Une ravissante idiote is a 1964 Cold War

Cold War

The Cold War was the continuing state from roughly 1946 to 1991 of political conflict, military tension, proxy wars, and economic competition between the Communist World—primarily the Soviet Union and its satellite states and allies—and the powers of the Western world, primarily the United States...

 comedy directed by Édouard Molinaro

Édouard Molinaro

Édouard Molinaro is a French film director, actor, and screenwriter. He was born in Gironde, Bordeaux.He is best known for his comedies with Louis de Funès , My Uncle Benjamin , Dracula and Son , and the Academy Award-nominated La Cage aux Folles Édouard Molinaro (born 13 May 1928) is a French...

. François Billetdoux

François Billetdoux

François Billetdoux was a French dramatic author and novelist. His works describe the world with a fierce humor of a somewhat burlesque style, which sometimes turns into black humor....

 and André Tabet wrote a screenplay based on Charles Exbrayat

Charles Exbrayat

Charles Exbrayat was born in Saint-Étienne, Loire, France on 5 May 1906 and died in the same city on 8 March 1989. He published over 100 novels and short stories, most of them humorous thrillers...

 1962 novel of the same name. Brigitte Bardot

Brigitte Bardot

Brigitte Anne-Marie Bardot is a French former fashion model, actress, singer and animal rights activist. She was one of the best-known sex-symbols of the 1960s.In her early life, Bardot was an aspiring ballet dancer...

 and Anthony Perkins

Anthony Perkins

Anthony Perkins was an American actor, best known for his Oscar-nominated role in Friendly Persuasion and as Norman Bates in Alfred Hitchcock's Psycho , and its three sequels.-Early life:...

 star as the protagonists in the Franco-Italian production.

Plot

A Soviet spy (Perkins) is on an official mission to obtain sensitive information from NATO about military mobilization. The klutzy intelligence operative has to rely on the instinct of his new partner and love-interest Penelope Lightfeather (Bardot) as they traipse across the countryside, avoiding counter intelligence agents and distrustful communist operatives.

Cast

• Brigitte Bardot
  Brigitte Bardot
  Brigitte Anne-Marie Bardot is a French former fashion model, actress, singer and animal rights activist. She was one of the best-known sex-symbols of the 1960s.In her early life, Bardot was an aspiring ballet dancer...
  
   as Penelope Lightfeather
• Anthony Perkins
  Anthony Perkins
  Anthony Perkins was an American actor, best known for his Oscar-nominated role in Friendly Persuasion and as Norman Bates in Alfred Hitchcock's Psycho , and its three sequels.-Early life:...
  
   as Harry Compton / Nicholas Maukouline
• Grégoire Aslan
  Grégoire Aslan
  Grégoire Aslan was an Armenian actor.Born Krikor Aslanian in Switzerland or in Constantinople, according to different sources, Aslan made his professional debut at 18 as a vocalist and drummer with a Paris dance band, then launched an acting career under the name of Koko Aslan. His first film...
  
   as Bagda
• Jean-Marc Tennberg as Cartwright
• Hans Verner as Farington
• Jacques Monod as Surgeon

Production

The film was shot in London

London

London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...

and the French countryside. Production was affected for three days after Perkins suffered a sprained ankle while filming chase scenes through the woods with Bardot.

As he was fluent in French, this is one of several French-language roles that Perkins took on.