Operation C.I.A.

{{Infobox film

| name = Operation C.I.A.

| image = OPCIApos.jpg

| caption = Original film poster

| director = Christian Nyby

| writer = Bill S. Ballinger
Peer J. Oppenheimer

| producer = Peer J. Oppenheimer

| starring = Burt Reynolds
Danielle Aubry
John Hoyt
Kieu Chinh
Vic Diaz
Marsh Thomson

| cinematography = Richard Moore

| editing = Joseph Gluck
George Watters

| music = Paul Dunlap

|studio=HeiRaMatt

| distributor = Allied Artists

| released = {{Film date|1965|9|8}}

| runtime = 90 minutes

| country = United States

| language = English
Vietnamese

| budget = $70,000BURT PRELUTSKY: Two Centerfolds Los Angeles Times 24 Dec 1972: k14

| gross =

}}

Operation C.I.A. is a 1965 black-and-white spy film directed by Christian Nyby and starring Burt Reynolds and John Hoyt.OPERATION C.I.A.

Monthly Film Bulletin; London Vol. 32, Iss. 372, (Jan 1, 1965): 168.

Plot

CIA agent Stacey learns of a plan to assassinate the American ambassador to Vietnam, but is killed by a bomb before he can inform his superiors. Secret agent Mark Andrews is sent to Saigon to take his place. Andrews poses as a university professor as a cover while he attempts to prevent the assassination, which is expected to occur sometime within the next five days.Devine, Jeremy M. Vietnam at 24 Frames a Second: University of Texas Press, p. 22

Cast

Burt Reynolds as CIA Agent Mark Andrews
John Hoyt as Wells
Kieu Chinh as Kim-Chinh
Danielle Aubry as Denise
Cyril Collick as Withers
William Catching as Frank Decker
Vic Diaz as Professor Yen
Marsh Thomson as CIA Agent Stacey

Production

The film was originally titled Last Message from Saigon with an announcement made in 1964 it would be filmed in Saigon, Hong Kong and Bangkok. Allied Artists filmed A Yank in Viet-Nam on actual South Vietnamese locations, but the security situation had deteriorated to such an extent that the safety of the filmmakers could not be guaranteed.{{cite web|last=Foley|first=James|title=FatFreeFilm 79 – Peer Oppenheimer|url=http://www.fatfreefilm.com/2010/09/25/fatfreefilm-79-peer-oppenheimer-2/|accessdate=3 January 2014}}

Filming began in Bangkok in January 1965.FILMLAND EVENTS: Danielle Aubry Gets 'Message From Saigon'

Los Angeles Times 21 Jan 1965: C9.

Said Reynolds:

{{blockquote|I got to fight a boa constrictor and he gave the best performance in the movie.}}

Producer Peer Oppenheimer later signed Reynolds to appear with Diane Cilento in Deadly Contest, to be filmed in Germany, but the project did not happen.MOVIE CALL SHEET: Aldrich Plans Western

Martin, Betty. Los Angeles Times 13 Aug 1965: c7.

In popular culture

Operation C.I.A. was referenced in the Archer episode "The Man from Jupiter", in which Reynolds makes a guest appearance as himself. Sterling Archer claims the film inspired him to become a secret agent, to which Reynolds replies "that film was just god-awful."