The film was shot on Brazilian locations and featured action scenes arranged by Hunebelle's stunt coordinator Claude Carliez with production design by Paul-Louis Boutié.

It was based on Jean Bruce's 1955 novel Dernier quart d'heure his 44th OSS 117 book that was published in English in 1965 under the title Live Wire (UK) and The Last Quarter Hour (USA).

Secret Agent OSS 117, Colonel Hubert Bonisseur de La Bath (Frederick Stafford) has his Alpine ski holiday interrupted to receive a briefing on a series of suicide attacks performed by trusted assistants of their targets that they blow up with themselves.

Using the cover of a journalist named Hubert Delacroix, de La Bath flies to Brazil to meet his contact Thomas Ellis (Claude Carliez) who believes the killers have been drugged and hypnotised to perform their assassinations.

Noticing his being watched by two men who photograph him and Consuela's paging of him over the loudspeaker as a serious breach of secret agent protocol, de La Bath is suspicious.

Prior to meeting Ellis's associate Carlos (François Maistre), de la Bath visits Anna-Maria who has been drugged with the suicide attack formula.

Carlos has the key to the safe and reveals that what caused Ellis's car "accident" was a friend in the front seat attempting to assassinate him with a hand grenade.

Arriving at Anne-Marie's ranch courtesy of the unsuccessful assassin's vehicle, her friend Leandro (Raymond Pellegrin) flies them to the remote region of the Indians who harvest the flowers.