James Garner is in trouble in ‘A Man Could Get Killed’

Category: Blu-ray's, DVD's and Digital

 

The 1966 comedy farce, A Man Could Get Killed, stars James Garner in a story of mistaken identity. Garner is William Beddoes, an American businessman who arrives in Portugal to conduct a study. But he is mistakenly identified as a super agent, the likes of James Bond.

Upon his arrival in Lisbon the first thing he encounters is a bomb in the car. Lucky for him he was late getting to the automobile before it exploded.
Then he is taken to the funeral of a man where the attendees are all criminals. What is going on? All he was sent to do was conduct a study.
He soon learns of millions of dollars worth of diamonds which are supposed to be smuggled into Portugal, and he is smack dab in the middle of it. Initially he is apprehensive about the entire escapade, but soon gets involved when a glamorous woman (Melina Mercouri) insists he has the ability to uncover the diamonds.
Then a smuggler named Steve (Tony Franciosa) approaches him with the offer to help find the diamonds. And then, let’s add another person to this escapade, Sandra Dee play’s Steve’s girlfriend who also gets tangled in the mess.

To say this is a true farce is an understatement. But seeing Garner as the man mistaken to be a super spy is entertaining. His expressions are priceless.

In the beginning it seems like this would be a comedic take on the classic Hitchcock film North by Northwest, and in many ways it is. But it is more like The Pink Panther meets North by Northwest.

With a long list of criminals hot on his trail, Beddoes and his friends must outsmart them at every turn.

The hit song “Strangers in the Night” plays in the background throughout the movie. It was composed for the film and subsequently made famous by Frank Sinatra.

A Man Could Get Killed is now on Blu-ray from Kino Lorber. It is not rated.

About the Author

Francine Brokaw has been covering all aspects of the entertainment industry for over 30 years. She also writes about products and travel. She has been published in national and international newspapers and magazines as well as Internet websites. She is a longstanding member of the Television Critics Association and is accredited by the MPAA.