The Cape Town Affair (1967) User Reviews

Rare opportunity to see Cape Town circa 1967, also has James Brolin and Jacky Bisset

[mack-16 · 4/10 · 3 November 2000]

The best part of this film is the opportunity to visit Cape Town, South Africa during the height of Apartheid. As a low-budget, spy thriller, it is shot in as many unmodified local settings as possible. Street shots are right in the heart of the downtown and there are harbor shots and scenes from within the Police Headquarters. The photos on the wall give away the time frame as well.

Claire Trevor is the only actor credited in some Film Compendia and I wonder if both Brolin and Bisset paid not to be listed!

Brolin plays a hard-boiled petty thief and "Jacky" Bisset plays a runner for the spy ring. Claire Trevor plays Sam, the connecting character to the world of petty crime and espionage.

Pick-Up On De Villiers St

[JohnSeal · 4/10 · 8 March 2003]

An inconsequential, almost scene-for-scene remake of Sam Fuller's great Pickup On South Street, The Cape Town Affair suffers from weak casting--James Brolin is no Richard Widmark, and Claire Trevor attempts but fails in her Thelma Ritter impersonation. Shot on location in South Africa, the film barely recognises the existence of non-white characters, and when it does--in the person of Muhammad, a sleazy fence--a white South African, Gabriel Bayman, assays the role. Whilst the film maintains the original's Free World vs. Red Peril dichotomy, it's impossible to ignore the political realities of South Africa in 1967. With Nelson Mandela still in the early stages of his time in prison, 'communist' in South Africa was virtually synonymous with 'anti-Apartheid activist'. The prominently featured pictures of Hendrick Verwoerd in almost every shot in the police department confirm that this film was just as intent on being state-sanctioned propaganda as on being a work of art.

Disappointing remake

[jjnxn-1 · 4/10 · 26 April 2012]

Choppy, poorly directed remake of Pickup on South Street. James Brolin while attractive is bland in the lead never approaching the lowdown grit that Richard Widmark effortlessly gave the character in the original. This was one of Jacqueline Bisset's first roles and her inexperience is evident although at least part of the blame belongs with the director since her next few films, with stronger directors, show a marked improvement over her work here. Unsurprisingly the best performance in the film comes from Claire Trevor as the frowsy Sam but even she doesn't match the peerless performance of Thelma Ritter, considered by many her best work, in the first film. This was Claire's last film for 15 years until she made a delightful return as Sally Field's mother in Kiss Me Goodbye, a much better film than this, and then permanently retired. As for the rest of the film, everybody else gives terrible performances, scenes either just stop or start with a good deal of narrative flow missing and the photography is washed out and overly bright. Not an estimable credit on anybody's resume.

Why Do They Do It?

[rmax304823 · 19 July 2004]

On the plus side, there are interesting shots of Capetown and of Table Mountain. Not that many people know what Capetown looked like in 1967. Not that many people know what country Capetown is IN for that matter, outside of social activists, gold speculators, and surfers. No, it's not near Provincetown. Also there are interesting shots of Jacqueline Bisset at her most -- well, let's use the word "appealing." Her looks are unimpeachable. James Brolin, young and handsome in a mannequin-like way, does pretty good impressions of Clark Gable and Ronald Reagan in other venues.

But you have to ask. Why do they take a peerless piece of cynical and brutal trash like "Pickup on South Street" and do it in color with lesser performers and slipshod direction?

Brolin simply can't SMIRK as well as Richard Widmark. And Bisset just looks too elegant, as opposed to the sluttish and overly made-up Jean Peters in the original. Compare the scenes in which the two actresses utter the same lines -- "You're talking like it was HOT, Joey." Bisset sounds as if she's commenting on the pepper pot soup at Bookbinder's Restaurant. With Peters you know exactly what she means. And Claire Trevor, a decent enough actress in her own right, shouldn't be asked to impersonate Thelma Ritter. Nobody on earth can imitate Thelma Ritter.

Fuller's direction in the original was immediate and claustrophobic. His characters brimmed with verisimilitude. The actors here are going through their paces in settings that aren't nearly seedy enough. I'm leaving the politics aside.

Stick with the original by all means.

What A Stinker!

[angelsunchained · 2/10 · 4 June 2006]

I just bought this film for 4 dollars, and let me tell you, it wasn't worth it.

No budget, badly scripted, dull, boring, listless, "Cold War" stinker. Hard to believe that Samuel Fuller was involved in this "movie". There were lines like, "You want to help us fight the commies don't you?"

James Brolin looked handsome here, but the poor guy just wasn't an actor at this stage of his career. All he basically does is look angry and yell and scream the whole movie; gave me a headache. He is living in a run-down shack near a smelly river, with no electric, yet he wears 500 dollar suits. He's a thief who only robs twice the whole movie.

Horrible piece of worthless junk.

Remake with a South African Flair

[warlock-13 · 3/10 · 21 January 2007]

Great for pre-integration scenes of Cape Town (look for one black person and you won't find them!), this remake of Pick Up on South Street (1953) is missing several things, notably Richard Widmark as the film noir villain that makes the whole thing work. This film is the exact opposite of film noir. It's too clean and crisp to be suspenseful. The colors reek of a British comedy ala the Pink Panther or something with Alec Guiness. The whole thing plays like a poor man's "Man From U.N.C.L.E." without the savoir faire of Robert Vaughn. James Brolin, a few years shy of Marcus Welby, M.D., has yet to learn how to act and Jacqueline Bisset is not worth the trip. See the original.

Bungled...

[moonspinner55 · 1/10 · 4 July 2009]

Remake of Sam Fuller's 1953 noir "Pickup On South Street" takes place, for no discernible reason, in South Africa! Jacqueline Bisset is the clueless courier for a Communist spy ring--carrying secret microfilm in her purse--whose career is derailed after a pick-pocket snatches her loot on the bus. New faces at the time, Bisset and James Brolin look terribly unsure (and unhappy) throughout. Distributed by 20th Century-Fox, the film doesn't look terrible, but is overrun with outdated clichés, inept direction and writing, and a music score from Bob Adams and Joe Kentridge that never sets a proper mood (with a whistled theme that faintly recalls "Baby Elephant Walk" to boot!). Unnecessary, forgettable spy stuff may be useful as a cure for insomniacs. NO STARS from ****

Ho Hum!

[Hitchcoc · 3/10 · 20 November 2006]

Silly byplay between a few characters. A master pickpocket. A burned out police detective. A bunch of Commies. A piece of film. Some less than memorable acting. James Brolin, running the gamut of emotions from A to B. A confusing, endless story which continues to beg questions all along the way. There are some relationships that are left for us to figure out. The film is just so dull. I think all this cold war stuff has to at least have a little bit of causality. You can't have a suspense (or spy) movie without knowing what, exactly, the bad guys get out of the key piece of evidence. As usual, lots of people go through lots of wasted motion. Jacqueline Bisset is somewhat interesting, but even her role isn't very clealr.

Pedestrian Direction Wastes Both Scenery and Cast

[JohnHowardReid · 3/10 · 10 July 2008]

A waste of time. Not worth watching. No wonder the film played as a support on its original theatrical release. Filmed in murky color (but cleaned up for DVD) and directed in a thoroughly routine, flat-footed style — long shots bisected with endless pedestrian close-ups — Cape Town Affair is worse than routine. It's amazing how little tension, and how piffling the suspense, the present writers, director and players manage to extract from a scenario that was originally tautly exciting. How slowly paced, how tediously drawn out, how downright wearisome each scene now appears! How sparse the dramatic impact Webb is able to furnish from his real Cape Town (South Africa) locations! True, he is hampered by a script that even in its 82-minute version is unmercifully padded out, over-extended and over-weighted with extraneous dialogue. The players are no help whatever. Claire Trevor has a grand time chewing up the scenery in the Thelma Ritter role, but her performance is an utter bore. The same goes for Jacqueline Bisset (who is not very flatteringly photographed or costumed to boot) and James Brolin (who exhibits very little in the way of charisma).

Selling out state secrets and neckties and friends for money

[clanciai · 7/10 · 13 May 2022]

Jacqueline Bisset is always a warrant for a good performance, and that's why I was attracted by this inefficient attempt of a remake of the brilliant "Pickup on South Street" of 1953 with no Richard Widmark and no Jean Peters but with a young and fresh Jacqueline Bisset at least and a rather brutal and boorish James Brolin but with Claire Trevor as the only real character of the film, which is only worth watching for the sake of her and Jacqueline. The overall impression is that of amateurs, the script is lousy, the other characters are all clichés, and even the story, like all characters, lack any credibility. The music is interesting, and the sight-seeing of Cape Town is an attraction, but all the rest is cheap pulp fiction. Even the direction is somewhat awkward all the way, and you will be astonished to see only one coloured person in the entire feature and only for a brief moment, as if the film was something of a nostalgic tribute to "the good old days of apartheid". This film cannot be recommended except perhaps as a curiosity to some odd exclusives interested in having a look at Cape Town of +50 years ago.

Next To Worthless

[ozlock · 1/10 · 5 October 2007]

There is one redeeming feature: the gorgeous Ms Bisset. The acting is dreadful. Even Bisset is terrible. Forget the fact that it is a remake and forget great views of Cape Town (because this is a very dark film, and I don't mean noir).

My first attempt at this submission was rejected because it contains less than ten lines, but what else is there to say?

OK, I can say that even the music is formulaic in the sense that all spy movies were in the 60s. This is the sort of movie where you want to say "What were they thinking?"

OK? It is hard to imagine that IMDb encourages wasting cyber space.

Film to be appreciated for its' subtle attributes.

[zaba_53 · 9/10 · 26 June 2019]

I'll probably be the only reviewer who enjoyed this film. Aside from not being able to find a really decent DVD which affected visual quality somewhat, I thought this was a solid little spy thriller. I've heard it said it's slow and talky. Well, maybe if your film life was developed watching only X-Men and Fast and Furious movies this would not appeal, but if you give Capetown a chance and think about what is happening it's a decent film. Bisset is luscious in a decent wholesome way, regardless of her past. Brolin is a bit stilted, but he too is a product of a troubled past and I think you could argue his charater's behavior is the result. Claire Trevor's performance is solid as is everyone else. I thought the best part of the film was the subtle realization by "Skip" that two women had suffered badly as a result of their refusal to give away "Skip's" home address. One was murdered by Joey the commie and Candy was beaten up and shot for her refusal to talk. It seemed an important moment to me and I think helped change Skip for the better. The wrap up, including the gunfights and chase as well as the final scene were satisfying. I didn't think the film was slow at all, I thought it was a solid B+

A Bit Dry and Mundane

[Uriah43 · 5/10 · 5 March 2014]

While riding on a bus in Cape Town, South Africa, an unwitting courier named "Candy" (Jacqueline Bisset) has her purse pick-pocketed by a two-bit thief by the name of "Skip McCoy" (James Brolin). Although she is unaware that she is working for the communists she is told that the envelope she was carrying is extremely important and that she needs to get it back at all costs. So she visits certain underworld figures and finally finds a person named "Sam" (Claire Trevor) who can identify the pick-pocket. Unfortunately, when she tries to buy it from him she is told that he wants a great deal more money than what she has on her. Soon Candy, Skip and Sam become deeply involved in a dangerous game of intrigue which threatens to escalate out-of-control. At any rate, rather than detailing the rest of the story and possibly spoiling the movie for those who haven't seen it I will just say that I thought it had a good premise but that it ended up being a bit dry and mundane. While I liked the performances of both Jacqueline Bisset and Claire Trevor I didn't think either of them was given an adequate script to really enhance the overall value of the movie. As a result I rate it as only average.

Incredibly boring thriller

[Wizard-8 · 10 October 2014]

People who are fans of Samuel Fuller (who was one of the writers) or wanting to see early appearances by actors James Brolin and Jacqueline Bisset might find the prospect of watching "The Cape Town Affair" promising. But it won't take them very long upon watching the movie to start regretting their decision. The big problem with this movie is that it is incredibly boring. It's talk, talk, talk, with pretty much NOTHING of consequence or importance happening in the first two- thirds of the movie. A few things happen in the last third of the movie, but not much, and it ends up being almost as boring as the first two-thirds. Another problem with the movie is that the central character (played by Brolin) is not very likable - you'll be wondering why you are bothering to follow this selfish and cold individual. By the way, if you are wondering about the Cape Town setting, while it does occasionally add a little color in the backdrop, it's otherwise wasted - with almost no rewriting, the events of the movie could be taking place in Los Angeles. This is one movie that's pretty much a complete waste of time.

Go watch Pickup on South Street instead

[bensonmum2 · 4/10 · 19 July 2015]

The Cape Town Affair is a remake of the classic Pickup on South Street. In this one, without realizing what he's doing, a pickpocket named Skip (James Brolin) steals some microfilm from a woman named Candy (Jacqueline Bisset). Candy didn't really know what she had - she was just working as a go-between. Pretty soon, Skip and Candy have secret agents from both sides trying to get the microfilm. And at least one of them doesn't play nice.

My advice - skip The Cape Town Affair and look for the original. The problem with the remake is that much of it is just plain old dull. I blame a lot of that on Brolin. Richard Widmark was a big part of making the original as entertaining as it was. Brolin is no Widmark. And if Brolin's not to blame, then surely director Robert D. Webb is. The direction is uninspired leading to a lifeless film. Webb is no Samuel Fuller.

Because I didn't rate it lower than a 4/10, there's obviously something here I did enjoy. First, if nothing else, watching The Cape Town Affair is like opening a time capsule. I've seen thousands of movies in my life, but I've never seen one that did a better job of documenting what Cape Town actually looked like in the 60s. Very interesting. Second, Jacqueline Bisset is worth at least a point in the rating. I think that all I need to say is that I was 14 years old when I saw The Deep in the theater. If you've seen the movie, you'll understand my fascination with Ms. Bisset.

Lots of talk, very little action in dreary spy drama

[gridoon2024 · 4/10 · 11 November 2012]

The opening sequence of "The Cape Town Affair", with James Brolin stealing the wallet of Jaqueline Bisset in a crowded bus and a little girl noticing what is happening but not quite understanding it, is a good one. And the film has a quintessentially 1960s music score. Unfortunately, that score is pretty much the only thing that places the film in the 1960s - production-wise, it looks like a cheap B-movie from the 1940s, when the actors simply moved from studio set to studio set, and huge chunks of dialogue had to try to cover up the almost complete lack of action. But the dialogue, even in the cheapest 1940s crime dramas, was usually witty, something that cannot be said for most of the dialogue in "The Cape Town Affair" (some of it cannot be heard in current DVD prints anyway). This is a dreary movie, with Brolin proving that it was a correct decision that he never got the James Bond role (despite coming close to it), Bisset looking beautiful (especially when she's wet with beer), and Claire Trevor chewing the scenery in a supporting part. *1/2 out of 4.

"Some people sell pineapples, I sell information."

[classicsoncall · 5/10 · 14 August 2012]

This is now starting to be a chore. I'm getting down to my last few films in the Mill Creek Mystery Collection of two hundred and fifty movies, and it's getting more and more difficult to pay attention. This is a somewhat convoluted story involving a pickpocket and Communists and some kind of secret chemical formula but don't ask me anything beyond that. It's just not worth it.

And please don't tell me that was Claire Trevor in the role credited to Claire Trevor. Gosh, what happened to her? Give me instead the actress from 1939's "Stagecoach" or 1948's "Key Largo". I know actors and actresses get older but I didn't recognize her here even after seeing her name in the opening credits.

Still need a recommendation? OK, it's got James Brolin and Jacqueline Bisset in early lead roles, but this was before they became actors. Try to stay focused here and it's nearly impossible. At least Bisset was appropriately named, her character was Candy. As in eye candy. After that, it's all down hill.

So-so thriller

[Woodyanders · 5/10 · 22 December 2015]

Cocky pickpocket Sky McCoy (an insipid performance by James Brolin, who looks mighty handsome, but projects all the charisma of a 200 pound block of wood) steals a microfilm from a purse on a bus that various government agents from different countries want for themselves.

While the basic premise sounds pretty gripping and exciting, this movie alas fizzles more than sizzles due to Robert D. Webb's bland direction, a crippling paucity of tension, a plodding pace, and a blah script that gets bogged down in too much tedious talk. Fortunately, the solid acting from a capable cast just manages to keep this picture watchable: Jacqueline Bisset as the feisty Candy (Bisset looks positively ravishing in this film!), Claire Trevor as brassy old dame informant Sam Williams, Bob Courtney as the no-nonsense Captain Herrick, John Whiteley as slimy traitorous jerk Joey, and Gordon Mulholland as hard-nosed police chief Du Plessis. Moreover, the groovy jazz score by Bob Adams and Joe Kentridge does the right-on boppin' trick while David Millin's competent cinematography makes the most out of the gorgeous Cape Town scenery. This listless picture finally bursts to life towards the end with an fierce fist fight between Brolin and Whiteley, but it's a classic case of too little too late. A passable diversion at best.

South Street may have had pedestrians, but it wasn't as pedestrian as this.

[mark.waltz · 5/10 · 5 January 2023]

The original 1953 film noir is a classic that can't be beat, and this remake, nearly exactly the same, seems like a cheapened version with the same plot and formula, entertaining but ultimately unnecessary even if the idea of switching the story to Cape Town Africa seems like a good idea. The color is rather garish and actually makes the film look like something done for TV so the results is a barely acceptable facsimile of something that was done excellently over a decade before. Jacqueline Bisset is pickpocketed on a Cape Town bus, and in addition to the money she loses, microfilm is stolen, revealing her to be involved in espionage. The pickpocket is James brolin, and the informer is Claire Trevor. The original had Thelma Ritter in the one film she was truly deserving of an Oscar for (unforgettable every moment she was on screen, and so important to the plot), and Trevor truly makes every moment she is on screen stand out, a touch of class in spite of the cheap way she comes off in character, especially in her orange tinted hairstyle and garish orange dress.

So there is a natural curiosity there to see how they will make the story seem more current in a 60's exotic setting, and the build-up to Trevor's climactic scene and speech is the highlight of the film. John Whiteley as the main villain is cold enough, but is presented as such a coward that it really diminishes the impact that his big scene with Trevor has. With the film being obviously popular in museums and repertory and on the late show at the time, it's obvious that there would be a curiosity to see how a remake could bring it up today, but the problem that weakens it is poor color photography and the lack of the shadows that made the film noir elements of the original so exceptional. The original has gained in its reputation over the years while this is fallen into the public domain, available on low budget DVD's, and has the curiosity value of newcomers Bissett and Brolin who are acceptable but nothing special, while Trevor is equally matchable to the fabulous Ritter. Once again, she proves how a secondary character can become the heart and soul of a film, even if that film itself is far from perfect. Had the film been technically better (even with a plot that couldn't hold a candle to the original with its lack of surprises), Trevor easily could have been a candidate for a supporting Actress Oscar nomination as she knows where to reign it in and when to cry out for deserving sympathy. Without her, my rating would have been lower. With her, this becomes a film well worth seeing as without her, it would be perfectly easy to skip.

Review

[jaxback · 10/10 · 2 November 2014]

This film is a remake of a film made in 1953 known as Pick Up On South Street Starred Richard Widmark Jean Peters and Thelma Ritter. The bad guy looked like Alan Arkin but cant see his names in any of the credits It was basically the same theme and even the music used was the same for the most part Man is it hard to get 10 lines when you just want to inform some people about a movie so now a bit of padding to get the 10 lines that's what cost me in University I could not regurgitate 1000 pages on nonsense to tell one simple story Hope this is of interest I think I made my 10 line requirement. Well I am back again to make sure I have the number of lines required to get submitted. Not sure why we have to go 10 lines when you can say it in 4 but anyway maybe now it will be OK for submission to the grammar captains

Some missed opportunities but not bad, as Africa-produced movies go

[adrianovasconcelos · 8/10 · 19 January 2022]

Cape Town is one of the most beautiful cities in Africa, and already was so in 1966, when this film was shot. Unfortunately, Director Robert Webb - don't know him from a bar of soap - fails to take advantage of the beautiful natural settings (apart from some shots of Table Mountain towering over the city). He has to work with a script reminiscent of PICKUP ON SOUTH STREET (US 1953) and wisely gives the film some humor touches to go with color, as opposed to B&W in the more dour and serious-minded PICKUP.

The Cape being the part of South Africa that has always had the most white and colored population, and least black, you do not see many blacks. Even the prostitutes working the V&A and other CT landmarks are all white. But then the story is not about racial strife, even if it unfortunately existed. As a curiosity, the photograph of apartheid architect Prime Minister Hendrik Verwoerd is seen on the wall of the police HQ, in Warrant Officer du Plessis' office - but Verwoerd was stabbed to death by Tsafendas in Parliament in Cape Town on September 6, 1966. A parked car's windshield bears a 1966 license, so it is quite possible that this film may have been in the shooting stage when Verwoerd's assassination took place.

In 1967 the Cold War was at its hottest in the world, and Africa was no exception. So, at the time it was a top of the news subject. I was born in Mozambique, where the Portuguese Government tried to convince the West of the importance of combating communism, and I understand the mindset and political interest in making this film for the preservation of the then status quo (however condemnable it might be).

Back to the movie, Claire Trevor, already in her declining years, gets top billing and, as ever, her acting is competent and more than plain satisfactory as a streetwise tie seller, who may have worked the streets at some point in her life. She sounds relaxed, seems to have fun playing her part as a South African Police informant who dreams of burial in a spot where she can see Table Mountain.

Brolin and Bisset form a good looking couple. Bisset, in particular, is the very definition of drop dead gorgeous, a real dish. Both deliver relaxed performances, and seem to enjoy what they are doing. Brolin clearly has no moral values to start off with, a pickpocket whose sole purpose is to make a fast buck, and the more dishonestly so the better. Gordon Mulholland, one of South Africa's better known actors at the time, also plays a convincing Warrant Officer du Plessis.

You hear Sinatra sing "Mam'selle" and some great background jazz a a time of great cars, good manners, great looking clothes.

I did enjoy THE CAPE TOWN AFFAIR for all those reasons, even if it struck me as overlong and with a script holier than the proverbial Swiss cheese.

I will always love you, Jackie Bisset. And Cape Town, too!