Another old Rosalind Russell role taken over years later by Angela Lansbury, and beautifully so. Following the roles of Mame Dennis and Mama Rose Hovick, Lansbury took on the role of a widow fulfilling a lifelong dream to be a spy, Mrs. Emily Polfaix, a widow who manipulates her way into an espionage assignment, ending up in Paris after she's been held hostage by international criminals, following one of them (a deadly female Natasha type), befriending young Thomas Ian Griffith (building a motherly affection for him, obviously returned), and annoying the American agency who just wanted her out of the country and more importantly, out of their hair. In between spying, she tenderly talks to her late husband, one of the film's most touching details.
Roz Russell had played Emily Polifax in her last theatrically released film in 1971 (the same year that Angela used witchcraft in her own Disney spying game), a critical failure, and it took 28 years for Dorothy Gilman's character to fall in Lansbury's lap. Fortunate to say, this is a much better film than Russell's, even though it's completely preposterous. This works better because its tongue is in its cheek, while Russell was basically trying to be James Bond's mother with a hip wardrobe. That film dated instantly, while this version appears to be fresh as when it first aired. Lansbury and Griffith have good chemistry, so as Emma gets her taste of excitement in her work, the audience roots for her, while with Roz, they were afraid she'd hurt herself. Spying she did, and then some!
Roz Russell had played Emily Polifax in her last theatrically released film in 1971 (the same year that Angela used witchcraft in her own Disney spying game), a critical failure, and it took 28 years for Dorothy Gilman's character to fall in Lansbury's lap. Fortunate to say, this is a much better film than Russell's, even though it's completely preposterous. This works better because its tongue is in its cheek, while Russell was basically trying to be James Bond's mother with a hip wardrobe. That film dated instantly, while this version appears to be fresh as when it first aired. Lansbury and Griffith have good chemistry, so as Emma gets her taste of excitement in her work, the audience roots for her, while with Roz, they were afraid she'd hurt herself. Spying she did, and then some!