Let's be honest about the 1960s. It was a decade obsessed with James Bond, but also deeply insecure about that obsession. For every Goldfinger, you had three or four "eurospy" knockoffs or high-budget parodies trying to capitalize on the 007 craze. Among the sea of tuxedo-clad imitators, Derek Flint stood out. Played by James Coburn—an actor who basically radiated cool without even trying—Flint was the American answer to Britain's best secret agent. But while the first film, Our Man Flint, was a genuine hit, its 1967 sequel In Like Flint is where things got truly, weirdly fascinating.
It’s a strange movie. Seriously.
If you’ve never seen it, you’re looking at a time capsule that shouldn't exist. It’s a film where the plot involves a cabal of women taking over the world via beauty salons and a space station, while the President of the United States gets replaced by an actor. It sounds like something Mike Myers would have rejected for being too over-the-top for Austin Powers, yet it was a major 20th Century Fox release. It’s colorful, sexist, stylish, and bizarrely prophetic all at once.
The Flint Phenomenon and the 1967 Landscape
In 1967, the spy genre was at a breaking point. Sean Connery was getting tired of the Bond role, and the "spoof" era was hitting its stride with the chaotic Casino Royale. Enter Derek Flint. Unlike Bond, who relied on Q-Branch gadgets, Flint was a polymath. He spoke 47 languages. He was a master of every martial art. He performed his own surgery.
He was the "anti-Bond" in the sense that he didn't need a government; the government needed him.
When In Like Flint hit theaters, it had a lot to live up to. The first film was a stylistic triumph with a legendary Jerry Goldsmith score. The sequel doubled down on the 1960s "mod" aesthetic. You’ve got the bright colors, the ridiculous technology, and Coburn’s Cheshire cat grin. It captures a specific moment in Hollywood history where the budget was high, but the logic was optional.
That Bizarre Plot: Women, Space, and Beauty Salons
The storyline of In Like Flint is... a lot. Essentially, a group of women known as "Fabulous" (led by characters played by Anna Lee, Nita Talbot, and Helen Funai) decides that men have made a mess of the world. Their plan? Brainwash the world’s women using hair dryers in a chain of beauty salons and replace the U.S. President with a double.
🔗 Read more: Bad For Me Lyrics Kevin Gates: The Messy Truth Behind the Song
It’s easy to look at this today and cringe. The film’s "feminism" is viewed entirely through a 1960s male lens, where the ultimate threat is a group of women who want to stop wars but still look like runway models. Yet, there’s a weirdly subversive undercurrent here. The film acknowledges that the men in charge—specifically the bumbling Lee J. Cobb as Lloyd C. Cramden—are incompetent. Flint is the only one who can navigate this landscape because he respects his adversaries, even if the script eventually forces him to "put them in their place" in a way that feels incredibly dated now.
One of the most memorable sequences involves Flint infiltrating the "Virgin Islands" base. The set design is pure space-age pop art. It’s all white curves and primary colors. If you want to understand where the visual language of Austin Powers or even certain parts of The Venture Bros. came from, this is the source material.
The Legend of the "In Like Flint" Title
There is a persistent myth about the title of this movie. You’ve probably heard the phrase "In like Flynn," referring to the escapades of actor Errol Flynn. Many people assume the movie title is a play on that phrase. It is. But the twist is that In Like Flint actually helped cement the phrase in the popular lexicon, even though people often misquote it back to the original Flynn version.
The marketing for the film was genius. The poster, designed by the legendary Bob Peak, is an iconic piece of 1960s art. It features Coburn surrounded by women, looking every bit the ultimate alpha male. It’s the kind of poster that sold tickets to people who didn't even care about spy movies.
James Coburn: The Man Who Made It Work
Without James Coburn, In Like Flint would be unwatchable. Coburn had this incredible physical presence. He was tall, lanky, and moved like a cat. He didn't play Flint as a gritty killer; he played him as a man who was perpetually amused by the world.
There’s a scene where Flint has to stop his heart to fool a heart monitor. He just... does it. He’s that cool. Coburn’s performance is a masterclass in "relaxed intensity." He never feels like he’s in danger, which takes away the tension but adds a layer of surrealist fun. You aren't watching to see if he wins; you're watching to see how stylishly he wins.
