Matt Helm

Matt Helm, a fictional character created by author Donald Hamilton, is a U.S. government counteragent—a man whose primary job is to kill or nullify enemy agents—not a spy or secret agent in the ordinary sense of the term as used in spy thrillers. He appeared in 27 books over a 33-year period beginning in 1960 and established himself as the most tough-minded and most competent of all fictional agents, whatever their roles. The series was noted for its between-books continuity, which was somewhat rare for the genre. In the latter books, however, Helm's origins as a man of action in World War II disappeared and he became an apparently ageless character, a common fate of long-running fictional heros.

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A movie series starring Dean Martin was made in the mid-to-late 1960s using the name Matt Helm and some of the book titles, but it bore no resemblance at all to the character, atmosphere, or themes of the original books. (One reason for this was the attitude among filmmakers that the only way to compete with the James Bond movie series was to parody them. See also Casino Royale). Likewise, a 1970s TV series, which cast Helm as an ex-spy turned private detective, also departed from the books and was unsuccessful. In 2002, it was reported that DreamWorks had optioned the entire Helm book series. On August 9, 2005, Variety reported that DreamWorks has signed Michael Brandt and Derek Haas to write a screenplay for a high-six-figure deal. According to the article, the film will be a contemporary adaptation of the character, but no casting or release information has yet been announced. It has yet to be seen how faithful the new film will be to the original novels.

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The Dean Martin version of Matt Helm served as a significant inspiration for Mike Myers' Austin Powers and many references can be seen. Most significantly, both characters are fashion photographers as their cover jobs.

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Dean Martin: Dean Martin (June 7, 1917 – December 25, 1995) was an American singer and film actor....

James Bond: James Bond, also known as 007 (pronounced "double-oh seven"), is a fictional British spy introduced by writer Ian Fleming in 1953. Fleming wrote numerous novels and short stories based upon the character and, after his death in 1964, further literary adventures were written by Kingsley Amis, John Pe...

Casino Royale: Casino Royale is the first James Bond novel by author Ian Fleming. It would eventually pave the way for 11 other novels by Fleming himself in addition to 2 short story anthologies. Since being published in 1953 by Jonathan Cape, Casino Royale has been adapted three times; a 1954 CBS television episo...

Matt Helm related Images and Photos (experimental)

Matt Kemp	Matt Long	Matt Cain	Matt Ryan
Matt Forte	Matt Monro	Matt Forte	Matt Schaub
Matt Cassel	Matt Stover	Matt Leinart	Matt Duchene