User Reviews

In her final theatrical film (there would be a TV movie in 1972), Rosalind Russell plays novelist Dorothy Gilman's Mrs. Pollifax in "Mrs. Pollifax, Spy." This 1971 film also stars Darren McGavin, Nehemiah Piersoff, Albert Paulson, Harold Gould, John Beck and Dana Elcar. The script is written by Russell under a pseudonym. Mrs. Pollifax is an elderly woman who after being widowed volunteers to be a spy for the CIA. Since she looks so un-spylike, one of the people at the CIA (Elcar) decides to try her out on a mission. She is to go to Mexico, head for a bookstore, watch for The Tale of Two Cities in the window, enter the bookstore when she sees the book has been placed in the window, exchange some code sentences with the owner, get the book and leave. Except it doesn't go that way. Before Mrs. Pollifax knows what hit her, she's en route to an Albanian fortress with a man, John Sebastian Farrell (McGavin). They share a cell. Mrs. Pollifax goes to work plotting their escape as Farrell recovers from a bullet wound.

The Mrs. Pollifax books make for light, fun reading, and this pleasant story is along the same benign lines. Some of the elements of the books are disregarded - for instance, Mrs. Pollifax's children never were told she was a spy as they are here. Rosalind Russell does an excellent job, and she looks wonderful, particularly when one remembers how blown up the poor woman was from steroids due to her rheumatoid arthritis later on. She was such a striking woman with a strong presence in the films she made over her career. Darren McGavin isn't Gilman's Farrell, but his dry humor is effective just the same - another actor who, like Russell, is sorely missed.

This movie doesn't move very quickly; in fact, it's slow in parts, but there are some good scenes, particularly the Christmas party that Mrs. Pollifax talks her jailers into throwing. You can really admire her charm and cleverness.

"Mrs. Pollifax, Spy" is one of those comfortable movies where one sees a lot of familiar faces and an okay story. You'll see worse, you'll see better - but seeing Russell and McGavin more than makes up for the script's shortcomings.

An unusual take on the spy / secret agent genre, Mrs. Pollifax represents a sideways look at what audiences had become accustomed to in the just-ended sixties, which were dominated by James Bond, his campy imitators and flashy, young femme fatales. The closest anyone came to this in the previous decade, in terms of a female spy, was probably "Fathom," starring a very young Raquel Welch. This one presents actress Russell in her final theatrical film, as a retired housewife and recent widow who strolls into C.I.A. headquarters and volunteers for the 'dirty tricks' business. There's a certain charm attached to this scenario and it continues throughout the film. Mrs. Pollifax, though entering her twilight years, is nowhere near senility, is very well spoken and seems sharper than most of the people around her. Her character was created in a series of mystery novels by Dorothy Gilman, kind of an American version of the British sleuth 'Miss Marple.' Russell also had a hand in the script, writing under a pseudonym. The tone of this film is kind of a cross between the tongue-in-cheek escapades of elderly adventurers and serious spy business, so it may strike some as a bit uneven. For example, even though Pollifax faces definite danger during the story, the filmmakers also throw in a sight gag referencing famous agent 007. In the plot, the C.I.A. rep expectedly dismisses Pollifax at first as a harmless eccentric, but there happens to be a simple courier job available in Mexico which the rep's boss (Elcar) thinks she is well suited for. And off we go.

I first saw this film only recently, having heard about it once or twice over the past 30 years. I was taken a bit by surprise as to the direction the story veers off to. Based on the rather bland atmosphere of the introduction and first few scenes at C.I.A. HQ, I expected Pollifax to have some sort of silly short adventure in Mexico, similar to a TV episode, and head back to the USA for more repartee with her supervisors and other agents. However, the courier job, which involved simply picking something up in a bookstore, does not go as planned: Pollifax finds herself leaving Mexico on an airplane heading to parts unknown with another captured agent, the seasoned & cynical Farrell (McGavin, just before "The Night Stalker"). After debarking the airplane at gunpoint, they're transported by automobile until the road runs out somewhere in the mountains and head further into the boonies via mule. By this point, I was thinking, what the hell is all this? They end up in the most isolated prison for spies imaginable, somewhere in Albania. Things looked very bleak but Pollifax is a 'never say die' type of dame and soon charms most of the guards and wardens (Persoff, Gould and John Beck in a very early role). The exception is Perdido (Paulsen), the one in charge, and it's clear that the two prisoners will eventually be executed. Pollifax soon takes charge of 'the mission' (mostly now an escape plan), despite Farrell's long experience in these matters. This kind of keeps you guessing most of the way, and, despite the slow spots in the early sections of the film, there's enough suspense to keep your attention to the very conclusion. Mrs. Pollifax would not return on film, as it happens, though there was a TV Movie in the nineties. Heroine:8 Villains:6 Male Fatales:7 Henchmen:5 Fights:4 Stunts/Chases:6 Gadgets:3 Auto:5 Locations:7 Pace:6 overall:6

I have been searching for this film for some time, having enjoyed the novel on which it was based, The Unexpected Mrs. Pollifax by Dorothy Gilman. All book-to-film adaptations require changes being made, but as the script was written by the star herself - Rosalind Russell - it is surprising so many of these changes were badly thought out, even pointless on occasion. The rapport and camaraderie between Mrs. Pollifax and her co-agent Farrell is totally missing - in fact he is downright rude and hostile towards her for most of the film. Likewise, her boss Carstairs has little regard for Mrs. P. and scant concern for her wellbeing. For no good reason we get a scene in which Mrs. P.'s son is informed that his mother has become a CIA agent. The middle of the film drags, the ending is muddled, and the overall look is relentlessly drab.

And in stark contrast to the matronly Mrs. P. who does precious little spying or cloak and dagger stuff, the januty animated opening credits feature a tall, slender, sexy Mati Hari type spy who could not be further removed from Rosalind Russell c. 1970. It is a shame this was a missed opportunity for Ms. Russell to shine in what would sadly be her last feature film, however as other reviewers have commented it is not an embarrassment nor a cheap horror film. Roz went out a star, but unfortunately of a film that could have been so much better.

Why Rosalind Russell's greatness has been so little appreciated is beyond me. The marvelous grand dame Russell is the epitome of brilliance, vigor and poise, always larger than life, as her courageous return to the stage conquering arthritis well shows. In fact the only small problem with this fantastic lady playing Mrs. Pollifax, is that her elegance and power are a bit at odds with the sweet, bumbling nature of the novel's character.

I love the Mrs. Pollifax mysteries nearly as much as I do beloved Rosalind, having read them many times, and so can see the slight difficulty, but as wonderful as Mrs. Pollifax's character is, and as absolutely phenomenal as dear Rosalind always is, the difficulty of fit is easy to overlook for the sheer joy of seeing two of my very favorite ladies merged as one for the occasion. The fact that Rosalind wrote the thing as well as starring in it (the movie, not the book) proves her excellence as if it needed any proof.

One of the superior characteristics of this "Mrs. Pollifax - Spy," versus what I've heard of Angela Lansbury's "Unexpected Mrs. Pollifax" is that I seem to recall that this one more nearly follows the "The Unexpected Mrs. Pollifax" book, whereas the latter, despite having the same title, is a mixture of at least one more of the novels (one being "A Palm for Mrs. Pollifax" if the Swiss clinic is any clue), which helps to confuse the plot even more, as if Mrs. Pollifax weren't always inviting confusion just by being there! I'd probably love the latter too, so I don't mean too much criticism, but I much prefer having just one book's plot versus the confusion and dilution of piecing more than one book together, but most of all, as wonderful as dear, elegant Angela Lansbury is, there will never be another Rosalind Russell.

Like so many of her contemporaries Rosalind Russell was finding it difficult to get work without having to resort to the horror genre. I give her credit she never did do that. For her last big screen release she chose a film that was about a middle aged woman who now that her kids are grown and she's a widow decides that espionage is the career for her. With the help of her US Senator she gets an introduction to a top CIA man and says she wants to become Mrs. Pollifax-Spy.

