SERIOUSLY. This is what the crap Hollywood still puts out?

Admirable film.

It really made me laugh, but for some moments I was tearing up because I could relate so much.

There is, somehow, an interesting story here, as well as some good acting. There are also some good scenes

Sam Wanamaker did a very good job of directing this excellent Cold War spy drama, back in the days when no one imagined the Cold War would ever end. The story is essentially British, so the excuse for using the American star George Peppard in the lead is that 'he grew up in America', hence has the accent. Peppard was always good in these parts as the good guy struggling against the forces of darkness, whether Nazis or Communists. He is romantically involved with the popular ingénue actress of the day, Judy Geeson. Sam must have thought she looked a bit too cute in real life, so he stuck some studious spectacles on her face to give her a bit of gravitas. Judy really was extremely cute, and a very sweet-natured person as well. I met her back then along with her parents and sister, and what a 'cute clan' they all were. They were great art lovers and liked to go to private views, which is how I met them all together like that. They had a particular favourite artist whom they always patronised, but I can't remember who he was. Judy's greatest asset was that lovely look around her eyes, which made her such an irresistible sight for any camera, or any fellow, for that matter. Good old Oscar Homolka is here called upon for the n-th time to play a defecting Russian spy, and does even better than usual. Joan Collins does a good job of acting, playing a difficult and amorous ex-lover (type casting?), and generally Sam could be said to get the best out of his actors because he was one himself, so he knew how to treat them and understood the pressures they were under. This is a rollicking good tale of the times, not as sophisticated and profound as le Carré of course, then then who was? There are the usual deceptions, twists, double-crosses and triple-crosses, all good stuff.

"The Executioner" opens in an unusual (especially for its time) fashion: with the aftermath of a violent action sequence which will only be seen near the end of the movie; then the story leading up to this is told in long flashbacks. It's a serious, dark spy thriller with lots and lots of plot twists; there is one character who may be a double, a triple, or even a quadruple agent! The main hero, well played by George Peppard, is not a cut-and-dried good guy; in fact, it is suggested that he often lets his feelings cloud his judgment. The supporting cast (yes, even Joan Collins!) is also very good, and Judy Geeson shines as Peppard's quirky, supportive girlfriend. The locations include London, Istanbul, Athens and Corfu, but they're not meant to be glamorous, they're just part of the exhaustive and exhausting spy business. An undeservedly neglected film. *** out of 4.

Brit-born, American-raised spy John Shay (Peppard) is dismayed when his undercover operation in Germany goes belly up. On suspension by his superiors, he begins to sense there is a double agent in the mix and believes it is Adam Booth (Keith Michell), a top agent loved by the brass who also happens to be married to Shay's ex Sarah (Joan Collins). The further he digs, the more Shay is convinced that Booth is feeding info to the Russians.Steeped in a far more realistic world of espionage than the Bond series, this George Peppard vehicle is semi-dull and semi-great. The first hour relies too much on Peppard getting stern talks from his superiors. It doesn't help matters that Shay is quite a chauvinist, shown treating Sarah and current squeeze Polly (Judy Geeson) terribly. Peppard certainly has an on screen presence though. The last 45-minutes redeem the film with a memorable twist (which is, sadly, undermined by a coda that one should ignore if cynical like me) and some great location shooting in Turkey and Greece. Charles Gray (Blofeld in DIAMONDS ARE FOREVER) plays one of Shay's superiors.

Espionage dramas which depend on bureaucratic characters engaged in prolonged conversations rarely make good movies and this is no exception. It's competent but never sparks any real interest and the plot seems a bit muddled.There are a number of good names in the cast and they do the best they can with pedestrian material. Top billing goes to George Peppard who plays an Englishman but his American accent is explained by saying that he grew up in the United States. He's involved, in a vaguely romantic way, with two different women -- Joan Collins and Judy Geeson -- but not much comes of this. The ads hint at some hot bedroom action between Peppard and Collins but most of these scenes must have been left on the cutting room floor.Location work in Greece and Istanbul is, like the rest of the movie, strictly routine.