Scenic European locales enhance the authenticity of director Christian-Jaque's "Dead Run," an international tale of espionage and intrigue based on a Robert Sheckley novel about an elusive French pickpocket that happy-go-luck, neatly coiffed CIA agent Peter Lawford pursues across Europe to recover important documents. Not only is the CIA hot on the pickpocket's heels, but a criminal syndicate also wants the thief who stole those valuable CIA papers from them.
"Dead Run" unfolds in Berlin one morning as petty thief Carlos (Georges Géret of "Is Paris Burning?") picks a drunkard's pocket, discovers nothing of value, and then tries to break into a locked car. Two plainclothesmen park in front of the building where Carlos is trying to break into the car. Moments later after the plainclothesmen enter it, an ambulance wheels in behind them, and three attendants emerge with a stretcher. One tries to scare Carlos off, but Carlos hangs around outside. Across the street, a wealthy, auburn-haired tourist, Suzanne Belmont (Ira von Fürstenberg of "The Vatican Affair"), appears. Inside, and the ambulance attendants gun down the first two men and then assault the guy with a black leather briefcase chained to his wrist that the plainclothesmen were shepherding. Cutting the chain, the attendants steal the briefcase. When the attendants appear on the street again, the one who got tough with Carlos whips out a knife. Carlos and he struggle, and the thief snatches the briefcase and a brief chase ensues, but Carlos escapes from them. Suzanne spots a plainclothesman staggering out of the building. CIA Agent Stephen Dain (Peter Lawford of "Sergeants 3") arrives and learns about the eye witness. Dain halts Suzanne's Frankfurt jet before it takes off. Meanwhile, Carlos takes the briefcase to Corsage,a fence, and haggles with him over his percentage of the haul. Carlos opens the briefcase with a blow torch, but he finds on paper documents with TOP SECRET stamped on them.
Dain escorts Suzanne to headquarters. She identifies one of the attendants that she saw leave the building before a wounded CIA man staggered out and collapsed. Dain explains that an international outfit that specializes in stealing secret documents pulled the job. However, the thief who got away with the briefcase was an amateur and the CIA doesn't have a photo of him in their database. "Would you remain at our disposal until this man is found?" Dain fires up a cigarette and points out: "You're the only one who can identify him for us." "It's so nice to be essential," Suzanne observes. She explains to Dain that she is rich. Daine adds, "It might take some time and it could be dangerous." Suzanne doesn't mind, "I have plenty of time. And you will protect me, won't you?" Dain reassures her that he will personally stay with her in her room.
The scene shifts to the Bardieff's office where Bardieff (Werner Peters of "36 Hours") fumes with rage. "Six months of effort! The plan perfect in every detail! A deadline for delivery! And what have you done, gentlemen! Completely messed up the job! Tricked by some poor little thief. Get out!" After he dismisses his henchmen, Bardieff consults his ruthless colleague Manganne (Horst Frank of "The Grand Duel") and learns that the man who carried the briefcase told Manganne nothing under duress before he died. Of course, Bardieff laments the loss of life. Manganne retorts, "Since when is death not the normal rational outcome of torture?" The 60-year old fence sends Carlos to meet Van Joost (Peter Lorre look-alike Luciano Pigozzi of "Codename: Wild Geese") at a Swiss jewelry store. After Carlos leaves, the fence contacts immigration and spills his guts to Police Inspector Noland (Wolfgang Preiss of "Raid on Rommel") as part of a deal to recover his passport. As it turns out, Noland works both sides of the street. He informs Bardieff about Carlos' whereabouts. Manganne visits Corsage. Meanwhile,one of Dain's CIA operatives tails Noland. At the jewelry shop, Swiss cops ask Van Joost where to hide while they await Carlos' arrival. When Carlos arrives, Van Joost scrawls 'police' on his hand and Carlos flees. Trigger happy Manganne kills Corsage because the fence "knows too much." When Noland objects to Corsage's murder, Manganne shoots him, too.
Carlos eludes Daine and jumps aboard a train departing for Paris. When the conductor sells him a ticket, Carlos comes up short on cash, but a girl sharing the compartment, Anna (Maria Grazia Buccella of "After The Fox"), lends him enough money. It seems Anna once worked as a knife thrower's target in a circus. She teams up with Carlos in Paris after he fails to sell the papers to Julien (Bernard Tiphaine of "The Queen of Spades"), an ignorant, low-level American embassy official. Julien jokes that too many people are trying to sell them secrets. Instead, he recommends that Carlos contact the Soviets in Vienna. Anna is thoroughly acquainted with Vienna and she accompanies Carlos. While Carlos is on the train, Dain smooches with Suzanne in the country. Arriving in Paris, they part company temporarily while Dain meets up with the General (Roger Tréville of "How to Steal a Million") and Julien. When the General inquires about Daine's business, Julien realizes the enormity of his error in dismissing Carlos' offer.
An hour elapses before Dain tangles with the villains at a Paris garage and he misses his train to Vienna with Suzanne. Meantime, Carlos mixes it up with a villain on the train and throws him off it. "Dirty Game" lenser Pierre Petit captures the immediacy of the moment for Jaque with lots of Dutch tilt angles. Indeed, "Dead Run" appears to have been lensed on the run and Petit's agile cinematography heightens the excitement. The final quarter hour in Vienna bristles with fistfights, shoot-outs and a surprise ending. Nimble fingered Carlos has the last word in this above-average but minor melodrama.
