In a bookstore of the airport scene, the French edition of Ian Fleming's 'From Russia with Love' can be seen on display. Co-star Daniela Bianchi had appeared in the feature version of this novel released just a few months earlier.
The first of four spy films made by Claude Chabrol in the 60s. The others were: Blue Panther (1965), Our Agent Tiger (1965), and The Road to Corinth (1967).
After a promising debut in the late 50s with Le Beau Serge (1958), in which director Claude Chabrol effectively spearheaded the French Nouvelle Vague (French New Wave), he soon ran into difficulties when his films failed to attract audiences. With the failure of The Third Lover (1962), Ophélia (1963), and Bluebeard (1963), he lost the confidence of his producers. His career as a director could have ended there if it wasn't for an offer from Gaumont to make a mainstream spy film.
Chabrol took up the offer willingly and was tasked with making a film in the "Gorille" (Gorilla) series of spy films, following La valse du gorille (1959) and The Deadly Decoy (1962), with Roger Hanin reprising his role as the agent known as "Le Gorille". When the rights to the Gorille series were suddenly withdrawn, Chabrol was still keen to make a film in the same style, as was Hanin, who decided to write a script under the pseudonym of Antoine Flachot. The resulting film, Code Name: Tiger (1964), allowed Hanin to continue playing the kind of role he enjoyed most.
This film and its sequel, Our Agent Tiger (1965), were very much in tune with what was popular in France at the time. They proved to be box office successes, allowing Chabrol to win back the confidence of his producers and thereby secured his future as a mainstream filmmaker.
Chabrol took up the offer willingly and was tasked with making a film in the "Gorille" (Gorilla) series of spy films, following La valse du gorille (1959) and The Deadly Decoy (1962), with Roger Hanin reprising his role as the agent known as "Le Gorille". When the rights to the Gorille series were suddenly withdrawn, Chabrol was still keen to make a film in the same style, as was Hanin, who decided to write a script under the pseudonym of Antoine Flachot. The resulting film, Code Name: Tiger (1964), allowed Hanin to continue playing the kind of role he enjoyed most.
This film and its sequel, Our Agent Tiger (1965), were very much in tune with what was popular in France at the time. They proved to be box office successes, allowing Chabrol to win back the confidence of his producers and thereby secured his future as a mainstream filmmaker.