Storyline

In the post-World War II years, the United States and Japan make efforts to strengthen their friendship and to become allies against the Communist threat exacerbated by the on-set of the Cold War. Famous Japanese sculptor Matsura (Tatsuo Saitô) creates a new sculpture symbolizing the growing friendship between Japan and the United States. The memorial features an eternal flame. The U.S. High Commissioner to Japan (Larry Keating) is given the honor and he agrees to light the monument's eternal flame. The Communist spy network in Japan sees an opportunity to sabotage the ceremony and to attempt to assassinate the U.S. High Commissioner. Communist Agent George Underwood (Edmond O'Brien) is entrusted with this task. At the same time, U.S. Intelligence officer Mark Fannon (Robert Wagner) makes a stopover in Tokyo while on a flight to South Korea. Due to the fact that he's lacking the mandatory Letter of Entry in order to enter or transit Japan, Fannon requests and receives the assistance of Tina Llewellyn (Dame Joan Collins), an English-speaking assistant travel manager of Japan Airlines. In reality, Fannon is on a secret assignment to Tokyo. He checks into a Tokyo hotel and when the bellboy delivers a golf bag with his other luggage, Fannon secretly places a bundle of magazines into its side pocket. Afterwards, he goes to a golf course where he meets Nobika (Solly Nakamura), a Japanese informer, who reveals to Fannon there may be an assassination attempt on the U.S. High Commissioner's life soon. Fannon delivers the magazines containing coded messages to Nobika. The two men agree to meet again. Unknown to them, Communist Agent George Underwood, disguised as a golfer, is spying on them from a distance. His cover story is that he works as an executive for an American company in Tokyo called the Pacific Coal and Iron Company. Later that night, at the hotel, Fannon bumps into Tina, whose date for the evening is a man whom Fannon recognizes to be Tony Barrett (Ken Scott), an American counter-intelligence Agent stationed in Formosa. The two men are surprised to see one another, but act cool and pretend they don't know each other, despite Tina's suspicions. Barrett later ditches Tina and goes to meet Fannon in private. They go to a Japanese steam bath where they can discuss in secret. After exchanging information, Barrett leaves first. Fannon remains inside the steam baths. Not far from him, Communist Agent Underwood decides to eliminate Fannon and jams-shut the steam bath door. He also turns up the thermostat on Fannon's steam room. Overcome by the intense heat, Fannon collapses. When he regains consciousness, he is in his hotel room and a nurse tells him that a steam room attendant found him in the nick of time and saved his life. Tina arrives with the Letter of Entry, but Fannon reveals to her that he plans to stay in Japan rather than continue his voyage to South Korea. Their discussion is interrupted by a phone call from Japanese informer Nobika, who insists he must pass onto Fannon some very important information concerning the Communist plot to sabotage the U.S.-Japan peace process and to murder the U.S. High Commissioner. Calling from a public phone booth, Nobika is anxious to pass this vital information to the American Agent, but someone following him shoots him dead in the phone booth before he can relay the information. Tracing Nobika's phone call to Fannon's hotel room, Lieutenant Afumi (Heihachirô Ôkawa) of the Tokyo Police Department picks up Tina and Fannon as material witnesses. He takes them to the crime scene, and there he shows them a note he found in Nobika's pocket. Released by the Police, under certain conditions, Fannon decides to investigate his informer's death himself. For this purpose, he calls his pal in Formosa, counter-intelligence Agent Tony Barrett, who gives Fannon the last known address, in the village of Ogawa, of murdered Japanese informer Nobika. Disregarding Japanese Police's instructions to remain in Tokyo, Fannon plans to travel to the village of Ogawa and retrieve the magazines containing the secret coded messages he previously passed to informer Nobika on the golf course. Fannon hopes to find out what the coded messages said and to find a clue regarding why and who killed Nobika. What will he find in Nobika's house in Ogawa?—nufs68

Plot Keywords

man wears pajamas, bare chested male, cigarette smoking, hotel, japan, golf, assassination attempt, communism, based on novel, steam room, nurse, man wrapped in a towel, spy, airport, tokyo japan, scene before opening credits, bedtime story, girl, phone booth, title spoken by character

Short Review

Not bad espionage film with a weak resolution. It does have some strong actors in Edmond O'Brien and Joan Collins but Robert Wagner is vapid in the lead and it hurts the film. Speaking of Joan she is absolutely stunning here and dressed to accentuate her beauty to its utmost.

Trailer

Streaming Service

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