The Scorpio Letters is a 1967 American-British thriller film directed by Richard Thorpe and starring Alex Cord, Shirley Eaton and Laurence Naismith. It was produced by MGM Television and shot mainly at MGM studios in Hollywood. It was broadcast by ABC in the United States while being given a theatrical release in several countries including Britain. It was the last film directed by Thorpe in a lengthy and prolific career. It is based on the 1964 novel of the same title by Victor Canning.
There are significant differences between the book and the film version, which was designed to take advantage of the spy boom following the success of James Bond. Eaton's link to that series was advertised by billing her as "The Goldfinger Girl". The film's sets were designed by the art directors Addison Hehr and George W. Davis. As it was intended for a cinematic run in several markets, particularly in Europe, it was made with higher production values than was often common for television films. It received positive reviews with Variety describing it as "very hip".
Synopsis
Joe Christopher an American in London working for British Intelligence joins forces with Phoebe Stewart to investigate the death of a fellow agent who was the victim of a blackmail plot. Their pursuit of the truth takes them to Paris and an Alpine ski resort.
Cast
Alex Cord as Joe Christopher
Shirley Eaton as Phoebe Stewart
Laurence Naismith as Burr
Oscar Beregi Jr. as Philippe Soriel (Scorpio) Lester Matthews as Mr. Harris Antoinette Bower as Terry Arthur Malet as Hinton Barry Ford as Bratter Émile Genest as Garin Vincent Beck as Paul Fretoni Ilka Windish as Miss Gunther Laurie Main as Tyson Andre Philippe as Gian Harry Raybould as Lodel Danielle De Metz as Marie Milton Parsons as Mr. Atkinson Ivor Barry as Rt. Hon. John Murney
References
Bibliography
Goble, Alan. The Complete Index to Literary Sources in Film. Walter de Gruyter, 1999. Murphy, Robert. Directors in British and Irish Cinema: A Reference Companion. British Film Institute, 2006.