"Phineas Barton: Assassin for the CIA "

Phineas Barton: Assassin for the CIA (unrated director's cut) (1964; B&W; 79 min.; Roddy McDowall, Anna Karina, Tab Hunter, Sue Lyon, Herbert Lom; music by Ennio Morricone; written by Larry Winchester and Arnold Schnabel; directed by Larry Winchester).

It is with great pleasure that we report the long-awaited home video release of this legendary thriller, previously shown in the USA only in the early winter of 1964, on a double bill with Larry Winchester’s (still sadly unavailable) Two for Tortuga.

Roddy McDowall, in a rare leading role, plays the title character of the suave hitman who is targeted by the agency after he learns just a little too much about the private sexual peccadilloes of the President. Soon Phineas Barton plays a deadly cat-and-mouse game through the back alleys of Paris with his old friend and fellow trained killer Lance Smith (Tab Hunter). Will the lovely East German agent Marlene (Anna Karina) help her old nemesis Phineas, or will she cash in on the million dollar bounty on our hero’s head? And is that charming student Missy (Sue Lyon) quite as innocent as she seems? What is the true motivation of Phineas's "handler" Mr. Krang (Herbert Lom)? Buy this budget-priced actioner (on Region One DVD and Blu-ray, from Ha! Karate Entertainment of Yokohama) available exclusively at Ross "Dress For Less", and find out. Featuring commentary by Larry Winchester and a special featurette, I Remember Arnold, in which Larry reminisces about his friendship and collaboration with the beloved poet and memoirist Arnold Schnabel.

 Purchase this movie now and receive a DVD (Region Two only) of Larry Winchester's Yesterday Never Comes (AKA  Leri Non Viene Mai!) (1965; Lex Barker, Capucine, Fernando Rey) for half price.

(Check out the lower right hand column of this page for a listing of links to appreciations of many other fine films from Larry Winchester.* Be sure also to avail yourself of our ongoing serialization of Larry’s epic novel A Town Called Disdain.)

*”...all the visual brilliance of Welles, the depth of Bergman, the pathos of Fellini, and the humor of Jerry Lewis; and much less boring than all of the above.” -- Rex Reed

And now a brief word from Mr. Wilson Pickett: