Derek Flint

World Adventurer /spy charaction featuring two movies,plus a third tv movie and comic books.Flint is a parody of James Bond and Doc Savage.

Flint_Inlike_poster.jpgay, June 29, 2010
Derek Flint

The unpublished "final" novel in Ace's Man From UNCLE paperback series, The Final Affair, brings several other characters into the Newtonverse. Possibly the most interesting crossover would go unknown to all but the most discerning eye, or to one who hadn't been a fan of the Sixties spy craze in movies and novels.

One of the plot elements in The Final Affair is a group of dolphins who can communicate with humans and who aid UNCLE in their ultimate battle with THRUSH. On page 81, Dr. Egret of THRUSH listens to a bit of dolphin dialogue and says, "That almost seems to be a word. I'll check it in Flint's Vocabulary." So who is this Flint who has written a working dictionary of dolphin language?

The answer can be found in the movie In Like Flint. In one scene, secret agent Derek Flint is shown conversing with his pet dolphin in the dolphin's own language. Given McDaniel's prior history of depicting multiple crossovers from adventure characters in books, movies, and television series, there can be little doubt that Derek Flint is the author of the dolphin dialect book.

What we know of Derek Flint is sketchy, but set forth in four works: the two movies Our Man Flint and In Like Flint, the novelization of Our Man Flint by Jack Pearl, and the 1976 TV-movie Our Man Flint: Dead On Target. His heritage is unknown, but, from what we know of Flint, he has to be a strong candidate for Wold Newton Family membership.

Derek Flint is an incredible polymath of the caliber of Doc Savage himself. Unlike Savage, he has no compunction against killing an enemy or sexual involvement. In the latter area, his conquests litter the continents, like James Bond's. He is old enough to have fought in World War II, where he gained three battlefield promotions in one month, under the command of Bruce Cramden, later head of ZOWIE. Flint functioned as a frogman at one point, leading one to the conclusion that he may have enlisted in the Navy. He also won the Medal of Honor and France's Croix de Guerre for his heroism.

The Pearl novel describes him thusly: There never was another man quite like Derek Flint. A soldier of fortune in at least a dozen major wars and minor revolutions, he held degrees from 17 different international universities, and varsity letters for 24 sports. At various times he had been a professional boxer--50 straight kayoes--a ballet dancer, a doctor, a dentist, a lawyer, and an honorary Indian chief. He spoke 42 languages and dialects fluently. He held the coveted Black Belt in Judo. He held Olympic championships in Grecian wrestling, dueling, fencing, swimming, and the military pentathlon. He was a published writer. Numerous international galleries prized his oil paintings. He played the piano, fiddle, horn, and drums, and once had given an organ recital in Notre Dame Cathedral.

Flint had a theme song. It implied he could do anything better than anyone else. He could do anything better than anyone else!

In addition to this, Flint has a harem of no less than four lovelies at a time in his king-sized penthouse apartment. There's no telling how quickly he goes through a set of them, but he has an entirely new assortment two years after we first meet him. He tells Cramden in the second movie that his former four mistresses have been married off to four different husbands by now. Despite all that, Flint isn't loyal to his harem. As one might expect, he beds down other women who cross his path--sometimes in the line of duty, of course.

Besides being a crack fencer, gunman, disguise artist, scientist, doctor, lawyer, weapons inventor, and just about anything else, one of Flint's most interesting abilities is his power to put himself into a trance of suspended animation. This talent, supposedly taught to Flint by a 400-year-old Tibetian priest, enables him to slow his breathing and heartbeat to a virtual standstill. A device in his watch stimulates him to full consciousness when a timer within it goes off.

Also, Flint possesses the "astonishing ability to alter the configuration of his face by tightening and loosening various muscles." Given the fact that The Shadow had similar abilities, it becomes obvious that Flint probably studied under the same masters--or master--that Kent Allard did years earlier to become the Master of Darkness. The priests, however, would probably not have approved of Flint's sexual hyperactivity.

