A Dandy in Aspic (1968)

Double-agent Alexander Eberlin is assigned by the British to hunt out a Russian spy, known to them as Krasnevin. Only Eberlin knows that Krasnevin is none other than himself! Accompanying ... See full summary »

Director:

Anthony Mann

Writers:

Derek Marlowe (screenplay), Derek Marlowe (novel)

Stars:

Laurence Harvey, Tom Courtenay, Mia Farrow

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Laurence Harvey	...	Eberlin
Tom Courtenay	...	Gatiss
Mia Farrow	...	Caroline
Harry Andrews	...	Fraser
Peter Cook	...	Prentiss
Lionel Stander	...	Sobakevich
Per Oscarsson	...	Pavel
Barbara Murray	...	Miss Vogler
John Bird	...	Henderson
Norman Bird	...	Copperfield
Geoffrey Bayldon	...	Lake
Calvin Lockhart	...	Brogue
James Cossins	...	Heston-Stevas
Michael Trubshawe	...	Flowers
Lockwood West	...	Quince

Storyline

Double-agent Alexander Eberlin is assigned by the British to hunt out a Russian spy, known to them as Krasnevin. Only Eberlin knows that Krasnevin is none other than himself! Accompanying him on his mission is a ruthless partner, who gradually discovers his secret as Eberlin tries to maneuver himself out of a desperate situation.

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Plot Keywords:

spy | double agent | west berlin west germany | drug addict | photographer | 

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Taglines:

A Double Agent in Double Danger!

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Genres:

Drama | Thriller

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Details

Country:

UK

Language:

English

Release Date:

2 April 1968 (USA)

Also Known As:

Spionen som ingen ville ha

Filming Locations:

Loseley Park, Guildford, Surrey, England, UK

Company Credits

Production Co:

Columbia British Productions

Technical Specs

Runtime:

107 min

Sound Mix:

Mono (RCA Sound Recording)

Color:

Color (Technicolor)

Aspect Ratio:

2.35 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

Principal photography production of this picture went over-schedule.

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Quotes

Gatiss: I don't like you, Eberlin. I don't like you because you're weak and dishonest. But even more, I don't like you because you're frightened of me, and that disturbs me. I want to know why. You can tell me; I'm a very understanding man.
Eberlin: You haven't got an ounce of understanding or emotion in your body. You died the moment you were born. And when your heart finally stops beating, it'll be a mere formality.

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Connections

Referenced in Greetings (1968)

User Reviews

Dull, Pointless, Super-Slow Spy Yarn

I found the dull, pointless A Dandy in Aspic a most disappointing movie when I saw it back in 1968. Alas, it proves equally time-wasting in its excellent Sony DVD version. Despite the credits, the film was not directed by Anthony Mann but by the far less talented Laurence Harvey (who gives a slack performance to boot). Mann died of heart attack in Berlin on 29 April 1967 after directing only a few location shots. Harvey gallantly picked up the reins, finished the German scenes and then did all the British location and studio shots, accounting for at least 99% of the film, which premiered in April, 1968, almost a year after Mann's death. True, Harvey was saddled with an impossible script. I assume the way that the totally extraneous Mia Farrow character keeps popping up in all sorts of really way-out places was supposed to be funny, and the totally far-fetched plot was perhaps intended as cynical satire; but Harvey plays all these ridiculous scenes (both as actor and director) dead serious with a banal over-use of close-ups and super-slow dialogue. Of the main stars, only Tom Courtenay manages to convey a hint of true characterization, although it's left solely to Lionel Stander, in a small, fleeting role, to convey just the right atmosphere of jocose, ruthless menace.