As guileless as Russell is Dana Elcar decides maybe she will do at least as a courier. But through a series of mixups and missed signals Russell whose assignment was in Mexico is whisked off to Albania where she's held prisoner with professional spy Darren McGavin. Their Albanian prison is in the hands of a "Red" Chinese general Albert Paulsen with his second being Albanian Nehemiah Persoff. Paulsen's occidental features are explained that he's off mixed racial origin.

Mrs. Pollifax-Spy has the charm of Rosalind Russell to carry it over the rough spots which are many. I find it hard to wrap myself around the concept that at my age which is older than Russell's was as presented I could just get my Senator to just arrange an appointment with the CIA so I could apply to be a spy. People for that agency are recruited in all kinds of ways, but I doubt they just take people who ask to work. Even Dana Elcar says we get a lot of screwballs.

For Roz Russell fans.

Credit totally goes to Rosalind Russell for carrying "Mrs Polifax- Spy". She gives a charming, humorous and heartfelt performance as Mrs Emily Pollifax, housewife from Montclair, NJ who decides to volunteer with the CIA in order to perform her patriotic duty. Astoundingly, the CIA takes her up on it! What is suppose to be a routine courier mission to Mexico City then turns in to Pollifax and secret agent Farrell (Darren McGavin) next being transported all the way to Albania for some inexplicable reason. Well, it all just goes madcap from there as Pollifax manages to charm all of the Albanians holding her and Farrell prisoners. Yet, many of them are resisting the Communist infiltration of their nation, so a very pro Western stance. A very contrived plot and sequencing, yet Russell and the rest of the cast pull it off with aplomb. Definitely worth catching for a light hearted romp.

Dorothy Gilman's book, "The Unexpected Mrs. Pollifax", becomes wan vehicle for the winded Rosalind Russell, who adapted the screenplay herself under the pseudonym C.A. McKnight. Small town widow with nothing but time on her hands marches into the C.I.A. one day and volunteers her services; very soon, she's on assignment as a courier in Mexico, but the pick-up gets botched and she's kidnapped and taken to Albania. After a sprightly animated credits sequence, and the potentially interesting caveat that retired persons need to be stimulated by worthwhile adventures (even going so far as to become "expendable" for their services), this turgid tale fails to give us any undercover excitement. Russell isn't the plucky heroine one might hope for; she's a bit bleary around the edges, and her motherly nagging isn't the amusement it's supposed to be. This film has some of the most ungainly cinematography I've ever seen; Joe Biroc must have been nutty for browns and tans--his whole movie looks like a beige nightmare. Odd supporting cast--including Harold Gould, Nehemiah Persoff, square-jawed John Beck, and Darrin McGavin as the proverbial girl-chasing agent--are all pretty dreary. *1/2 from ****

"Mrs. Pollifax-Spy" is Rosalind Russell's last film. And, to make it more noteworthy, it's from a script she wrote herself using a pseudonym!

The story begins with Mrs. Pollifax (Russell) arriving at CIA headquarters and petitioning to become a spy! Considering she's a widow in her 60s, this is a tad unorthodox. But, surprisingly, they agree to have her come to work for them as a courier. Little does she know that this quick jaunt to Mexico will end up with her becoming a prisoner in Albania!!

This is a very light-weight film...neither bad nor especially good. I think the problem that prevented it from being better was that it wasn't exactly a comedy nor a serious drama....making it more one or the other would have made it a better film. But, if you allow yourself to throw realism out the window and just enjoy it as a time-passer, then it's worth your time.

Odd but true, I missed seeing this film when it was new as I was a fairly busy man at the time. Little did I know at that time that this was to be the Roz's last major production. ........And because it was her last film, this is a shame that to my knowledge this has never seen the light of day since it first ran in theaters! What a crime, not only for Roz's fans but also to the fans of Mrs.Pollifax stories as well to be denied the pleasure of seeing the Roz in the Role of Mrs. Pollifax. So I am going to ask to whom it may concern: Please rescue the prints from the vault and put this out on DVD!! Heck, you don't even have to spend a ton of money to restore it to digital standards if you don't want to, just release it as a "budget special" for all I care!! I'd like to at least watch ANY VERSION of this before I check off for good!!!