Flint is, by 1965, not a government agent but a freelance operative with the right to accept or turn down assignments. In the first case we are made privy to, he does initially refuse the job, but soon accepts it when an attempt is made on his life--one that almost kills his old friend and former commander, Cramden. The adversaries this time are a secret criminal cabal called Galaxy, whose methodologies and troika of evil scientist leaders suggest that they may be a splinter group from THRUSH, itself a successor to Professor Moriarity's Circle of Life. Galaxy has perfected a means of controlling the world's weather, and comes within a hairsbreadth of conquering the Earth before Flint smashes their operation in a daring one-man mission.

Another interesting aspect of Our Man Flint is a semi-hidden crossover with another Newtonverse character. In a New Orleans bar, Flint has an encounter with a British secret agent ally identified only by a code number. In the novel, this agent is called Five-seven-one. But the movie gives a more coy clue to his real identity, calling him "Triple-O-Eight." Cramden confirms that "In any case, we couldn't use Five-seven-one. He's too well known." Five-seven-one / Triple-O-Eight is working on a narcotics case at the time, and Flint later learns that Galaxy is the source of those narcotics. Finally, in the movie, Flint asks Triple-O-Eight if SPECTRE is involved, and is told Galaxy are the real culprits. Given these clues, there can be little doubt that the British agent of Our Man Flint is really the famed James Bond, Agent 007.

In the second movie, In Like Flint (1967), Derek Flint rescues an abducted-and-impersonated president of the United States, and uncovers and thwarts another stab at world domination involving a conspiracy of female supremacists and U.S. military leaders. The third and last Flint appearance, in the TV movie Our Man Flint: Dead On Target, takes place nine years later, in which Flint rescues a kidnapped oil executive.

Flint's history from that point on remains unknown. But, thanks to an obscure reference in an unpublished UNCLE novel, we do have sufficient evidence in this author's opinion to include him in the Newtonverse, and possibly in the Wold Newton Family.

Filmography
Edit Credits


 * 1970s
 * 1960s
 * 1) Our Man Flint: Dead on Target (1976) (TV) Played by Ray Danton
 * 2) In Like Flint (1967) Played by James Coburn
 * 3) Our Man Flint (1966) Played by James Coburn

Genres:
Action / Adventure / Comedy / Sci-Fi See more »

Plot Keywords:
Character Name In Title / Spy / Spy Hero / Bikini See more »

Quotes:
From Our Man Flint (1966) Mr. Cramden: Flint, I owe you my life. The medic said four more seconds, and I... Derek Flint: *Three* more seconds. Mr. Cramden: Damn it, man, is there anything you don't know? Derek Flint: A great many things, sir. But, nothing of consequence. See more »

The first movie Our Man Flint  involves the evil Galaxy organization threatens the world with their weather-manipulating machine, Z.O.W.I.E.-Zonal Organization World Intelligence (led by Lee J. Cobb) has no choice but to call on Derek Flint, the world renowned private Secret Agent (James Coburn). Flint follows Galaxy from New York to Marseille, Rome, and then to Galaxy Island, where he causes the destruction of the Galaxy organization and saves the planet from certain doom. Derek Flint is an agent for ZOWIE. ZOWIE stands for the Zonal Organization World Intelligence Espionage. In 1965, 20th Century Fox presented its own version of a master spy to take on then United Artist,now MGM's popular James Bond franchise. The first three James Bond movies had already made considerable money for that studio so Fox decided to try for itself. Their hero was wholly a celluloid creation, however, not a transfer from a book series. \

Derek Flint was the creation of Hal Fimberg, whose writing credentials, though sparse, did go back quite a few years. Whether it was in keeping with a growing trend to try and 'out-Bond Bond' or, more likely, to spoof the very macho Double-0 agent, Flint was the best at whatever he did and he did a lot.The movies despite some poor reveiws,are well liked by fans and fondly remembered. The movie, which came out in 1965, did quite well and turned star James Coburn into a leading man. From gruff, simmering ruffian-style characters he had played before, Coburn portrayed an extremely suave, sophisticated man-of-the-world and he did so with the same ease that he had played the coarser roles.

