gridoon2024 Review of The Spy with a Cold Nose

The Spy with a Cold Nose (1966)

Amusing if sluggish spy comedy, sparked by the sexy Daliah Lavi

[5/10 · 24 September 2010]

"The Spy With A Cold Nose" begins with an absurdly clever (or is that "cleverly absurd"?) idea, but due to a sluggish script and Daniel Petrie's rather static direction, it never really reaches the comic heights it was probably shooting for. Lionel Jeffries (who is clearly the star of the film despite his third billing) is amusing as a secret service agent who is pretty much the exact opposite of James Bond in every aspect but finally gets his one chance at fame (or infamy, if things go wrong). Daliah Lavi only appears after the first 40 minutes, but burns up the screen as usual; whether fully-dressed or half-naked, Lavi is curvy and sexy. The film on the whole is pleasant and easy to take, but not much more than that. Terrific score by Riz Ortolani. ** out of 4.