So who cares if it isn't exactly Roz's greatest film? Who cares if this isn't the greatest filmed version of a Mrs. Pollifax story? What matters here is that this is Roz's LAST MOVIE and that alone makes it WORTH RELEASING TO DVD!!!

Recently widowed empty-nester Mrs. Pollifax (Rosalind Russell) needs something to do and decides to seek gainful employment. So, she marches into the CIA and offers her services as a spy. Being an unassuming, older woman, one of the CIA bigwigs thinks she's perfect for simple courier missions. But when her first assignment to Mexico goes horribly wrong, Mrs. Pollifax finds herself in a world of trouble inside an Albaian prison.

Mrs. Pollifax-Spy isn't a bad movie by any means, it's just that it's not very good either. One of my main issues is the pacing. The film gets off to a fantastic start, complete with vibrant, interesting Mexican locations. These scenes have a real sense of fun and life to them. But, things change dramatically once Mrs. Pollifax finds herself in Albania. The pace slows to a crawl and it seems to take forever for much of anything to happen. Plus, the Albanian scenes are just so drab looking. I never knew there were that many shades of brown.

Russell's on-screen pairing with Darren McGavin took a while to grow on me. I"ve never seen him as the leading man type. But by the end, I was on board with their relationship. I suppose that is one bright spot from the movie's second half.

5/10

I got through the first hour and couldn't finish it. Do yourself a favor and rewatch Mame Auntie instead which is an excellent movie. A shame this was her last film.

The film somewhat follows the book. It could have used more Polifax background, it being so humdrum, yet it starts with her interview at the CIA. How did she obtain that interview? Read the book. The movie essentially goes nowhere until Darren McGavin appears. He's worth the movie all by himself. Also Harold Gould (Kid Twist in The Sting) fills in admirably as a reluctant Albanian colonel. Rosalind Russell did an OK Polifax. I don't know any other aged female star of her generation that could do the action parts. This movie is like most movies based off of books - the book is far superior to what ends up on screen..

While I wouldn't necessarily say, "You gotta see this!" I enjoyed it. Just the "time warp" aspect alone made it worth watching. It would probably be a tough sell for a non-Roz-fan, but there are several good moments for her to shine (often with just her facial expressions and no dialogue).

This was filmed in 1969 by the director of the 1966 "Batman" movie, to give you an idea of style (including animated opening credits). This film is not as campy but some similarities in style can be spotted as "dynamic duo" Rosalind Russell and Darren McGavin banter back and forth while captured and held captive just like the caped crusader and boy wonder were lo so many episodes of the TV show. (And of course, the acting is better, less cartoonish.)

I liked seeing McGavin (the dad from "A Christmas Story") and Harold Gould (Miles from "The Golden Girls"--as an Albanian!) in different roles. And as a movie buff in general, I would say the animated opening credits are right up there with those of Roz's "The Trouble With Angels." I think it's great that RR adapted the screenplay herself (under a pseudonym) so that her final film could be a star vehicle and not some throwaway two-minute scene playing Raquel Welch's mother or anything along that line.

Is the movie an indisputable classic? No. But a worthwhile effort? Totally. Especially compared to some of the klunkers other screen legends made as their final bows. I was interested in what would happen to the two main characters and enjoyed their rapport with each other. Overall, a good movie I would definitely watch again.

Kind of just wallowing in some Albanian captive spot and just yeah. Beginning is interesting how becomes captive via consuming mysterious conception in coffee, presented by mysterious bookkeeper in his backroom, wise business decision.

This is a fabulous woman who was in the great His Girl Friday film. Watch that. This is the kind of movie you turn down the volume and make your own funny dialog.

Rosalind Russell is as fine an actress at the end as she was in her prime. She actually fit Dorothy Gilman's suburban-retiree-detective-spy Mrs. Polifax to a tee. The supporting cast seems to be enjoying her antics as much as we do. The script is very silly and pedestrian, but given the genre, it's implausability does not get in the way of some great fun.

The film may fail as a spy thriller and as a comedy but Roz is always charming and a delight to see.