KALEIDOSCOPE (1966)

Above: Kaleidoscope patterns introduce this great caper

Kaleidoscope is by any means, a film that is enjoyable if one is prepared to enter and indulge one’s sense of the sixties as a free-wheeling time of groovy mod chicks, trips to Monte Carlo, London and other cosmopolitan places, and dastardly villains that use firethrowers to dispose of poor-functioning insubordinates all the while comfortably ensconsed in their castle. Luckily for the reader, this reviewer is more than prepared to do so! Adding to the fun is a groovy, sitar-laden soundtrack by Stanley Meyers (recently re-released as a limited edition CD) and psychedelic kaleidoscope transitions to this enjoyable jet-set caper flick from the sixties.

Warren Beatty plays Barney Lincoln, a professor of some sorts who is introduced to the viewer in the same way as many a cat-burglar – while scaling the rooftops of London. Barney’s plan is to modify the kaleidoscope pattern on the back of playing cards so he can read the cards and beat the odds – and the casinos.

Barney (Warren Beatty) scaling the Kaleidoscope company's building to change the card pattern - in his favor

Traveling all over Europe to earn his ingenious’ plan winnings, Barney falls for Angel McGinnis (Suzannah York), a fashion designer. Unfortunately for Barney, her father "Manny" McGinnis (Clive Revill) is an inspector at Scotland Yard who offers Barney a choice – get caught with his scheme or play Harry Dominion (Eric Porter), a drug trafficker with his own high-stakes poker game for rich European playboys. While Barney attempts to get out of the situation, he finally accepts that he has to play Harry at his own game.

Above: Barney (Warren Beatty) scours the Monte Carlo Casino

Initially, the poker game (of course) features Barney’s winning cards, but quite a lot of tension is built up when Barney (and the viewer) find out that his cards are being exchanged for other playing cards (which foils Barney and Manny’s plan) and Barney has to bluff his way through the game. The ensuing ending has Barney chase Harry down to his medieval-style castle (something which is quite unusual in caper and heist flicks) to save Angel, who has seemingly gone with Harry of her own volition but is actually being used as collateral by Harry.

Dastardly Drug Trafficker Harry (Eric Porter) is an ace shot

Quite a lot of fun can be had with this one, but for now, Kaleidoscope can only be found as an expensive German import (titled “Der Gentleman Zinker”) from Xploitedcinema.com, but is highly recommended if you enjoy the more outrageous examples of why sixties European cult cinema can be a lot of fun (read: groovy chicks, time-shots of various European cosmopolitan cities, and outrageous fashions).

Jack of Diamonds (1967)

This cat burglar/heist movies contains an interesting cast. George Hamilton plays Jeff Hill, who is the Jack of Diamonds, a world famous cat burglar, and Joseph Cotton as his mentor, the Ace of Diamonds. The movie opens with Hamilton dressed in black, scaling a highrise in New York in the middle of the night in order to steal jewelry from actress Zsa Zsa Gabor (in a cameo). Hamilton’s cat burglar has an elaborate country-side bachelor pad set-up with a trapeze to practice his acrobatic skills and a diamond-cutting room where he can cut up his loot. The cutting room is entered by punching a boxing ball in the gym. Not very difficult for someone to discover, one would imagine!

Preparing to steal Zsa Zsa Gabor's jewels

Hamilton’s cat burglar is too obnoxious. While stealing Zsa Zsa Gabor's jewelry, he writes in lipstick on a mirror that he hated her last movie but thought she was quite fabulous! Not very subtle for a catburglar who's supposed to sneak in, do the job, and get out. As it turns out, the Jack of Diamonds has been leaving plenty of signatures behind to demonstrate his cat-burgling skills. Perhaps this explains why Jeff needs to leave New York in a bid to avoid being captured by police, as hot on the heels is a detective Von Schenk (Wolfgang Preiss who played Dr. Mabuse in the Mabuse movies). Of course, for all we know the reason is that this gives the U.S.-German co-production plenty of opportunities to show off the German country-side and making the settings for the rest of the film in Germany.

German countryside - meet Jack of Diamond's car

While in Munchen, Jeff is asked by Nicolai Vodkine (Maurice Evans) to pull of a heist for a $5million collection of jewels with Olga (Marie Laforêt) a rival cat burglar who also happens to be Nicolai’s daughter. Nicolai is an old friend of the Ace of Diamonds, which is why Jeff decides to pull off this last heist before retiring They have to steal the plans for the safe in a police bureau before doing the actual jewel heist. Naturally, Hamilton’s character sets off the alarm and a thrilling chase scene ensues across rooftops with search lights and policemen giving chase.

Ace of Diamonds (Joseph Cotton) checks the diamonds

Despite an impressive heist preparation scene rivalling Jules Dassin’s Rififi (1955) in detailed-oriented nature, things don’t go as planned. To top it off, Von Schenk is closing in on the quartet!An added bonus to this U.S.-German co-produced caper is that Hamilton's character has a quite annoying accomplice who speaks with a horrible German accent and looks quite demented. The ending is quite baffling and comes quite unexpectedly and puts it squarely in the camp of the caper movie. Not quite a classic, but memorable for the Diabolik-esque suit (Mario Bava’s Danger Diabolik (1968) would not be released until the year after) Hamilton wears and a co-starring but underused Joseph Cotton. The movies is scored by Peter Thomas (well-know for his work on the Bond-by-way-of-Germany Jerry Cotton Eurospy movies)