Review for Hot Enough for June

‘Hot Enough for June’ or ‘Agent 8 – ¾’ as it’s known in the U.S. is an incredibly entertaining film – one of the better ‘euro-spy’ comedies to have followed in the success of the first Bond Movie, ‘Dr. No’ (1962). Put together on a very modest budget at Pinewood Studios (anyone who’s worked there will recognise dozens of buildings throughout the film) it features a great cast led by a bemused but suave Dirk Bogarde at the very height of his mainstream powers, ably and effortlessly supported by Robert Morley and the beautiful Sylvia Koscina.

Released just a couple of months before ‘Goldfinger’ (which itself followed the second Bond outing ‘From Russia with Love’) and filmed in the self-same studios, Pinewood must have been awash with spy-film fever. It was definitely in the air on both sides of the Atlantic. After all, it was at the height of the cold-war and TV would soon follow in the foot-steps of the movie world with ‘The Man from Uncle’ ‘The Avengers’ ‘I-Spy’ and comedy series like ‘Get Smart’.

‘Hot Enough for June’ is a classically reserved British romantic comedy with a euro-spy theme and vibe. It certainly delivers on its promise and if you look at the poster for the movie it sort of tells you everything you need to know. It was ably directed but none other than Ralph Thomas (‘Carry On’) so is very much a Rank/Pinewood affair which gives you some additional clues as to what to expect.

Bogarde (who would star in Modesty Blaise just two years later) is an out-of-work bohemian writer, Nicholas Whistler – one of the ‘angry young men’ so popular at the time, a kind of British version of the Beats. One day, whilst signing on, he’s shocked to find that he’s been put forward for a job at an international glass manufacturer. When he turns up at the interview he arrives late and deliberately has a surly attitude but despite this the Managing Director, Cunliffe (Robert Morley) seems keen on him taking on the role, ably supported by his cynical side-kick played by John Mesurier.

Naively, Whistler takes on the role as the salary is eye-wateringly good and the job sounds simple enough. So when he arrives on his first day at the job he is asked to go on a very simple trip behind the iron curtain to his land of origin, Czechoslovakia, where he will visit a glass factory and exchange documents (‘trade secrets’) discreetly with a contact there using the password ‘Hot Enough for June’. By this time, we the audience are fully aware that the glass company is just a front for MI6.


When he arrives in Prague he is met by a beautiful Chauffeur, Vlasta Simoneva (Sylva Koscina), who is a member of the secret police operative and the daughter of the head of the secret police played superbly by Leo McKern in a prototype role that would serve him well as one of the many Number Two’s in ‘The Prisoner’ some years later.

Naturally Whistler falls in love with Vlasta who reciprocates and who eventually believes that this charming and naïve young Brit’s intentions are honourable and the two join forces to evade the secret police and get Whistler back to safety in the British Embassy.


It’s a lot of fun and I personally loved seeing so much of Pinewood being used pretty much ‘as is’ as a reflection of industrial Czechoslovakia – with just the odd piece of East European looking signage added for good measure.

I don’t know whether you could describe the film as a comedy as you won’t find yourself clutching your ribs or laughing out loud particularly; more ‘good humoured’ perhaps than hilarious.

Image quality is good if unremarkable but it’s nice to get a high-definition transfer that does some justice to its cinematography. Of course, it does expose some of the short-comings of some of the keying and back-projection, but some of the exteriors look very nice indeed all in glorious sixties Eastmancolor.

‘Hot Enough for June’ is definitely one to pick up if you’re a fan of the euro-spy genre or British comedies from the 1960’s.