IN THE MIDST OF THE 1960S SPY BOOM AND CHRISTOPHER LEE'S FU MANCHU SERIES, THE MILLION EYES OF SUMURU ELECTRIFIED THE GENRE, FOCUSING ON THE EXPLOITS OF THE SAX ROHMER CREATION. IN LITERARY FORM, SUMURU WAS THE FOCUS OF SEVERAL NOVELS AND COLLECTIONS, PUBLISHED BETWEEN 1950 AND 1956. PORTRAYED FOR THE FIRST TIME BY SHIRLEY EATON (GOLDFINGER), SUMURU IS DEPICTED AS A GLOBAL VILLIANESS WITH THE OBJECTIVE OF DOMINATING THE MALE OF THE SPECIES IN AN EQUAL SCHEME FOR WORLD DOMINATION. BEGINNING WITH THE SABOTAGE OF A FUNERAL, SUMURU'S GENERAL FOCUS IS ELIMINATING WORLD LEADERS AND REPLACING THEM WITH HER AMAZONIAN AGENTS (A COMMON THEME IN ROHMERS' BOOKS). HER INITIAL QUEST IS SIMONESIAN PRESIDENT KLAUS KINSKI, A GLOBAL LEADER WITH AN OBSESSION FOR SEXUAL CONQUEST. CIA AGENT GEORGE NADER AND SWINGER-CONFEDERATE TOMMY AVALON ARE LURED INTO SUMURU'S AURA IN A VARIETY OF INTRIGUING SITUATIONS. NADER IS EVENTUALLY CAPTURED AND TORTURED BY SUMURU WHILE AVALON IS INSTRUMENTAL IN ENLISTING THE AID OF THE HONG KONG POLICE FOR A DEVASTATING ATTACK UPON SUMURU'S ISLAND FORTRESS IN THE SOUTH CHINA SEA. TO MAXIMIZE THE GENRE POSSIBILITIES AT THE B.O., PRODUCER HARRY ALAN TOWERS AND DIRECTOR LINDSAY SHONTEFF INCORPORATE EXOTIC WEAPONRY, EXPLOSIONS, KIDNAPPINGS AND INTRIGUE OF THE ORIENTAL PERSUASION - LAVISHLY MOUNTED AT THE SHAW BROTHERS HONG KONG STUDIOS AND ON LOCATION IN HONG KONG. IN CONTRAST TO THE EXPECTED TONGUE-IN-CHEEK APPROACH OF NADER AND AVALON, EATON GIVES HER CHARACTER THE FACE OF SOLEMN VILLIANY WHICH GIVES THE FILM AN INTRIGUING DIMENSION. SOLID SUPPORT IS ACCORDED BY KINSKI, WILFRID HYDE-WHITE AS A BRITISH SPY MASTER IN HONG KONG, MARIA ROHM, PAUL CHANG, JON FONG - AND JILL HAMILTON, DENISE DAVREUX, LISA GRAY, CHRISTINE LOK, MARGARET CHEUNG AND LOUISE LEE AS SUMURU'S SPY-GUARDS. EATON REPRISED THE ROLE IN A 1969 SEQUEL TO THE 1967 ORIGINAL, THE GIRL FROM RIO, AND GERMAN ACTRESS ALEXANDRA KAMP PLAYED THE ROHMER CREATION IN A 2003 FEATURE... THE MILLION EYES OF SUMURU IS EXOTIC SPY FARE AT ITS BEST...