The Poppy Is Also a Flower (Opération Opium)

Backed by the United Nations and made for ABC, The Poppy Is Also a Flower (1966) is one of a series of television specials meant to showcase the organization's work, told here as a spy and anti-narcotics story. The American, French and Austrian co-production runs about 95 minutes. The story is by Ian Fleming, with a screenplay by Jo Eisinger, and the directing credit is shared by Terence Young and Georges Lampin.

The plot follows an opium smuggling route that stretches from Iran to Europe. Two undercover agents chase a shipment of opium marked with a radioactive substance, hoping to expose the whole trafficking network. As the mission unfolds, the damage caused by the drug trade and the corruption around it come into view. A large share of the desert and border scenes was shot on location in Iran.

The film stands out for its international cast: Yul Brynner, Omar Sharif, Eli Wallach, Angie Dickinson, Senta Berger, Stephen Boyd, Trevor Howard, Jack Hawkins, Rita Hayworth and Marcello Mastroianni appear. The narrator is Grace Kelly, billed as Princess Grace of Monaco. It was also released as Poppies Are Also Flowers, The Opium Connection, Danger Grows Wild in the UK, and Opération Opium in France.