Fathom

Meh espionage spoof with a young Raquel Welch, shot in Spain

A California skydiver competing in Spain (Raquel Welch) is enlisted by a secret organization to spy on a war defector (Tony Franciosa) in search of a vital H-bomb detonator. The peripheral cast includes Ronald Fraser, Richard Briers, Greta Chi and Clive Revill.

"Fathom" (1967) is a spy send-up in the vein of “Kiss Me Monster” (1969) and “The Girl from Rio” (1969) that came into vogue after the success of the first five James Bond films from 1962-1967.

Welch was in her prime here (26 years-old during shooting), looking best in the opening with a red bikini. Moreover, the southern Spain locations are exceptional, Franciosa brims with charisma and it’s always good to see Revill. Unfortunately, the flick’s burdened by a too-twisty script with stilted rapid-fire dialogue. It’s fun, but it’s not natural or compelling. Still, there are several worthwhile scenes, like the skydiving and bullfighting.

The film runs 1 hour, 39 minutes and was shot in Andalucía, Spain, with some stuff done in Shepperton Studios, England.

GRADE: C