Hubert Bonisseur de La Bath, alias OSS: 117, first appeared in the 1957 film OSS 117 n’est pas mort (OSS 117 Is Not Dead). After the highly successful 1962 release of Dr. No, the OSS 117 character was brought back into action in the 1963 film OSS 117 se déchaîne (OSS 117 Is Unleashed) starring Kerwin Matthews (Jack the Giant Killer) as the suave secret agent, the first of the 5 films in this beautifully restored collection and co-starring Irina Demick (The Sicilian Clan). A year later Matthews returned as OSS 117 in the 1964 film Banco à Bangkok pour OSS 117 (OSS 117: Panic in Bangkok) which co-starred Robert Hossein (Cemetery Without Crosses) and Pier Angeli (The Silver Chalice). In 1965 Frederick Stafford, the star of Hitchcock’s Topaz, took over the OSS 117 role in the film Furia à Bahia pour OSS 117 (OSS 117: Mission for a Killer) and reprised the role in the 1966 film Atout coeur à Tokyo pour OSS 117 (OSS 117: Mission to Tokyo). After a one-year hiatus OSS 117 returned in the 1968 film Pas de roses pour OSS 117 (OSS 117 – Double Agent), this time starring John Gavin (Psycho) as the deadly secret agent with Curt Jurgens (Karl Stromberg of The Spy Who Loved Me), Margaret Lee (Secret Agent Super Dragon), Luciana Paluzzi (Fiona of Thunderball), George Eastman (The Unholy Four) and Robert Hossein appearing in his second OSS 117 film.

For thoughts on the OSS 117: Five Film Collection, please check out our discussion on The Video Attic:

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Video Quality

The OSS 117: Five Film Collection returns to Blu-Ray with the five films spread across three discs. The first two pairs of film each get a disc while the final film gets the third disc to itself. This set was previously released by the label in 2017, and this new release sports the exact same transfers and encoding as that one. These films share many of the same qualities, so I will mostly be judging them as a group while pointing out significant differences when necessary. There are no specific details as to the source of these transfers, but all of them look to have been carefully restored by Gaumont at some point. The quality stays in the “very good” range with the occasional sway in either direction. Every film retains small blemishes and signs underlying print damage and other source limitations, but nothing that would take away from the experience

The set begins with OSS 117 Is Unleashed, which is the only film in the set provided in lovely black-and-white photography. The overall look of the film leans a bit soft, but the contrast remains firm for a fetching visual presentation. The most challenging moments appear to be the underwater photography, but even these moments are appealing. The remaining films are offered up in stunning color. The hues are sumptuous throughout with formidable saturation of the environments. All five films are given a spotlight to shine in high definition with natural grain intact. The grain field can run a bit all over the place, but it does remain intact and is thankfully not managed or scrubbed of its texture. Even when the grain gets a bit heavy, it never truly appears clumpy or unnatural.

There is a terrific amount of detail present in these films, especially as you get later in the series. The transfer dazzles with subtle textures in the exotic environments and within the clothing and production design. The contrast is stable with only a minor level of density fluctuation in the print. Black levels are solid even if they could potentially reveal more shadow detail. There are no egregious occurrences of black crush or compression artifacts amongst any of these five titles. Print damage has been kept to a minimum for a really nice viewing experience. Kino Classics has brought this set back for a victory lap.

Audio Quality

The Blu-Ray set comes with a nicely executed DTS-HD 2.0 Master Audio mono track for each of these five films in their original French with optional English subtitles. The original scores that accompany these films avoid stealing focus from the dialogue and other important information. There is not much in the way of overt damage to the audio, just subtle signs of age. You might encounter a light occurrence of hissing, humming, and crackling at random intervals that likely date back to the source elements. Dialogue comes through clearly without sounding strained. It is balanced favorably with the environmental elements of the various locales so information never gets lost in the mix. Kino Classics has given this set a good audio presentation.

Special Features

Trailers: There are trailers provided for OSS 117 Is Unleashed (2:58), OSS 117: Panic In Bangkok (3:45), and OSS 117: Mission For A Killer (3:51).

Final Thoughts

The OSS 117: Five Film Collection delivers a very enjoyable lineup of films that shows it is more than a James Bond knockoff. Some entries are stronger than others, but every single one of them offers something that makes them worth a watch. There are exotic locales, colorful characters, groovy music, spy intrigue, and more that keep you returning entry after entry. If you love the spy subgenre, this is one worth embarking upon for some fun. Kino Classics has released a Blu-Ray set featuring a rock solid A/V presentation and nearly nothing in the realm of special features. If you have the previous release, there is not much reason to upgrade, but everyone else should snap this one up. Recommended

OSS 117: Five Film Collection is currently available to purchase on Blu-Ray.

Note: Images presented in this review are not reflective of the image quality of the Blu-Ray.

Disclaimer: Kino Classics has supplied a copy of this disc free of charge for review purposes. All opinions in this review are the honest reactions of the author.