Francesca Madeiros (Senta Berger) is a treacherous spy in the 1967 spy film, "The Ambushers". The film was the third of four produced in the late 1960s starring Dean Martin as secret agent Matt Helm. "The Silencers" (1966); "Murderers' Row" (1966); "The Wrecking Crew" (1969). Francesca wears some amazingly colorful and erotic go go type skirts and boots throughout the movie.
In the movie, a U.S. government space saucer is hijacked mid-flight by a powerful laser beam under the control of Jose Ortega (Albert Salmi), who then proceeds to rape the female pilot, Sheila Sommars (Janice Rule).
ICE (Intelligence and Counter-Espionage) sends Matt Helm to Acapulco with Sheila (posing as his wife) to recover the saucer, under the guise of being a fashion photographer of beautiful models. Francesca who is an enemy agent for Helm's nemesis, Big O, seduces Helm. She poses as a model and makes contact with him down at the hotel pool.
Helm goes to Francesca's place, where she teases him seductively. He kisses her on the lips and finds out that he has been drugged by her lipstick. She then gives Helm the antidote to the knock-out lipstick.
Francesca drugged to Matt try and get information about the saucer, but Sheila shows up and rescues him just in time.
Sheila went through her own ordeal where a taxi driver attempted to rape her, dragging her into the back seat and ripping off her top. Sheila was wearing a bra with stun tasers in the cups that rendered her attacker uncounsious.
Francesca explains that she's from a country that's having a lot of troubles because of Ortega, and if he dies, the troubles are over. The American's ally themselves with her.
Francesca and her henchman are seen going into a brewery. Helm and Sheila believe they are being double-crossed, and so they follow her. A fight ensues, and Helm learns where Ortega can be found. They meet up with Francesca, who again, reluctantly teams up with Sheila and Helm again.
Francesca is tossed away by the deadly killer.
However, once again, Francesca betrays them again, and it is now learned that she is actually working for Big O, and they want to buy the saucer.
In the movie, Francesca kills several men using a pistol. She also has some knock-out-drugged lipstick that she uses when she is seducing her victims. One kiss from those lips and it is lights out.
The killer ignores Francesca's pleas.
Francesca double-crosses Helm and attempts to steal the saucer for herself killing a number of guards on the way.
Francesca uses her beauty as a weapon distracting the guards and then shooting them in the head when they look away.
However, as she is getting into the saucer, she is surprised by the Arab agent/assassin Nassim (David Mauro), who attempts to strangle her with a wire from behind. She fights back trying to reason with the killer. She struggles to be free her chest heaving as she passes out.
Her body is then dragged to the edge of the walkway and casually tossed away.
Unfortunately, she nor her body is seen again. What Nassim doesn't realize is that the UFO can only be piloted by a woman, and as soon as he enters the saucer he is killed by the machine's strange side effects.
Trivia[]
- Senta Berger appeared as Francoise in the 1961 comedy thriller film "Es muss nicht immer Kavier".
- Senta Berger appeared as Christiane in the 1967 French thriller "Diabolically Yours", which was originally entitled "Diaboliquement Votre".
- Senta Berger appeared as Susanne Stefan in three 1967 episodes of the TV mini-series "Babeck".
- Senta Berger appeared as Mila Darvos in the 1968 adventure film "Istanbul Express".
- Senta Berger appeared as May in the 1969 French thriller film "Las etrangers".
- Senta Berger appeared as Giulietta Cavamacchia in the 1969 film "Infanzia".
- Senta Berger appeared as Lorrie James in the 1969 episode "Flowers from Alexander" for the TV series "It Takes a Thief".
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