This proved quite successfully that Coburn was a highly skilled actor. The success of any movie naturally breeds the desire for a sequel and two years later Coburn returned in 'In Like Flint'. This movie did not, apparently, do as well and the franchise stopped at two. The abilities and achievements of Derek Flint was far too numerous to list here. Just a few include a Black Belt in Judo, Olympic medals in at least 5 different events, degrees from 17 different universities, highly prized paintings, and the ability to speak fluently in 45 various languages and dialects. Flint was also, according to his 'boss', the most undisciplined, insubordinate man he had ever had to deal with. During WWII, this boss, Lloyd C Bruce Cramden, was Flint's senior officer and as such had the unfortunate task of trying to lead the versatile man. Now many years later, when a crisis arises that demands someone of Flint's abilities, Cramden has to mend fences and get Derek help to save the world. Luckily, Flint is back in town, having just flown in from Moscow where he was asked to teach ballet.


 * 1) REDIRECT Our Man Flint

The second movie In Like Flint' is a 1967 film directed by Gordon Douglas, the sequel to the parody spy film Our Man Flint (1966). It posits an international feminist conspiracy to depose the ruling American patriarchy with a feminist matriarchy. To achieve and establish it, they kidnap and replace the U.S. President, discredit the head of the Z.O.W.I.E. intelligence agency, and commandeer a nuclear-armed space platform, all directed from Fabulous Face, a women's spa in the Virgin Islands. Circumstances compel ex-secret agent Derek Flint to help his ex-boss, and so uncover the conspiracy. Actors James Coburn and Lee J. Cobb reprise their roles as "Derek Flint" and spy chief "Lloyd C. Cramden", Flint's ex-boss. The movie poster for In Like Flint features a classic piece of movie poster artwork by the late Bob Peak.'

In Like Flint was the last film made in CinemaScope. The title is a play on the phrase in like Flynn.

Plot
After observing the launch of a new space platform, Z.O.W.I.E. Chief, Lloyd C. Cramden, joins the President of the United States for a game of golf. While on the links, they are interrupted by a small group from the Fabulous Face organization. Discreetly substituting the presidential golf ball with a small gas bomb, they succeed in temporarily immobilizing the presidential party and replacing the president with an actor surgically altered to look exactly like him.

Puzzled by a stopwatch that was active during the switch, Cramden visits former agent Derek Flint at his New York City apartment, asking he investigate the "lost" three minutes recorded by the stopwatch. Flint agrees to take up the matter after his return from a survival exercise in the Mojave Desert. That evening, however, Cramden encounters Lisa, an operative for Fabulous Face. Disguised as a Southern schoolteacher visiting the city, she drugs him using treated cigarettes and stages a compromising scene with a prostitute; the scene is then photographed and published by General Carter, who is working with Fabulous Face. With Cramden framed as a libertine, the President publicly fires the disgraced spy chief.

Recalled from his exercise, Flint hypnotizes Cramden and learns the details of the encounter with Lisa. Tests of trimmings from Cramden's mustache reveal traces of "euphoric acid". Investigating further, Flint breaks into Z.O.W.I.E. headquarters and discovers that the two astronauts on the recently-launched space platform are, in fact, Russian female cosmonauts. Flint is interrupted by General Carter and a force of turncoat guards who, after a struggle, believe they have killed Flint when he apparently falls into a document incinerator.

Having escaped, Flint travels to the Soviet Union to investigate the cosmonaut connection. Dancing in the Bolshoi ballet, he makes contact with ballerina Natasha, unaware that she is a Fabulous Face operative until she attempts to drug him with tainted cigarettes. His interrogation of her is interrupted by the KGB, who arrive at her apartment to bring Flint to the Soviet Premier. After escaping the KGB agents, Flint sneaks into the Kremlin, where he overhears the Premier bluffing the U.S. President; conversational clues point Flint to the Fabulous Face spa in the Virgin Islands. Having discovered the complex himself, Cramden travels there in disguise, but is quickly discovered and locked up with the president.

Flint boards an Aeroflot flight for Cuba disguised as a bearded Cuban Revolutionary. Distracting the other passengers, he ties up the pilots, parachutes out over the Virgin Islands and swims to the Fabulous Face complex. There he is met by Lisa, who brings him before the Fabulous Face leadership, a group of female business executives who explain their plan to brainwash women through subliminal messages transmitted in salon hairdryers into overthrowing the male-dominated political order. As Flint attempts to talk the women out of it, he is interrupted by General Carter, who is dissatisfied with his subordinate role and plans to take power himself with the aid of the fake president. After a fight, Flint is captured by Carter's men and placed, along with Cramden, the captive president and the Fabulous Face leadership, into cryogenic suspension. Flint escapes his freezing chamber with a sonic wave amplifier device, which is disguised as a cigarette lighter and belt buckle.

