The Secret of My Success 1965

Thanks to his mother’s help, Arthur Tate, James Booth, rises from a lowly constable to the ruler of the South American country Guanduria.

The story opens with Inspector Hobart, Lionel Jeffries, investigating dressmaker Violet Lawson’s missing husband. Hobart suspects foul play and digs up Violet’s cellar in search of a body. Violet did kill her husband, but she does not bury the corpse there until after Hobart has dug the hole. A timely tip from Arthur’s mother, Amy Dalby as Mrs. Tate, helps him become the hero who solves the case.

Baron von Lukenberg is arrested for creating a species of deadly spiders, but it is actually his wife, the Baroness von Lukenberg, Honor Blackman, who is responsible. Arthur, with his mum’s aid, saves the day once again, and President Esteda of Guanduria is so impressed that he hires Arthur to be his personal liaison.

Marigold Marado, Shirley Jones, arrives claiming she wants to make a film about Arthur’s heroism. What he does not realize is that Marigold is a revolutionary who hopes to overthrow Esteda’s government. The film she ends up creating inadvertently elevates Arthur into a celebrated revolutionary hero, and he becomes Guanduria’s new leader.

Arthur’s fortunes continue to rise, while in England the Earl of Aldershot learns of his deeds and leaves 15 million pounds in his will. Arthur travels back to the Earl’s mansion to collect the money, planning to give most of it away to charity, but choosing to leave it to his mother in case of his death. In a tragic turn, Mrs. Tate detonates the mansion, and Arthur is caught in the blast.