Fathom

United Kingdom

1967

99 Min

Color

2.35:1

English

Currently 1.9/5 Stars.
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CAST Anthony Franciosa, Raquel Welch, Ronald Fraser, Richard Briers, Greta Chi

A certain lime-green bikini reaches icon status in Fathom, clinging as tightly to Raquel Welch as those phagocytes that attacked her in Fantastic Voyage. Raquel was the reigning sex goddess of the moment, which is all you need to know about Fathom, an otherwise extremely silly example of proto-Austin Powers spy spoofery. She’s a poster come to life, and the movie is geared around her ‘60s outfits (a purple-and-cornflower ensemble is particularly stupefying), her orange-peach lipstick, and the way her hair seems perfectly in place even after a high-speed boat chase. Sadly, Raquel’s dialogue delivery is as stiff as her brunette mane, but the movie perks up when she is chased around by an angry bull, a sequence that may have you wondering whether you ate some bad cheese. By the way, her character is a dental assistant, visiting Spain as part of a skydiving troupe. Enjoy! —Robert Horton

Director

Leslie H. Martinson

Leslie “Les” H. Martinson (born January 16, 1915) is an American television and film director. He is married to television host and writer Connie Martinson.

Martinson was born to Gertrude and Lewis Martinson n Boston, Massachusetts on January 16, 1915. He also had a brother named Bertram and was a newspaper journalist before accepting a long-term job as an MGM script clerk in 1936. He began directing TV western series in the early 1950s. His first feature film assignment was Republic Pictures’ 1954 film, The Atomic Kid, a Mickey Rooney matinée vehicle. Beginning with episodes of the series Conflict, Martinson became a prolific director for Warner Brothers Television.

In 1954-1955, he directed the first of Mickey Rooney’s three failed situation comedy television series entitled The Mickey Rooney Show: Hey, Mulligan.

Throughout the 1960s and 1970s, Martinson continued directing feature films and episodic television including Maverick, PT 109, Temple Houston, Batman… read more

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richmondhill

26Oct12

A spilt cocktail of ridiculous spy genre conceits. The fact it’s tongue is somewhere in its cheek doesn’t make it fun and the tiresome effervescence comes to nought. Of course, Welch looks the part which was no doubt part of the rationale for funding this twaddle.