Spy Classic Licensed to Kill (1965) | The Forgotten Spy Classic Starring Tom Adams

The Second Best Secret Agent in the Whole Wide World" is the American title of the 1965 British spy spoof film Licensed to Kill, Starring Tom Adams as the Bond-esque agent Charles Vine.The film follows Vine as he is assigned to protect a Swedish scientist who has developed a gravity-reversing technology—a mission he receives because the "number one" agent (implicitly James Bond) is unavailable. Key HighlightsThe Theme Song: The film is perhaps most famous for its title track, "The Second Best Secret Agent in the Whole Wide World," performed by Sammy Davis Jr.. The song gained modern recognition after being featured in the 2011 film Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy. The Character: Charles Vine was intended to be a satirical alternative to 007. The American marketing leaned into this by using taglines like, "He's only number two, but he's just as good as the higher priced agent," mimicking Avis Rent a Car's "We try harder" campaign.Sequels: The character proved popular enough to spawn two sequels: Where the Bullets Fly (1966) and Somebody's Stolen Our Russian Spy (1969).    • "The Second Best Secret Agent In The Whole...