Determined to stop Carter's plan to atomically arm the space station, Flint, Cramden, the president, and the women travel to the nearby island where the launch is scheduled to take place. Once they arrive, the women execute "Operation Smooch", using their sexual allure to distract and subdue the male guards. After the women take over the control room, Carter (who is on board the rocket) threatens to activate the atomic warheads under his control unless he is allowed to proceed with the launch. Flint manages to board the capsule just before it takes off; once in orbit they fight in zero gravity, causing the spacecraft to tumble. After overpowering Carter, Flint escapes the capsule, which is then destroyed with a nuclear missile launched from the surface. Using his wave amplifier, Flint floats to the nearby space platform, where he enjoys the hospitality of the female cosmonauts there while awaiting return to Earth.

Critical reaction
In Like Flint received mixed reviews when released in 1967; a New York Times critic said: "Although the film crawls with dime-store beauties, there is a noticeable lack of sexiness in it. Women bent on being tyrants evidently haven't much time for anything else".

Roger Ebert had similar criticisms: "The sexiest thing in the new Derek Flint misadventure, In Like Flint, is Flint's cigarette lighter, which is supposed to know eighty-two tricks, but actually delivers only five, of which, one is the not extraordinary ability to clip Lee J. Cobb's moustache".

Books


1.    Flint_Derek1.jpg Our Man Flint, written by Jack Pearl, copyright 1965 A dastardly group of scientists have banded together, called their organization GALAXY, and created the technology to control the weather. Using it to drastically change the patterns around the world, they plan to extort from the governments of the world total disarmament to bring about peace and give GALAXY the chance to correctly rule the planet. 2.    Flint_Derek2.jpg In Like Flint, written by Bradford Street, copyright 1967 Feminists have decided enough is enough and they are taking back the world. The first step is to replace the male leaders of the major powers with identical replicas, dedicated to their masters. When the President is replaced, Cramden begins to suspect and calls in Derek Flint to solve the problem.

'''
==Comics== =='''==

That Man FLINT

Mods, mini-skirts and Vietnam. Paisley shirts and satellites. Afros and lasers. The Cold War is hot and the Red Chinese aren’t the only ones doing the brainwashing. Love is in the air, but everyone isn’t groovy.

Derek Flint, inventor, ballet instructor, editor and contributor of the revised Kama Sutra, transcendentalist and translator of an ancient Mayan cookbook, seeker of the third eye and freelance spy, is the one M.A.C.E. (Mandated Actions for Covert Enforcement) calls on to tackle their most perilous assignments.

From crazed Nazi scientists hatching dastardly plans, sultry Russian spies with killer bodies and kung fu grips, super strength cyborg assassins, to fiendish henchmen and quixotic masterminds, these are examples of adversaries mystery writer Gary Phillips (Operator 5 and Decimator Smith) will throw at the cool, collected Mr. Flint. With his gadgets and skills, aided by his quartet of brainy glamour gals, That Man Flint is a retro revisionist series capturing the fun, feel and excitement of halcyon espionage fare such as The Man from U.N.C.L.E., Bond in Goldfinger, and Steranko’s Nick Fury for today’s audience.

In popular culture
In the movie Austin Powers: The Spy Who Shagged Me, the main character Austin Powers (while being on honeymoon with his new wife Vanessa Kensington) switches on the TV to a scene from In Like Flint. He mentions to Vanessa that it is his favorite movie.

The emblem of the Galaxy organization (X-crossed ellipses with a G in the middle), appearing on their uniforms, was re-used for those of the civilian aerospace transport firm of Land of the Giants, after rotating it ninety degrees clockwise.

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==[This page describes a Work. There may be reviews.] 0 reviews Our Man Flint==

A lighthearted 1966 parody of James Bond movies, starring James Coburn as super-mega-omnicool (ex-)Z.O.W.I.E. agent Derek Flint, along with Lee J. Cobb as his his harried former boss, Lloyd Cramden. Flint is forced out of retirement to battle Galaxy, an organization led by a trio of Utopian Mad Scientists out to take over the world via their weather-control machine. His investigation leads him across Europe to Galaxy agents Gila and Rodney, and eventually Galaxy's secret headquarters. You can guess what happens then.

