Matt Helm in The Silencers, 1966 – Mod Movie Monday at Tiki Lounge Talk

Matt Helm, The Silencers 1966
Matt Helm, The Silencers 1966

First, I’d like to thank the team at GOOGLE for helping with a potential attack. They identified a possible hacking threat, notified me immediately, removed my site from their search listings to protect others (you) very quickly. As soon as I was able to make sure the site was clean the re-instated my search engine rankings within a few days. Thanks Google!

The Silencers starring Dean Martin as Matt Helm, Daliah Lavi and  Stella Stevens.

Watch out, Derek Flint. Move over Austin Powers. And take a back seat, James Bond – Matt Helm is on the case!

When the cold war was at its peak and spy thrillers were taking the place of westerns and war movies, America answered the 007 call with a few good men – one of the best being Matt Helm, a suave, lady-loving swinger who could catch the bad guys, snap some great photos and make love to the girl in the same scene.

This series of movies gives us a fantabulous peak at the styles, cars, furnishing and hot chicks of the swingin’ ’60s. The movies are combination thriller-comedies, with the main lean towards funny. With Dean Martin at the helm (as Helm), you get that groovin’ mix of humor, sex appeal and crooning.

Stella Stevens and Dean Martin
Stella Stevens and Dean Martin

This particular flick, one of my favorites, features a 1960s beauty named Daliah Lavi who’s got the right curves in the right places and a sexy accent that will make you melt. Stella Stevens drops in with her crazy figure too. And there’s an all-too-short cameo by the beautiful Cid Charise, dancing her way through a sultry nightclub scene (she sings too, but apparently it’s not her voice – she’s dubbed by a then very young Vicky Carr.)

While 007 sported an Aston-Martin, Matt Helm had himself a good, solid American car – a 1965 Mercury Parklane Station Wagon – of course his was modified somewhat by Chuck Barris…The car now resides at the Volo Hollywood Car Museum in Volo, Illinois. Leave it to Dean Martin to make a station wagon kool, huh?

matt-helm-mercury-wagonmovimatt-helm-65-mercury-w1matt-helm-65-mercury-wagon

Since Dino’s favorite drink was the Martini, set yourself up with a pitcher before the show starts. Martin also loved Italian cuisine, so go with that for your dinner and a movie. Maybe a nice Penne ala Vodka with grilled chicken and zucchini. And make sure you watch it with someone who looks like Stella Stevens, you know, for full effect.

-Tiki Chris reporting from behind the Tiki Bar.
Tiki Lounge Talk – The Tiki Culture blog for Retro Kats & Swingin’ Kittens

5 Replies to “Matt Helm in The Silencers, 1966 – Mod Movie Monday at Tiki Lounge Talk

  1. Hey pallie, man-o-man, likes am I pumped to have found your Tiki Lounge…and likes how fab to see you liftin’ up the name of our Dino in Helmer numero uno, “The Silencers.” Loves so much watchin’ our Dino does what he do best…playin’ his cool, hip, and ever randy self in the Matt Helm capers. Thanks for this groovy review of a classic Dino-flick….never was, never will be anyone as cool as the King of Cool…oh, to return to the days when Dino walked the earth….btw, plans on makin’ this a Dino-review a feature at the ol’ ilovedinomartin Dinoblog…DINO RULES

    1. Hey pallie, Tiki Chris, just wanna lets you know that this here cool Dino-review is bein’ featured this very Dino-day at the ilovedinomartin Dino-blog…thanks for sharin’ your Dino-thoughts with your readers…

    2. Buddy, that was one swingin’ riff you left me, and I thank you. Frank may have been the Chairman of the Board, but no one comes close to Dino in the kool department. That kat had a style that no one’s ever been able to dupe. And thanks too for layin’ it down on your site, very hip of you.

      1. Hey pallie, Tiki Chris as we sez in Dino-land, just part of true Dinopalliedom….hopes to see more Dino-flicks featured at Monday Mod Movies…’cause no one cooler, hipper, randier or modder then our Dino!

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