"Dead Run" unfolds in Berlin one morning as petty thief Carlos (Georges Géret of "Is Paris Burning?") picks a drunkard's pocket, discovers nothing of value, and then tries to break into a locked car. Two plainclothesmen park in front of the building where Carlos is trying to break into the car. Moments later after the plainclothesmen enter it, an ambulance wheels in behind them, and three attendants emerge with a stretcher. One tries to scare Carlos off, but Carlos hangs around outside. Across the street, a wealthy, auburn-haired tourist, Suzanne Belmont (Ira von Fürstenberg of "The Vatican Affair"), appears. Inside, and the ambulance attendants gun down the first two men and then assault the guy with a black leather briefcase chained to his wrist that the plainclothesmen were shepherding. Cutting the chain, the attendants steal the briefcase. When the attendants appear on the street again, the one who got tough with Carlos whips out a knife. Carlos and he struggle, and the thief snatches the briefcase and a brief chase ensues, but Carlos escapes from them. Suzanne spots a plainclothesman staggering out of the building. CIA Agent Stephen Dain (Peter Lawford of "Sergeants 3") arrives and learns about the eye witness. Dain halts Suzanne's Frankfurt jet before it takes off. Meanwhile, Carlos takes the briefcase to Corsage,a fence, and haggles with him over his percentage of the haul. Carlos opens the briefcase with a blow torch, but he finds on paper documents with TOP SECRET stamped on them.
Dain escorts Suzanne to headquarters. She identifies one of the attendants that she saw leave the building before a wounded CIA man staggered out and collapsed. Dain explains that an international outfit that specializes in stealing secret documents pulled the job. However, the thief who got away with the briefcase was an amateur and the CIA doesn't have a photo of him in their database. "Would you remain at our disposal until this man is found?" Dain fires up a cigarette and points out: "You're the only one who can identify him for us." "It's so nice to be essential," Suzanne observes. She explains to Dain that she is rich. Daine adds, "It might take some time and it could be dangerous." Suzanne doesn't mind, "I have plenty of time. And you will protect me, won't you?" Dain reassures her that he will personally stay with her in her room.
The scene shifts to the Bardieff's office where Bardieff (Werner Peters of "36 Hours") fumes with rage. "Six months of effort! The plan perfect in every detail! A deadline for delivery! And what have you done, gentlemen! Completely messed up the job! Tricked by some poor little thief. Get out!" After he dismisses his henchmen, Bardieff consults his ruthless colleague Manganne (Horst Frank of "The Grand Duel") and learns that the man who carried the briefcase told Manganne nothing under duress before he died. Of course, Bardieff laments the loss of life. Manganne retorts, "Since when is death not the normal rational outcome of torture?" The 60-year old fence sends Carlos to meet Van Joost (Peter Lorre look-alike Luciano Pigozzi of "Codename: Wild Geese") at a Swiss jewelry store. After Carlos leaves, the fence contacts immigration and spills his guts to Police Inspector Noland (Wolfgang Preiss of "Raid on Rommel") as part of a deal to recover his passport. As it turns out, Noland works both sides of the street. He informs Bardieff about Carlos' whereabouts. Manganne visits Corsage. Meanwhile,one of Dain's CIA operatives tails Noland. At the jewelry shop, Swiss cops ask Van Joost where to hide while they await Carlos' arrival. When Carlos arrives, Van Joost scrawls 'police' on his hand and Carlos flees. Trigger happy Manganne kills Corsage because the fence "knows too much." When Noland objects to Corsage's murder, Manganne shoots him, too.
Carlos eludes Daine and jumps aboard a train departing for Paris. When the conductor sells him a ticket, Carlos comes up short on cash, but a girl sharing the compartment, Anna (Maria Grazia Buccella of "After The Fox"), lends him enough money. It seems Anna once worked as a knife thrower's target in a circus. She teams up with Carlos in Paris after he fails to sell the papers to Julien (Bernard Tiphaine of "The Queen of Spades"), an ignorant, low-level American embassy official. Julien jokes that too many people are trying to sell them secrets. Instead, he recommends that Carlos contact the Soviets in Vienna. Anna is thoroughly acquainted with Vienna and she accompanies Carlos. While Carlos is on the train, Dain smooches with Suzanne in the country. Arriving in Paris, they part company temporarily while Dain meets up with the General (Roger Tréville of "How to Steal a Million") and Julien. When the General inquires about Daine's business, Julien realizes the enormity of his error in dismissing Carlos' offer.
An hour elapses before Dain tangles with the villains at a Paris garage and he misses his train to Vienna with Suzanne. Meantime, Carlos mixes it up with a villain on the train and throws him off it. "Dirty Game" lenser Pierre Petit captures the immediacy of the moment for Jaque with lots of Dutch tilt angles. Indeed, "Dead Run" appears to have been lensed on the run and Petit's agile cinematography heightens the excitement. The final quarter hour in Vienna bristles with fistfights, shoot-outs and a surprise ending. Nimble fingered Carlos has the last word in this above-average but minor melodrama.