James Coburn

Was there ever a hipper leading man than James Coburn? He had a suave, wry, natural charm that today's actors can only wish for. A few of his contemporaries, such as Steve McQueen and Paul Newman came close, but were perhaps too tied to their dramatis personae. Coburn had a relaxed style redolent of dry martinis and the occasional whiff of hashish.

His breakthrough came with 1960's The Magnificent Seven, which began a series of spaghetti western roles culminating in Sergio Leone's Fistful of Dynamite in 1971. Along the way he was most often cast in war films and other adventure vehicles where his smart-ass sense of humor and his laconic cool provided counterpoint to the earnest hero-stars of the films.

Coburn really hit his stride in 1965 with the first of the two "Flint" films: Our Man Flint, and two years later with In Like Flint. These were not only the best spy spoofs ever made, they even rivaled the "serious" Sean Connery-era Bond films in many ways.

Better still is The President's Analyst, a 1967 black comedy/adventure/mystery with psychedelic influences and a counter-culture message. If you enjoyed Dr. Strangelove, see this gem.