The Ipcress File (1965)

User Rating:

7.5/10   

Director:

Sidney J. Furie

Writers:

Len Deighton (novel)
W.H. Canaway (screenplay) ...

Release Date:

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:

Scientist | Brainwashing | Spy | CIA Agent | First Of Series

Awards:

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

Cast

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

Also Known As:

Len Deighton's The Ipcress File (UK) (complete title)

Runtime:

109 min

Country:

UK

Language:

English | Albanian

Color:

Color (Technicolor)

Aspect Ratio:

2.35 : 1

Sound Mix:

Mono (Westrex Recording System)

Certification:

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

Filming Locations:

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

Company:

Rank Organisation, The

Trivia:

Sue Lloyd was dubbed by Nikki Van der Zyl.

Goofs:

Continuity: 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.

Quotes:

Bluejay: [to a guard] See that there's padding on those straps next time.
Palmer: You want to make it easy for me?
Bluejay: No. For *me*.

Movie Connections:

Referenced in Harry Saltzman: Showman (2000) (V)

Better than James Bond

This film is, in a word, fantastic. Caine plays a British secret service agent who is assigned to find out who is brainwashing the country's top scientists. This is an interesting slant on the usual cold war thriller plots and is much more believable than James Bond films, although it lacks the latter's explosive action. this is the antithesis of Bond as Caine lives on a meagre wage, has a bedsitting flat and does his own shopping! He also wears glasses and in one scene, chats up his female work colleague whilst cooking. The plot is also a lot more grown-up than its Bond counterpart - there are no cat stroking madmen intent on world domination. What makes the film is the idiosyncratic camera angles and the grainy film quality which adds to the oppressive cold war drama. The brainwashing scene is quite amusing and cliched by todays standards with psychodelic images, trippy music and "You-are-getting-sleepy..." type-quotes. Guy Doleman and Nigel Green head up a brilliant supporting cast which include a few familiar British faces. It is interesting to note that the film was produced by the same people who bring Bond to the screen and even the excellent soundtrack is courtesy of John Barry.