Smooth con man Dudley Jerico sets out to rob corrupt millionaire Victor Rosso [sic] of his legendary Gemini diamond.
A conman hatches a plan to swindle a corrupt millionaire out of his treasured priceless diamond by claiming to have discovered its twin. However, his plot is disrupted by a rival hustler who comes up with the same idea and, the two crooks must each convince their suspicious target that they can be trusted and the other is lying.
Reviews:
This disappointing comedy caper evidently got the green light due to the popularity of Patrick Macnee‘s dapper superspy John Steed in The Avengers. Unfortunately, this attempt to turn Macnee into an equally charismatic jewel thief just can’t compete with its bigger budgeted competition, despite the catchy title track from Lulu and the star’s stunning array of flowery shirts. Herbert Lom is good value as the object of Macnee’s felonious attentions (in a role similar to the one he played in the Michael Caine caper Gambit three years before) but, this lacklustre yarn, ultimately, can’t cut it in the excitement or suspense stakes.
Mister Jerico is one of those charming and fluffy capers that the 1960s did well, quite similar to the higher-budgeted Gambit or How to Steal a Million. The palette is sun-soaked, the plot buoyant and just this side of ridiculous. The second half of the film, in particular, moves along at a nice pace, complicating matters without making anything seem too serious. If you think too deeply about the story, it will all appear very nonsensical but, this is a stylized caper film not intended for deeper scrutiny. It’s a surface film and as such it’s quite enjoyable.
A fun film with a very Avengers feel to it, which should be obvious given the cast and crew. Allen is a little out of place but, Macnee and Lom are great, as is Laurie Johnson‘s score. I’ll even admit, against that, Lulu‘s theme song is catchy. Apparently [it was] intended as a pilot for a Macnee series to follow The Avengers but, instead, [was] released theatrically (though, in the US, it only ended up as a TV movie of the week).
Lyrics [Verse 1:]
I was a fool to ever leave your side
Me minus you is such a lonely ride
The breakup we had
Has made me lonesome and sad
I realize I love you cause
I want you back, hey, hey
I spent the evening with the radio
Regret the moment that I let you go
Our quarrel was such
A way of learning so much
I know now that I love you
Cause I need your touch, hey, hey
[Chorus:]
Reunited
And it feels so good
Reunited
Cause we understood
There`s one perfect fit
And sugar, this one is it
We both are so excited
Cause we`re reunited
Hey, hey
[Verse 2:]
I sat here staring
At the same old wall
Came back to life just when I got your call
I wished I could climb right
Through the telephone line
And give you what you want
So you will still be mine
Hey, hey
I can’t go cheating
Honey, I can’t play
I found it very hard to stay away
As we reminisce on
Precious moments like this
I`m glad we`re back together
Cause I missed your kiss
Hey, hey
[Repeat Chorus:]
Reunited
And it feels so good
Reunited
Cause we understood
There`s one perfect fit
And sugar, this one is it
We both are so excited
Cause we`re reunited
Hey, hey
Yeah, yeah, yeah, baby
[Verse 3:]
Oh, lover, lover
This is solid love
And you`re exactly what I`m dreaming of
All through the day
And all through the night
I`ll give you all the love I have
With all my might
Hey, hey
[Repeat Chorus:]
Reunited
And it feels so good
Reunited
Cause we understood
There`s one perfect fit
And sugar, this one is it…