DARKER THAN AMBER, the 1970 movie version of the seventh of John D. MacDonald’s twenty-one novels about Florida-based salvage consultant/trouble-finder ‘Travis McGee’ was hoped to be the start of a film series. Despite good reviews the box office was insufficient and as of 2025 only one other McGee story has been filmed, a 1978 made-for-TV item with Sam Elliott. It failed, too. Haven’t seen it (and we only review feature films) but the 1970 bruiser starring Rod Taylor basically kicks ass all over the place. MacDonald purists find fault, but for those not wire-bound to the novels the rough-hewn picture—with some caveats—delivers.

On a balmy Florida night, Travis Magee and best friend ‘Meyer’ (Theodore Bikel) are fishing close to a bridge when they make a surprise accidental catch—a young woman, tied up and tossed off the span with a set of dumbbells tied to her ankles. Freeing and reviving her, McGee discovers that ‘Vangie’ (Suzy Kendall) is more than just beautiful: she’s in obvious trouble from, or possibly in league with, some dangerous characters, and she’s someone McGee quickly develops a personal interest in, feelings that are reciprocal. But his queries about her background reach the right wrong people.

Shooting in Florida and Nassau in the Bahamas, freshman director Robert Clouse worked from a script by Ed Waters; it apparently had a good deal of rewrites from a displeased MacDonald (he was OK with Taylor, but didn’t like the film). Though in the ensuing decades it’s become a cult item, as of 2025 it has not yet been issued in a decent video format, so judging it from a purely visual aspect is less than optimal. The editing could be better, and the title makes no sense for those unfamiliar with the source novel. One of the novel’s characters, called the ‘Alabama Tigress’, makes a brief entrance/exit and it’s done as a cameo from Jane Russell, 48 in her last screen appearance, so quick and seemingly superfluous it just feels tacked on. *

Positives readily tip the scale. First off there’s the ruggedly charismatic star, 39, who may not be the McGee of the novels (similar to Tom Cruise with the later ‘Jack Reacher’ twosome) but he has a good handle on the thoughtful, innately gallant character, who is tough but realistically so, not a superhuman. Suzy Kendall, 32 (and drop-dead beautiful) has a dual role, and pulls it off reasonably well; she gets one of the more shocking scenes in the picture. Also easy on the eyes of the beholder is Anna Capri, 25 and sexy with a danger sign attached, as another lovely ‘player’ caught up in much too shady company. Furthering the amusement of her considerable tease-quotient is that her earlier credits reveal two 1963 episodes of Leave It To Beaver; since she would’ve been 18, we assume she was someone for Wally to get tizzed over. Secondary bad guy Robert Phillips makes a good creep: was his voice dubbed in this? John Carl Parker’s period-redolent music score has a lot of catchy variations suiting the changing settings and mood.

The high point comes at the climax with an action sequence that’s become legendary. McGee has a mano a mano fight with the prime villain of the piece, a wild-eyed hulk named ‘Terry’. He’s played by the imposing William Smith, 35, fit and scary enough to frighten a ticked-off Rottweiler. ‘Hand-to-hand’ doesn’t do the bout justice; Taylor and Smith, in a small space (cabin on a cruise ship) go at each other with a fury that just might be the gnarliest fistfight of the era, certainly right up there with the classic Connery-Shaw rumble in From Russia With Love. No Bourne-style cheating with hyper-quick editing here: these guys are in full-on pulverize mode. A gasp-aloud situation. **

Alas, 55th place with a gross of $4,800,000 marked a loss against the cost of $2,607,328. Director Clouse went on to do a number of successful action films (including and especially the immortal Enter The Dragon) and ravishing Kendall kept busy in horror films but Taylor’s career took a hit. He’d been solid headlining 1967’s underrated Hotel, and it made money, though not what was hoped for. But his ’67 western Chuka, which he also produced, was a total thud. Then in 1968, the gripping Dark Of The Sun (Rod in top form) under-performed moneywise, and both The Hell With Heroes and The High Commissioner bombed. 1970 also saw Zabriskie Point (or ‘Pointless’), which wasn’t his fault at all, and the barely seen The Man Who Had Power Over Women. After 70’s triple trip he was suddenly “Rod Who?”  His loyal fans from The Time Machine, The Birds, Young Cassidy and Dark Of The Sun never gave up, and they will certainly dig the jagged groove cut by Darker Than Amber.

96 minutes, with James Booth, Janet MacLachlan, Sherry Faber and Oswaldo Calvo.

*As to the title–in the book Vangie was from Brazil, hence eyes ‘darker than amber’, and stunner Kendall was a blonde from swinging London. Book defenders get up in keystrokes arms: we somehow manage to bear up under the strain.

** There’s a lot of commentary in reviews of this nugget about the actors actually exchanging real rib & nose breaking punches, plus Smith in interviews said so.  Certainly possible, but movie history is ego-deep in lore about stars doing dangerous stuff or about quarrels, etc. and 95% is publicity claptrap or disguised self-adulation that achieves acceptance thru constant repetition by ‘experts’ and/or buffs too lazy or sensation-hungry to dig up facts or put 2+2= crippling insurance lawsuits into consideration. On-set accidents are one thing, on-set combat something else entirely. At any rate, it sure as hell looks like they’re beating the holy shite out of each other. And for that, as action fans, we’re grateful. Taylor and Smith would reteam as brutal outlaws in 1973’s truly rotten The Deadly Trackers: a base low for all concerned. Stick with ‘Amber‘.

Amber Vixen #2, Anna (or Ahna) Capri started acting when she was 13. Look for her in Enter The Dragon. She passed away at 66 in 2010, victim of a head-on collision of her car with a 5-ton truck.