French New Wave legend Claude Chabrol, the director of Le Boucher, The Third Lover, Line of Demarcation and L’Enfer, took a turn into the Eurospy genre with this ’60s-chic romp. On a train bound for Switzerland, a secret agent (Roger Hanin, Breathless, Code Name: Tiger) entrusts Marie-Chantal (Marie Laforêt, Purple Noon, The Girl with the Golden Eyes) with a jewel in the shape of a panther with ruby eyes. Unbeknownst to her, this jewel contains a virus powerful enough to destroy all humankind. The fiendish Doctor Kha (Akim Tamiroff, Touch of Evil, Alphaville) is just one among many spies from different nations trying to get their hands on the panther. But the cool-as-ice Marie-Chantal will evade all attacks by sheer female cunning, and shows panther-like qualities in dealing with her male—and female—foes. Francisco Rabal (L’Eclisse), Serge Reggiani (Le Doulos), Charles Denner (Bluebeard) and Stéphane Audran (Les Biches) lead the star-studded supporting cast in this colorful spoof of international espionage capers.
