Out of Sight (1966 film)

Homer (Jonathan Daly) is a butler to secret agent John Stamp. Overhearing a plot to disrupt a concert, Sandra Carter (Karen Jensen) contacts Stamp to seek his assistance but with his boss away, Homer steps into the role of superspy to save rock and roll from the criminal organisation known as F.L.U.S.H. Sandra and Homer must contend with three femme fatale assassins: Scuba (Wende Wagner), Tuff Bod (Deanna Lund) and Wipe Out (Maggie Thrett).

Producer Bart Patton and director Lennie Weinrib had made Beach Ball for Roger Corman. The quality of the film on a low budget impressed Lew Wasserman at Universal who signed the team to make two films, Wild Wild Winter and Out of Sight.Albright pp 177-178

Out of Sight features a variety of Universal contract players, musical performances by Gary Lewis and the Playboys, Dobie Gray, Freddie and the Dreamers, The Astronauts, The Turtles and The Knickerbockers provided by music producer Nick Venet, and gadget-laden motor vehicles designed by George Barris.Barris TV and Movie Cars By George Barris, David Fetherston pg 98 {{ISBN|0-7603-0198-0}} The film's spytime score was composed by Fred Darian (who then managed Dobie Gray){{cite web|url=http://www.freddarian.com/biography/ |title=Fred Darian Official Website » Biography |publisher=freddarian.com|accessdate=2015-01-01}} and Al DeLory.{{cite book|title=Billboard|date=1965-12-18|publisher=Nielsen Business Media, Inc.|issn=0006-2510|url=https://archive.org/details/bub_gb_aykEAAAAMBAJ|page=[https://archive.org/details/bub_gb_aykEAAAAMBAJ/page/n7 8]|accessdate=2015-01-01}}

The film was written by Larry Hovis, who was then co-starring in Hogan's Heroes.

This movie is the only onscreen appearance of The Turtles in a feature film.

John Lodge, who plays John Stamp, never reveals his face onscreen.

Although Bob Eubanks is listed in the opening credits, he does not appear onscreen at all; only his voice is heard as the announcer at the concert.

The Astronauts were a Colorado-based surf band{{cite web|url=http://www.coloradomagazineonline.com/Music/The_Astronauts_Tulagi's/The_Astronauts_Tulagi's.htm |title=Colorado Magazine Online|publisher=coloradomagazineonline.com|accessdate=2015-01-01}} who had a Billboard Top 100 hit in 1963 with their song "Baja", and appeared in more beach party movies than any other surf band. These films were Wild Wild Winter, Surf Party, and Wild on the Beach.

Announced in production in November 1965, Out of Sight was filmed in two weeks with exterior sequences done at Zuma Beach.p.249 Lisanti, Tom Fantasy Femmes of Sixties Cinema 2000 McFarland

The futuristic-looking residence of John Stamp and his butler, Homer, is the Lautner-designed Garcia Residence on Mulholland Drive in the Hollywood Hills, built in 1962.{{cite web|url=http://www.you-are-here.com/modern/garcia.html |title=Garcia House - Rainbow by architect John Lautner - Los Angeles |publisher=you-are-here.com|accessdate=2015-01-01}}{{cite web|url=http://www.mimoa.eu/projects/United%20States/Los%20Angeles/Garcia%20House |title=Garcia House, John Lautner {{pipe}} Los Angeles {{pipe}} United States {{pipe}} MIMOA |publisher=mimoa.eu|accessdate=2015-01-01}}

The building and plaza that Stamp and Homer trespass to plant a bomb is the 1963 Ralph Vaughn-designed MCA Tower (aka The Black Tower - now named the Lew R. Wasserman Building) on Lankershim Boulevard in Universal City.{{cite web|url=http://www.thestudiotour.com/ush/frontlot/mcatower.shtml |title=MCA Tower {{pipe}} The Universal Studios Tour |publisher=thestudiotour.com|accessdate=2015-01-01}}

George Barris provided the vehicles used.{{cite book|title= Cars of the Stars copyrighted 1974 by George Barris and Scagnetti and also: Barris TV and Movie Cars|author=Fetherston, G.B.D.|publisher=MotorBooks International|isbn=9781610608183|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=bw7ZEepsaLkC|page=98|accessdate=2015-01-01}}

The footage of the screaming crowd during the two performances by Freddie & The Dreamers is actually a crowd watching a live performance of the Beatles in 1964, from the documentary What's Happening! The Beatles in the U.S.A.

Decca Records released the film soundtrack LP with Venet's instrumental theme released on a 45 rpm.

AMT manufactured a model kit of the ZZR dragster.

The Italian title of the film was 007{{fraction|1|2}} agente per forza contro gli assassini dello yé yé .

Fred Darian and Al DeLory composed the music score for the film, Nick Venet produced the instrumental Mariachi-trumpet-accented theme song.

Dobie Gray sings the title song, "(Out of Sight) Out on the Floor" (written by Fred Darian and Al De Lory).

Gary Lewis & the Playboys perform "Malibu Run" (written by Jimmy Karstein, Leon Russell, Gary Lewis and T. Leslie).

The Knickerbockers perform "It's Not Unusual" (written by Gordon Mills and Les Reed).

The Astronauts perform "Baby, Please Don't Go" (written by Big Joe Williams).

The Turtles perform "She'll Come Back" (written by Nita Garfield and Howard Kaylan).

Freddie & The Dreamers perform two songs: "Funny Over You" (written by Freddie Garrity) and "A Love Like You" (written by Quinn & Jones).It's Party Time: A Musical Appreciation of the Beach Party Genre; by Stephen J. McParland; page 72. ISSN 0810-3461

According to Patton "Out of Sight happened and everything stopped" - as in, he and Weinrib were fired from Universal.Albright p 178

According to Variety "There’s plenty to see — bikiniclad cuties, a souped-up jalopy and five top rock groups — for the teenage action market, but general adult audiences will probably be pretty cool to Out of Sight. Bart Patton-Lennle Weinrib quickie production has all the ingredients (save a plausible plot) for a strictly commercial half of: a double-billing."{{cite book|chapter=Out of Sight|page=338|chapter-url=https://archive.org/details/varietyfilmrevie0011unse/page/n337/mode/1up?|title=Variety Film Reviews 1964-1967|year=1983}} Filmink called it "over-reliant on the charms of star Jonathan Daly, although I did like the three female assassins."{{cite magazine|first=Stephen|last=Vagg|magazine=Filmink|title=Beach Party Movies Part 4: End of Summer|date=20 October 2024|access-date=22 October 2024|url=https://www.filmink.com.au/beach-party-movies-part-4-end-of-summer/}}

• List of American films of 1966

{{Reflist}}

• {{cite book|title= Wild beyond belief! : interviews with exploitation filmmakers of the 1960s and 1970s|last=Albright|first= Brian|year=2008|publisher=McFarland|isbn=978-0-7864-3689-7 |url=https://archive.org/details/wildbeyondbelief0000albr/page/177/mode/1up}}

• {{IMDb title|0060807|Out of Sight}}
• [https://archive.org/details/pressbook-universal-out-of-sight-1966/page/n5/mode/1up Out of Sight pressbook] at Internet Archive

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Category:1966 films

Category:American auto racing films

Category:American musical comedy films

Category:American spy comedy films

Category:American teen comedy films

Category:Beach party films

Category:1966 musical comedy films

Category:1960s spy comedy films

Category:Universal Pictures films

Category:1960s English-language films

Category:1960s American films

Category:English-language musical comedy films

Category:English-language spy comedy films