Agent Simpkins and trainees chase STENCH (the Society for the Total Extinction of Non-Conforming Humans) for a stolen chemical formula, using gadgets and disguises to defeat villains The Fat Man, Dr Milchman, and Dr Crow.
A top secret chemical formula has been stolen by STENCH (the Society for the Total Extinction of Non-Conforming Humans), and so Agent Simpkins and his three trainees are hot on the trail, chasing the villains across the world. There are gadgets galore, and disguises are compulsory if the heroes are to win the day from The Fat Man, Dr Milchman and Dr Crow!—Simon N. McIntosh-Smith <[email protected]>
The evil Dr. Crow, head of the subversive organization the Society for the Total Extinction of Non-Conforming Humans or STENCH, has let the British Secret Service know that he was the one who masterminded the theft of the top secret formula for hydroformulin developed for the War Department by Dr. Stark, who was killed in the process. Dr. Crow has also let them know that the formula, stolen by one of his agents named Milchmann (translated as Milkman), will imminently deliver the formula to him. British Secret Service has to retrieve the formula, and the Chief is dismayed to learn the only agent available for the job is bumbling Simkins (code name Red Admiral). As such, Chief assigns a team of trainees, Harold Crump (code name Blue Bottle), Daphne Honeybutt (code name Brown Cow), and Charlie Bind (code name Yellow Peril) not so much to work under Simkins but to ensure he doesn't cause any problems. The real problem ends up being that the four as a collective, largely in their inexperience, are as inept as Simkins, with the one exception of Honeybutt's inherent skill of a photographic memory. That problem is only exacerbated by Crump falling in love with Honeybutt, he doing whatever to protect her over all else. They are dispatched to Vienna upon news from the Service's man there, Carstairs, that Milchmann has just arrived in town. The foursome get into one scrape after another in their ineptitude, much to the chagrin of Carstairs who arguably could have retrieved the formula on his own if it wasn't for the four.—Huggo
A top-secret chemical formula has been stolen by STENCH (the Society for the Total Extinction of Non-Conforming Humans).
The Chief of the secret service is infuriated with agent Simpkins as he managed to lock himself in the secret cupboard for files inside the office, and remained there till the next morning till the Chief re-entered his office. Simpkins was then brought out but ended up breaking the glass panes of the Chief's door on his way out. Cobley (Richard Wattis) is the Chief's second in command.
The Chief receives a call from the head of STENCH named Dr Crow who says that the formula was stolen by his agent named Milchmann and by the next day, the formula would be delivered to him. The call is traced, but the number reveals the office of the secret service itself.Chief and Cobley receive word from their agent Carstairs in Vienna that Milchmann arrived in Vienna by air.
Fearful of what would happen if that formula fell into the wrong hands, the Chief of the Secret Service (Eric Barker) reluctantly sends the only agent he has left (as all others are busy with other assignments), the bumbling and snide Agent Desmond Simpkins (Kenneth Williams) code-name Red Admiral, and his three trainees, Agent Harold Crump (Bernard Cribbins) code-name Bluebottle, Agent Daphne Honeybutt (Barbara Windsor) code-name Brown Cow, and Agent Charlie Bind (Charles Hawtrey) code-name Yellow Peril, to find the formula. Daphne has a photographic memory.Bind doesn't know how to wear a gun holster, while Honeybutt's chest is too wide for the same.
The Agents travel separately and in different disguises, to Vienna, where they contact Carstairs (Jim Dale) (their local contact following STENCH) at the Cafe Mozart. Bind was travelling on a bicycle and when his tires burst, he believes that somebody took a shot at him.
Carstairs found that Milchmann made a deal with Dr Crow (Judith Furse) (who heads STENCH) to hand over the formula for $50,000. Dr Crow tells Michmann that The Fat Man will rendezvous with Milchmann to complete the handover of the formula. Simpkins manages to knock out Carstairs while Carstairs was following Milchmann (Victor Maddern) who had the formula on him. Carstairs was sneaking behind the Milchmann inside the cafe Mozart toilet, and Simpkins was in one of the stalls, when he exited suddenly and ran straight into Carstairs, thus knocking him out.
The remaining British agents are watched by the STENCH agents inside cafe Mozart. They don't intend let to the British agents leave the cafe alive.
Meanwhile Dr Crow instructs his henchman, The Fat Man (Eric Pohlmann) to kill Milchmann and to retrieve the formula from him. The Fat Man writes a message for Milchmann and puts it inside a carton of cigarettes to be delivered to the Milchmann at his table at cafe Mozart. At the same time, Simpkins runs out of cigarettes and grabs that very packet from the tray of the cigarette girl. That is when they find the Fatman's message embedded in one of the cigarettes.The STENCH agents spike the drinks served to the British agents and Daphne falls unconscious. Bind and Simpkins create a diversion while Harold escapes with Daphne.
From the clue found in the cafe, the 4 British agents travel to a warehouse in Vienna, where the Milchmann is supposed to meet The Fat Man for the exchange. They find Milchmann fatally wounded, who tells them to head to Algiers to apprehend Fat Man. Milchmann falls dead after revealing this information to the agents.
The British agents contact their HQ and Simpkins tells them that Carstairs never met them in Café Mozart. The secret service Chief directs Carstairs to meet the team in Algiers before they go to apprehend Fat Man.The British team tracks down the Fat Man at a local cafe in the Street of a Thousand Artisans. Daphne insists that she be allowed to come for the mission as she took a mental picture of everyone at Café Mozart and can easily identify the Fat Man.
Daphne and Harold attempt to steal the formula back while being disguised as dancing girls in Hakim's Fun House, where the Fat Man is relaxing.
On the orders from HQ, Carstairs also reaches the same place & takes the formula from the Fat Man at gun point, when Daphne and Harold were in the room with him. Before Carstairs can explain who he is, Simpkins knocks him over & they seize the formula. The agents also encounter the mysterious Lila (Dilys Laye), whom they are uncertain if they can trust.
Dr Crow instructs Fat Man to join the British agents on the Orient express to steal the formula back. He reveals that Lila works for him & will assist the Fat Man in outwitting the British agents.Lila & Fat Man manage to capture the British agents, but not before they destroy the formula & only Daphne has taken a photographic memory of it.
The three agents end up captives of STENCH. Daphne is interrogated by the evil Dr Crow, head of STENCH, but she fails to succumb until she accidentally bumps her head, causing her to reveal the formula.Simpkins, Crump, and Bind manage to escape their cell and collect Daphne and Dr. Crow's tape recording of Daphne's recitation, but are caught up in an underground automated factory process, from which they escape only when Lila pulls a gun on Dr Crow, forcing her to reverse the process.
Simpkins sets the STENCH base to self-destruct before rushing into a lift with the other agents, as well as with Lila and Dr Crow. As the lift ascends, Lila reveals to Simpkins that she is a double agent working for SNOG (the Society for the Neutralising of Germs) and that she has a crush on him.
The lift reaches the surface, which is revealed to be the office of the chief of the Secret Service; the headquarters of STENCH is right below the streets of London. STENCH headquarters self-destructs, choking the chief's office in a thick cloud of smoke.
