The Million Eyes of Sumuru, also known as The Million Eyes of Su-muru and Sumuru, is a 1967 British-Hong Kong spy film directed by Lindsay Shonte and starring Frankie Avalon, George Nader and Shirley Eaton.[1] It was produced by Harry Alan Towers and filmed at the Shaw Brothers studios in Hong Kong. It was based on a series of novels by Sax Rohmer about a megalomaniacal femme fatale.[2]
| The Million Eyes of Sumuru | |
|---|---|
 Theatrical release poster by Heywood Brown | |
| Directed by | Lindsay Shonteff |
| Screenplay by | Kevin Kavanagh |
| Story by | Peter Welbeck |
| Based on | Sumuru by Sax Rohmer |
| Produced by | Harry Alan Towers |
| Starring | Frankie Avalon George Nader Shirley Eaton Wilfrid Hyde-White Klaus Kinski Maria Rohm |
| Cinematography | John Von Kotze |
| Edited by | Allan Morrison |
| Music by | Johnny Scott |
Production company | Sumuru Films |
| Distributed by | Anglo-Amalgamated Warner-Pathe (UK) American International Pictures (United States) |
Release dates |
|
Running time | 95 minutes |
| Country | United Kingdom |
| Language | English |
The film was released in the U.S. by American International Pictures on 17 May 1967. In the U.K., it was released through Warner-Pathé on 3 December, titled simply Sumuru.[3]
Plot
editSumuru is a beautiful and evil woman who plans world domination by having her sexy all-female army eliminate male leaders and replace them with her female agents.
The Chief of Security for President Boong of Sinonesia is killed. Two Americans in Hong Kong, Nick West and his friend Tommy Carter, are persuaded by the head of British intelligence, Colonel Baisbrook, to investigate. They discover the organisation headed by Sumuru, which claims to be interested in peaceful activities.
A dead girl winds up in Nick's bed and he ends up being framed for murder. Nick and Tommy go to Hong Kong to stop an assassination.
Cast
edit- Frankie Avalon as Agent Tommy Carter
- George Nader as Agent Nick West
- Shirley Eaton as Sumuru
- Wilfrid Hyde-White as Colonel Sir Anthony Baisbrook
- Klaus Kinski as President Boong
- Maria Rohm as Helga Martin
- Patti Chandler as Louise
- Salli Sachse as Mikki
- Ursula Rank as Erno
- Krista Nell as Zoe
- Paul Chang Chungas as Inspector Koo
- Essie Lin Chia as Kitty (as Essie Huang)
- Jon Fong as Colonel Medika
- Denise Davreux as Sumuru guard
- Mary Cheng as Sumuru guard
- Jill Hamilton as Sumuru guard
- Lisa Gray as Sumuru guard
- Christine Lok as Sumuru guard
- Margaret Cheung as Sumuru guard
- Louise Lee as Sumuru guard
Legacy
editShirley Eaton reprised her role as Sumuru in Jess Franco's follow-up The Girl from Rio (1969). Eaton later said "I did enjoy being the wicked lady Sumuru in two rather bad films, which I had not had the chance to be before."[4] However, she retired from acting shortly afterwards.
The Million Eyes of Sumuru inspired riot grrrl musician Lois Maffeo to adopt Bikini Kill as a band name. She and her friend Margaret Doherty used the name for a one-off performance where they donned faux fur punk cave girl costumes. Tobi Vail liked the name and appropriated it for the iconic punk group after Maffeo settled on the band name Cradle Robbers.[5]
The film is used in Episode 18 of the KTMA season of Mystery Science Theater 3000 as well as an episode in Season 13.[6] It is also featured as a video on demand from its spiritual successor RiffTrax.[7]
References
edit- ^ "The Million Eyes of Sumuru". British Film Institute Collections Search. Retrieved 29 December 2023.
- ^ "SUMURU". Monthly Film Bulletin. 35 (408): 12. 1 January 1968. ProQuest 1305827409.
- ^ Kinematograph Weekly vol. 605 no. 3137, 25 November 1967
- ^ "Interview with Shirley Eaton". Classic Film TV Cafe. February 2014.
- ^ Marcus, Sara (2010). Girls to the Front: The True Story of the Riot Grrrl Revolution (first ed.). New York: HarperPerennial. pp. 46–47. ISBN 978-0-06-180636-0.
- ^ Mystery Science Theater 3000 Reveals Season 13 Movies|Collider
- ^ RiffTrax