Agent for H.A.R.M.


Agent for H.A.R.M. is a 1966 science fiction spy thriller directed by Gerd Oswald and starring Mark Richman, one of a number of spy thrillers of the era having conspicuous sci-fi elements; in this case, a fictional spore turns human flesh into a fungus on contact.
The film was intended to be the television pilot for a new spy series. However, it was later decided that it should be given a theatrical release instead. It was released as a double feature with Wild Wild Winter.

Plot

Adam Chance works for an American agency called Human Aetiological Relations Machine, or H.A.R.M. He is assigned to protect Dr. Jan Steffanic, a recent Soviet defector who has developed a new weapon which fires spores that upon contact with human skin slowly dissolves it.
Following his arrival in the U.S., Dr. Steffanic is taken into protective custody by H.A.R.M. and is placed in a beach house along with his niece Ava Vestok, with Agent Chance overseeing the development a spore antidote. Here Dr. Steffanic reveals the communists' real plan, which is to dust all American crops with these deadly spores. During their time at the beach house, Chance falls for Steffanic's niece, who is later revealed to be a communist spy. After the flat is attacked, Dr. Steffanic is kidnapped by European spies and taken to a warehouse. Chance infiltrates this location; in the ensuing gun fight, Steffanic exposes himself to the deadly spores in a valiant sacrifice and dies. Afterwards, Chance reappears at the beach house and arrests Ava.

Cast

On The Damned's 1980 LP The [Black Album (The Damned album)|The Black Album], Adam Chance is mentioned alongside Zorro and Corporal Clott in the song "The [History of the World Part 1 (single)|The History of the World, Part 1]", which was also released as a single.
In 2009, the punk rock band The Riverdales released a song titled "Agent for H.A.R.M." about the film.

Reception

of The [New York Times] called it an "anemic James Bond imitation."

Trivia

The film was featured on Mystery Science Theater 3000 in episode #815. This was Patrick Brantseg's first episode as Gypsy due to Jim Mallon's focus on directing.