Based on the Mrs. Pollifax books (14 total) by Dorothy Gilman, was a movie by CBS, who would later run Angela Landsbury in Murder She Wrote (click here). But in There was an earlier version in1971 with Rosalind Russell the title character in "Mrs. Pollifax-Spy" alongside Darren McGavin in the United Artists film. What I am reviewing today is the 1999 version starring Angela Lansbury as Mrs. Pollifax. This made-for-TV movie was likely the pilot for a possible follow up series that, sadly, never materialized.
What It's About:
When her doctor recommends that a widow pursue her unfulfilled life ambitions, he doesn't realize that she has always wanted to be a spy. Sending a letter to her Representative gets her an interview with the C.I.A. and accidentally gets her an assignment to Morocco for a supposedly easy task of picking up an encrypted code book. When the agency realizes their mistake, they send a super-agent to watch over her. Both are taken prisoner and the real agent is injured, leaving Mrs. Emily Pollifax (Dame Angela Lansbury) to use her considerable wits to help them escape and to save the day.
Cast:
Angela Lansbury- Mrs. Emily Pollifax
Thomas Ian Griffith- Jack Farrell
Ed Bishop- Carstairs
Paul Birchard- Bishop
John Light- Robin Hughes-Wright
1999 PG
Run time: 1hour 29 minutes
Writers: Dorothy Gilman and Robert T. Megginson
Director: Anthony Pullen Shaw
My thoughts:
This movie doesn't follow the book of the same name very much. The book is a bit more espionage-like. But Angela Landsbury is effortless and shines, making this a fun and quirky movie. This has delightful comedic elements and I had to wonder if "Scarecrow and Mrs. King" wasn't inspired by this movie with its common sense "senior" heroine and comedic mix-ups. If you want something light and family friendly, check out this lighthearted espionage film.
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