Mastermind

Completed in 1969 but not released until 1976 and seldom seen in any medium, this Orientalist comedy in a Pink Panther vein, starring Zero Mostel, was shot by director Alex March entirely in Kyoto, employing an international cast that includes Phil Leeds, Jules Munshin, and Felix Silla ("Cousin Itt" from TV's The Addams Family). Mostel does a Charlie Chan impersonation, although not as a Chinese-American detective but rather as a high-tech Japanese police supersleuth who is fruitlessly in love with a femme-fatale club owner (Keiko Kishi) and prone to meditation sessions during which he fantasizes about being a feudal samurai swordsman (speaking in silent-era style subtitles). Meanwhile, mystery villains are apparently trying to steal a revolutionary new miniature humanoid robot (Silla). Featuring fugitive Nazis and pursuing Israelis, the plot winds up making very little sense, but the performances and inspired slapstick help to compensate. An interesting, obscure curio, this is a strong optional purchase. (C. Cassady)