The Ipcress File (1965)

Regisseur:

Sidney J. Furie

Drehbuchautoren:

Len Deighton (novel)
Bill Canaway (screenplay) ...

Premierendatum:

2. August 1965 (USA)

Genre:

Thriller

Plot:

In London, a counter espionage agent deals with his own bureaucracy while investigating the kidnapping and brainwashing of British scientists.

Plot Keywords:

Double Agent | Dead Body | Cockney Accent | Torture | Marching Band

Filmpreise:

Won 3 BAFTA Film Awards. Another 2 wins & 4 nominations

Nutzerkommentare:

Do a good bit of a lunch at your club do they?

Besetzung

Michael Caine	...	Harry Palmer
Nigel Green	...	Major Dalby
Guy Doleman	...	Colonel Ross
Sue Lloyd	...	Jean Courtney
Gordon Jackson	...	Carswell
Aubrey Richards	...	Dr. Radcliffe
Frank Gatliff	...	Bluejay
Thomas Baptiste	...	Barney
Oliver MacGreevy	...	Housemartin (as Oliver Macgreevy)
Freda Bamford	...	Alice
Pauline Winter	...	Charlady
Anthony Blackshaw	...	Edwards
Barry Raymond	...	Gray
David Glover	...	Chilcott-Oakes
Stanley Meadows	...	Inspector Keightley

Alternativ:

Len Deighton's The Ipcress File (UK) (complete title)
IPCRESS - Top Secret (Bundesrepublik Deutschland) [de]
Ipcress - Streng Geheim (Bundesrepublik Deutschland) [de]

Länge:

109 Min

Produktionsland:

UK

Sprache:

Englisch | Albanian

Farbe:

Farbe (Technicolor)

Seitenverhältnis:

2.35 : 1

Tonverfahren:

Mono (Westrex Recording System)

Altersfreigabe:

Iceland:16 | Australia:G (TV rating) | Australia:PG (original rating) | Germany:12 | Finland:K-16 | Spain:18 | Sweden:15 | West Germany:12 | UK:PG (video rating) | UK:A (original rating)

Drehorte:

Birdcage Walk, St. James's Park, St. James's, London, England, UK

Firma:

Rank Organisation, The

Dies und das:

Two large Victorian terrace houses, at 28 and 30 Grosvenor Gardens, London, were used as studios. The two houses were converted into one huge house containing 40 rooms. These were enlarged or divided according to requirements. Fourteen rooms were used as studios. Other rooms were turned into dressing rooms, wardrobe department, hairdressing, make-up, production offices, a property department and a self-contained restaurant capable of feeding and seating 120 people! This all was kept secret to keep away sight-seers and autograph hunters. Even Michael Caine was driven to work in an inconspicuous car and had to sneak in the back way. As a front, a large sign was painted at the entrance to the film studios. The sign read "The Dalby Employment Agency".

Pannen:

Abfolgefehler: When Harry Palmer returns to his apartment to find the dead CIA agent sprawled on his living room floor, the dead man's mouth is open. When the camera cuts from Palmer back to the dead man, the dead man's mouth is now closed.

Dialogzitate:

Major Dalby: [of Palmer's dossier] It isn't usual to read a B-107 to its subject, Palmer, but I'm gonna put you straight. "Insubordinate. Insolent. A trickster. Perhaps with criminal tendencies."
Palmer: Yes, that's a pretty fair appraisal - sir.
Major Dalby: Good. That last quality might be useful. But if you give me any trouble Palmer, I shall *bite* you, Palmer! And I shall bite you so hard you'll go right back to where Ross found you!

Bezüge zu anderen Titeln:

Ausschnittsweise enthalten in The Design File (2006) (V)

Do a good bit of a lunch at your club do they?

The best thing about this film is the fascinating period atmosphere. When this film was made, 1965, Britain, and British filmmaking, was exactly on the cusp between the old, class ridden, Imperial culture of films like 'Zulu', and the gritty, modern, realist school that began with films like 'Get Carter'.

In '65 Britain had a Labour government after a long period of Conservative rule, and sweeping changes were about to happen which would utterly change the face of British life. 'Ipcress' bridges the gap between these two eras.

On the one hand we have the upper-middle class army officers lunching at their clubs and strolling along in bowler hats with tightly furled umbrellas, and at the other extreme we have the way-out psychedelia of the interrogation chamber scene, and the grimy world of offices, warehouses, and men jumping out of vans that defined the TV and films of the 70s such as 'The Sweeney'.

In the middle somewhere is Harry Palmer, who rather than being working class, is classless. He has no discernable accent, dresses plainly, likes cooking and classical music and lives in nondescript surroundings. It is only his military rank, that of sergeant, that enables us to make any kind of judgement on his social status.

I think this is part of the enduring appeal of the film. Although the Dalbys of this world are long gone, Palmer would not be out of place in 2003, in fact the Palmers of this world are now the norm in many positions of British authority.

Overall a fascinating period piece but one which has worn well.