The Ipcress File (1965)

Director:

Sidney J. Furie

Writers:

W.H. Canaway (screenplay) &
James Doran (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	...	Dalby
Guy Doleman	...	Ross
Sue Lloyd	...	Jean
Gordon Jackson	...	Carswell
Aubrey Richards	...	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 | UK:PG (2005) | Finland:K-16 | Spain:18 | Sweden:15 | West Germany:12 | UK:PG (video rating) (1987) | UK:A (original rating)

Filming Locations:

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

Company:

Rank Organisation, The

Trivia:

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".

Goofs:

Audio/visual unsynchronized: When Palmer leaves Courtney's flat to catch a train to Paris, he says "See you", but his mouth clearly forms the word "Bye".

Quotes:

Carswell: Don't worry, man. You were the only one to come up with anything. He seemed very pleased.
Palmer: Well, he's got a right comical way of showing it.

Movie Connections:

Featured in The Design File (2006) (V)

A Class Movie

Michael Caines first outing as secret agent Harry Palmer is set in 60's London. This is not the Psychedelic London of Austin Powers or the Beatles, neither is it the sophisticated aristocratic London of James Bond. This London is drab and populated by civil servants & bedsits. This London is still coming to terms with the end of World War II and the advent of a modern world.

Working Class Palmer is an unwilling Home Office agent with criminal tendencies who is more interested in a pay rise so that he can indulge his true passion, gourmet cooking, than serving his country. His superiors, Ross (played by Guy Doleman) & Dalby (Played by Nigel Green) represent a microcosm of the British Upper & Lower Middle Classes. Palmer is clearly more cultured in his appreciation of food, music(Mozart & Bach) & women, "I like Birds Best" Palmer admits to Courtney played by Sue Lloyd (of Crossroads fame in UK).

Palmers superiors appear uninterested in the fate of their subordinates and this is one reason why the character of Palmer works so well, we are him, he lives our lives and we want him to win through. This perspective is aided by the stunning photography that uses every conceivable camera angle (even views from a light bulb!) to see the world from the characters perspective.

Look out for the supermarket scene between Ross and Palmer, my vote for the most violent use of a supermarket Trolley in a movie.

As Palmer slowly unravels the mysterious disappearance of top government scientists it becomes clear that there is someone close to the top of the British Secret service acting as a double agent. Who is it, Ross or Dalby? Who is Courtney, Palmers love interest, working for?

In the background is a rather sinister looking CIA, who always appear to be one step ahead of the Brits. (A reference to the decline of Britian as a world power and its reliance on America?) Wether intentional or not, this film has captured a London of the 60's that was going through substantial social change, gone are the class paradigms that suggest that the working class could never be cultured, gone is is the unquestioning loyalty to the upper class. This world was forever changed after the war. This is a film I can watch time and time again, if only to watch the title sequence as Palmer gets up for work as if he is going to just another office job.

This is a stylish movie and one of the greatest British films ever made. If you havn't seen it watch it now!