The Deadly Affair (1966)

A British agent sets out to uncover the hidden facts behind a British government employee's suicide.

Director:

Sidney Lumet

Writers:

John le Carré (novel), Paul Dehn (screenplay),

Stars:

James Mason, Simone Signoret, Maximilian Schell

Nominated for 5 BAFTA Film Awards.

Cast

Complete credited cast:
James Mason	...	Charles Dobbs
Simone Signoret	...	Elsa Fennan
Maximilian Schell	...	Dieter Frey
Harriet Andersson	...	Ann Dobbs
Harry Andrews	...	Inspector Mendel
Kenneth Haigh	...	Bill Appleby
Roy Kinnear	...	Adam Scarr
Max Adrian	...	Adviser (Marlene Dietrich)
Lynn Redgrave	...	Virgin (segment "Macbeth")
Robert Flemyng	...	Samuel Fennan
Leslie Sands	...	Inspector
Corin Redgrave	...	David

Storyline

After Charles Dobbs, a security officer, has a friendly chat with Samuel Fennan from the Foreign Office, the man commits suicide. An anonymous typed letter had been received accusing Fennan of being a Communist during his days at Oxford and their chat while walking in the park was quite amiable. Senior officials want the whole thing swept under the rug and are pleased to leave it as a suicide. Dobbs isn't at all sure as there are a number of anomalies that simply can't be explained away. Dobbs is also having trouble at home with his errant wife, whom he very much loves, having frequent affairs. He's also pleased to see an old friend, Dieter Frey, who he recruited after the war. With the assistance of a colleague and a retired policeman, Dobbs tries to piece together just who is the spy and who in fact assassinated Fennan.

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Plot Keywords:

spy | communist | tropical fish | austrian | reference to faust | 

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Genres:

Drama | Romance | Thriller

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Details

Country:

UK

Language:

English

Release Date:

October 1966 (UK)

Also Known As:

Anruf für einen Toten

Filming Locations:

Twickenham Studios, London, England, UK

Company Credits

Production Co:

Sidney Lumet Film Productions

Technical Specs

Runtime:

115 min

Sound Mix:

Mono (Westrex Recording System)

Color:

Color (Technicolor)

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

The first film of Timothy West.

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Quotes

Charles Dobbs: [to Ann about her nymphomania] I've never held your appetites against you. The unaddicted shouldn't blame the addicted.

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Connections

Referenced in Out of It (1969)

User Reviews

So-so spy drama is derivative and influential at the same time...

Some nice atmosphere is created in this dated, but relatively engaging spy story. It also boasts a very fine cast of international film actors. Mason plays a British spy whose seemingly benign interview with a government official with Communism in his background kicks off a series of murders and attempted murders. He must, with the help of a few friends, unravel the baffling reasons behind the deaths all the while dealing with his comparatively young wife (Andersson) who can't stay out of other men's beds. Andrews offers wonderful support as an endearingly matter-of-fact and tough retired policeman. Schell is absolutely gorgeous as an old chum of Mason's. Signoret (looking not unlike Broderick Crawford and speaking almost to a level at which she can be heard) plays the dead man's bereaved widow. Other small parts are played by stalwarts like Haigh as a quasi-gay co-worker of Mason's, Kinnear as a slimy hood and Redgrave as a dippy, friendly stagehand. Assets include the bouncy Quincy Jones score, the muted, clean photography and the nuanced performances of the mostly solid cast. Detriments would be the somewhat sluggish telling of the story and the horrible sound levels in the film. Any and all sound effects and music are played much more loudly than any of the dialogue. The ear is assaulted by raindrops, car engines, anything, really, while the words can barely be heard in some cases. The heavy accents of many of the players only compound the problem. Also, Andersson is just plain bad as Mason's wife. The role is no good anyway, but she looks, sounds and acts horribly throughout. Still, there's enough mystery and polish in the film to hold the attention of a true film buff or a fan of Mason. Others, used to more electric and/or shoot-em-up fare will be bored silly from the start.