💡 You might also like: Ashley Johnson: The Last of Us Voice Actress Who Changed Everything
Interestingly, Coburn himself eventually grew tired of the character. He famously turned down a third film because he felt the scripts were becoming too much of a caricature. He wanted to move into more serious roles, which he eventually did, winning an Oscar much later for Affliction. But for a brief window in the late 60s, he was the personification of the American spy.
The Score: Jerry Goldsmith’s Secret Weapon
You cannot talk about In Like Flint without talking about the music. Jerry Goldsmith is one of the greatest composers in film history, and his work on the Flint films is legendary. The theme is catchy, driving, and perfectly captures the "go-go" energy of the era.
The use of the "Flint Phone" sound—a rhythmic, chirping electronic beep—became a pop culture staple. It was even used as a ringtone for years after the movie faded from memory. The score does a lot of the heavy lifting in making the film feel like a cohesive piece of art rather than just a collection of weird scenes.
Why It Still Matters (Sort Of)
Why should anyone care about a nearly 60-year-old spy parody?
First, it’s a masterclass in production design. If you’re a fan of the Mid-Century Modern aesthetic, this movie is eye candy. The costumes, the furniture, the gadgets—it’s a peak example of 1967 "cool."
Second, it represents the end of an era. Shortly after this, the "New Hollywood" movement would take over. Films like The Graduate and Easy Rider would make the colorful, campy world of Derek Flint look like an ancient relic. Flint was the last gasp of the "Technicolor Super-Spy."
📖 Related: Archie Bunker's Place Season 1: Why the All in the Family Spin-off Was Weirder Than You Remember
Third, the film’s plot about a replaced President and a shadow government feels strangely modern, even if it’s handled with the subtlety of a sledgehammer. It’s a reminder that our cultural anxieties—fear of institutional collapse, fear of gender role shifts—have been around for a long time.
Critical Reception and Legacy
When it was released, critics were lukewarm. The New York Times wasn't particularly kind, noting that the joke was starting to wear thin. But audiences didn't care. It was a box office success, proving that people still wanted escapism, even as the world was becoming increasingly chaotic with the Vietnam War and social unrest.
The legacy of In Like Flint is most visible in the parodies that followed. Without Flint, you don't get Austin Powers. You don't get the campy 70s Bond films like Moonraker. You don't get the specific brand of American "super-man" tropes that dominated action cinema for decades.
How to Watch It Today
If you’re going to dive into the world of Flint, you really need to see it in high definition. The colors are the whole point. Watching a grainy, low-res version on a streaming service doesn't do justice to the cinematography of Daniel L. Fapp.
Is it a "good" movie? By modern standards of storytelling and pacing, probably not. It’s episodic, the logic is flimsy, and the ending is abrupt. But as an artifact of 1967 pop culture? It’s essential. It’s a glimpse into what Hollywood thought the future looked like, and it’s a lot more colorful than the future we actually got.
Actionable Insights for Retro Film Fans
If you're looking to explore the "Flint-verse" or similar 60s spy cinema, here is how to do it right:
- Watch in Order: Don't skip Our Man Flint (1966). It’s actually the superior film in terms of structure and remains the gold standard for the series.
- Focus on the Craft: Pay attention to the transitions and the use of sound. Goldsmith’s score isn't just background noise; it’s a character in itself.
- Context is Everything: Remember that this came out the same year as You Only Live Twice. Compare how the US and the UK were interpreting "The Space Race" through their fictional spies.
- Look for the Cameos: Keep an eye out for familiar faces from 60s television. The casting is a "who's who" of character actors from the era.
In Like Flint serves as a vibrant, if flawed, monument to a time when movies were allowed to be purely, unapologetically ridiculous. It’s a film that knows exactly what it is: a vehicle for James Coburn to look cool while the world around him goes mad. Sometimes, that’s exactly what you need from a Friday night movie.
To truly appreciate the era, look up the original theatrical trailers on YouTube. They are masterpieces of 1960s hype and provide a great sense of how the film was sold to a public that was just starting to get tired of the traditional spy thriller. Keep an eye out for the "Flint Phone" ringtone—it's still one of the most recognizable sound effects in cinema history.