Easily one of the best of the slew of 1960's Bond imitations. A year later a sequel came out, In Like Flint, which was a fairly lackluster rehash, and put an end to any thought of an ongoing franchise.

A major influence on the Austin Powers movies, to the point the sequel was explicitly referred to as being the title character's favorite movie.

Our Man Flint contains examples of: The Ace/Parody Sue:

Flint, of course. Affectionate Parody Bar Brawl: A faked version between Flint and 0008 (Triple O 8).

Big Badass Bird Of Prey: Galaxy has an Anti-American Eagle.

Big Electric Switch: Flint throws several of these in the Galaxy communications room.

Blonde, Brunette, Redhead: Flint's live-in playmates.

Brainwashed: Galaxy's Pleasure Units.

The Can Kicked Him: The unlamented Hans Gruber. Chekhov's Gun:

Flint's watch and its alarm feature. Check Please: Flint's comment when he realizes that he's at the wrong restaurant. Collapsing Lair Disney Villain Death:

Two Galaxy security guards, while fighting Flint on a catwalk. Do Not Adjust Your Set:

Galaxy's broadcast to the world of their plans and demands. Dressing as the Enemy: Flint does it twice while infiltrating Galaxy island.

Drive-In Theater: A fake one, used for sex-fantasy play. Face Nod Action: The main Galaxy agents do this twice. Fun with Acronyms: The Zonal Organization for World Intelligence and Espionage. Atypically, "Galaxy" is not an example of this.

Gadget Watches: Flint has one which combines a sleep alarm and microscope. His lighter acts as a bomb detector and radio (with 80+ other functions).

Go-Go Enslavement: Gila is dressed in a bikini, then put in the brainwashing machine.

Groin Attack: Flint does it to Rodney in Galaxy headquarters. Hand Signals: Both Rodney and Gila use them to command their Galaxy minions. Harmless Electrocution Heel Face Turn High Heel Face Turn/Sex Face Turn: Gila, of course.

Hey, It's That Guy!: One Galaxy Mook went on to be Mr. Whipple.

Holding The Floor Hypnotize the Princess: Galaxy does this to Gila to turn her into a pleasure slave. Instrument of Murder: Gila and her commandeered harp.

Island Base: Galaxy's headquarters. Letting Her Hair Down: Gila does this to signal to Flint that she's in the mood for love. Mandatory Unretirement Mind-Control Device Name's the Same: Minor villain "Hans Gruber" was later re-used in Die Hard; appears to be a coincidence.

Poisoned Weapons: Gila's harp-propelled needle and Flint's curare-tipped fly-killing blowgun dart. Pressure Point: Flint, to several Galaxy personnel. Railing Kill: Subverted at least twice. Safe Cracking: When Flint opens the Exotica Beauty company safe.

Shoe Phone: Flint's lighter. Shout Out: "All I have to do is take a bite of your apple?" Sleight of Tongue Spy Versus Spy Superpower Lottery: Did we mention that Flint is super-mega-omnicool?

Swiss Army Weapon Tempting Fate: Lloyd Cramden is sure they have the enemy cornered...

Weather Control Machine What Could Have Been:

Raquel Welch was considered for the role of Gila.

Well-Intentioned Extremist: The Galaxy leadership. Villainous Breakdown:

Rodney, for about ten seconds before the roof caves in on him.

In Like Flint features:

Ashes To Crashes Conveyor Belt O Doom Face Nod Action Follow The Bouncing Ball Improbable Taxonomy Skills Insane Troll Logic:

At one point Flint breaks into Z.O.W.I.E's headquarters to investigate two people.

The only information he manages to find on them is their heart rate measures, and he then declares the following: Flint: 80 heartbeats per minute. Must be Russian cosmonauts!

Magical Defibrillator Parental Bonus: The title Real Men Wear Pink:

Flint teaches ballet. Reflective Eyes Stand-In Portrait Styrofoam Rocks:

In the climax, one of Flint's fleeing girlfriends is hit by a styrofoam "boulder" and it bounces right off.