect Dr. Jan Steffanic (

Carl Esmond Carl Esmond (born Karl Simon; June 14, 1902– December 4, 2004) was an Austrian-born American film and stage actor, born in Vienna, Austria-Hungary. Although his age was given as 33 in the passenger list when he arrived in the USA in January 19 ...

), a recent

Soviet The Soviet Union,. officially the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics. (USSR),. was a transcontinental country that spanned much of Eurasia from 1922 to 1991. A flagship communist state, it was nominally a federal union of fifteen national ...

defector who has developed a new weapon which fires spores that upon contact with skin slowly eat the body away. Following Dr Steffanic's arrival in the US he is taken into protective custody by H.A.R.M. and is placed in a beach house along with his niece and Agent Chance to develop a spore antidote. Here he reveals the

communist Communism (from Latin la, communis, lit=common, universal, label=none) is a far-left sociopolitical, philosophical, and economic ideology and current within the socialist movement whose goal is the establishment of a communist society, a ...

s' real plan, which is to dust all of the American crops with these deadly spores. During their time at this house Chance falls for Steffanic's niece Ava Vestok (

Barbara Bouchet Barbara Bouchet (born Bärbel Gutscher; 15 August 1943)
glamourgirlsofthesilverscreen.com; ...

), who is later revealed to be a communist spy. After the flat is attacked, Dr Steffanic is kidnapped by European spies and taken to a warehouse. Chance eventually rides in and a gun fight ensues in which Steffanic is exposed to the deadly spores in a valiant sacrifice, and dies. Afterwards, Chance re-appears at the beach house and arrests Ava for good.

Cast

* Mark Richman as Adam Chance *

as Professor Janos Steffanic *

Barbara Bouchet Barbara Bouchet (born Bärbel Gutscher; 15 August 1943)
glamourgirlsofthesilverscreen.com; ...

as Ava Vestok *

Martin Kosleck Martin Kosleck (born Nicolaie Yoshkin, March 24, 1904 – January 15, 1994) was a German film actor. Like many other German actors, he fled when the Nazis came to power. Inspired by his deep hatred of Adolf Hitler and the Nazis, Kosleck made ...

as Basil Malko *

Wendell Corey Wendell Reid Corey (March 20, 1914 – November 8, 1968) was an American actor and politician. He was President of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences and was a board member of the Screen Actors Guild. Biography Early years Corey was ...

as Jim Graff *

Robert Quarry Robert Walter Quarry (November 3, 1925 – February 20, 2009) was an American actor, known for several prominent horror film roles. Life and career Quarry was born in Santa Rosa, California, the son of Mable (née Shoemaker) and Paul Quarry ...

as Borg *

Rafael Campos Rafael Campos (13 May 1936 – 9 July 1985) was an actor from the Dominican Republic whose credits include ''Blackboard Jungle'' (1955), ''Dino'' (1957), '' The Light in the Forest'' (1958), ''Slumber Party '57'' (1976), '' The Astro-Zombies'' (1 ...

as Luis *

Aliza Gur Aliza Gur ( he, עליזה גור, born Alizia Gross; 1 April 1940) is an Israeli actress who was Miss Israel of 1960 and a semifinalist in the Miss Universe pageant held in Miami Beach that same year. She played Vida in the James Bond film '' F ...

as Mid-Eastern contact *

Donna Michelle Donna Michelle Ronne (née Fick; December 8, 1945 – April 9, 2004) was an American model, actress, and photographer. Known professionally as Donna Michelle, she was ''Playboy'' magazine's December 1963 Playmate of the Month and 1964 Playmat ...

as Marian * Marc Snegoff as Conrad * Chris Anders as Schloss * Steve Stevens as Billy * Horst Ebersberg as Helgar * Ray Dannis as Henry Manson *

Robert Donner Robert Donner (April 27, 1931 – June 8, 2006) was an American television and film actor. Early life and career Donner was born in New York City and raised in New Jersey, Michigan and Texas. He spent four years in the United States Navy ...

as Morgue attendant

Music

* On The Damned's 1980 LP, '' The Black Album'', Adam Chance is mentioned alongside

Zorro Zorro ( Spanish for 'fox') is a fictional character created in 1919 by American pulp writer Johnston McCulley, appearing in works set in the Pueblo of Los Angeles in Alta California. He is typically portrayed as a dashing masked vigilant ...

and

Corporal Clott ''Corporal Clott'' was a strip in the British comic ''The Dandy''. It started in the issued dated 12 November 1960 (issue 990) and was drawn by Dennis the Menace artist David Law. The strip was drawn by David Law until issue 1496 dated 25 July ...

in the song '' The History Of The World, Part 1'', which was also released as a

single Single may refer to: Arts, entertainment, and media * Single (music), a song release Songs * "Single" (Natasha Bedingfield song), 2004 * "Single" (New Kids on the Block and Ne-Yo song), 2008 * "Single" (William Wei song), 2016 * "Single", by ...

. * In 2009, there was a song of the same name written about the film by punk rock band,

The Riverdales The Riverdales were an American punk rock band from Chicago, Illinois, United States, made up of Screeching Weasel members. Bassist Dan Vapid (Dan Schafer) and guitarist Ben Weasel (Ben Foster) are heavily influenced by the Ramones' sound a ...

Reception

The New York Times ''The New York Times'' (''the Times'', ''NYT'', or the Gray Lady) is a daily newspaper based in New York City with a worldwide readership reported in 2020 to comprise a declining 840,000 paid print subscribers, and a growing 6 million paid ...

'' called it an "anemic ''

James Bond The ''James Bond'' series focuses on a fictional Secret Intelligence Service, British Secret Service agent created in 1953 by writer Ian Fleming, who featured him in twelve novels and two short-story collections. Since Fleming's death in 19 ...

'' imitation".

Trivia

This film was featured on ''

Mystery Science Theater 3000 ''Mystery Science Theater 3000'' (abbreviated as ''MST3K'') is an American science fiction comedy film review television series created by Joel Hodgson. The show premiered on KTMA-TV (now WUCW) in Minneapolis, Minnesota, on November 24, 1 ...

''.

References

External links

* *
MST3K Episode Guide: ''Agent for H.A.R.M.''
{{DEFAULTSORT:Agent For H.A.R.M. 1966 films 1960s science fiction thriller films 1960s spy thriller films American science fiction thriller films American spy thriller films Cold War spy films 1960s English-language films Fictional secret agents and spies Films set in California Universal Pictures films Films directed by Gerd Oswald Films shot in California Parody films based on James Bond films 1960s American films