In the 1960s, a series of popular motion pictures based upon the Matt Helm series were produced starring
Dean Martin. These films only loosely adapted their source material, choosing to adopt a comedic tone rather than the serious tone of Hamilton's books. At the end of the fourth film, 1969's
The Wrecking Crew, it is announced that Matt Helm's next cinematic adventure would be
The Ravagers (presumably based upon this novel). Martin, however, declined to return to the role for a fifth time, and the film was never made.
Sharon Tate, his co-star in the fourth film, was to have co-starred in
The Ravagers (the first of Helm's female companions to make a return appearance) but was murdered by the
Manson Family in August 1969. Martin had pre-approval of his co-star and was not happy with the alternatives that
Columbia Pictures presented and wanted
Goldie Hawn to co-star. Hawn wanted $150,000 to appear, which Columbia wasn't prepared to pay. An alternate account by Martin biographer
Nick Tosches suggests Martin pulled out of the film due to being upset at Tate's death. ==References==