A Dandy in Aspic (1968)

During the Cold War, the British and Soviet Intelligence services attempt to out-fox one another using the homesick double-Agent Krasnevin a.k.a. Alexander Eberlin (Laurence Harvey) as a pawn in the complex spy-game.

Directors:

Anthony Mann, Laurence Harvey (uncredited)

Writers:

Derek Marlowe (screenplay), Derek Marlowe (novel)

Stars:

Laurence Harvey, Tom Courtenay, Mia Farrow

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Laurence Harvey	...	Krasnevin aka Alexander 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 (Laurence Harvey) 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:

espionage | double agent | spy | motor racing | west berlin west germany | 

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Taglines:

He has never seen her before. He may never see her again..!

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Genres:

Action | Drama | Thriller

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Certificate:

Approved

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

Cinematographer John Alton, who had retired in 1960, met former colleague Anthony Mann in a Swiss casino high up in the Alps. Mann was directing this movie at the time and wanted Alton to shoot his next movie. Alton agreed to talk to him about it the next day, but Mann died before their meeting. According to Alton, "He'd been losing so much money at the casino, that probably helped kill him. The industry lost a great man." Laurence Harvey completed the movie.

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Quotes

Caroline: George, will you be going back to London now?
Eberlin: Probably.
Sobakevich: Are they all as pretty as you there?
Caroline: No. I'm the only one.

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Crazy Credits

Opening credits are shown over a scene of someone moving a marionette by pulling on the various strings.

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Connections

Referenced in A Night at the Movies: The Gigantic World of Epics (2009)

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Soundtracks

If You Want Love
by Ernie Sheldon and Quincy Jones
sung by Shirley Horn

User Reviews

Past Its 'View-By' Date

This is the last film directed by Anthony Mann, whose 'Raw Deal' (1948) was the perfect noir film, and who was a man of immense talent. But he died while shooting this, and Larry Harvey finished the job. This resulted in an imbalance and a lack of conception and tone. What is mostly wrong with the way this turned out is that the film is 'so VERY late sixties' in its depiction of the bowler-hatted old school tie mandarins and spy chiefs as arch, coy, and menacing in a prep sort of way. Mia Farrow is also completely hopeless as 'the girl'. She is supposed to be an irresistible little elf of a thing, but she merely looks like she is dying of anorexia (her arms are as big as knitting needles, though less strong) and about as much elfin charm as a cockroach. Farrow may be a fine actress now, but she was terrible when young. Her failure, of course, took all the zing out of the picture. Larry Harvey is absolutely fascinating as a double-agent going to pieces in private, with a constipated desperation. Larry actually had that enigmatic, super-cool manner a lot of the time. He had cultivated it so well that it became ingrained and a part of him, and it had ceased to be affectation long before I knew him towards the end of his life. I had several long chats with him alone, when he dropped his guard very much indeed, and underneath any patina of persona he had made for himself, he was at heart a very genuine person. And he WAS as fascinating as he seems in his movies. He didn't know why either, but then true stars never do. This film is worth seeing for him, and for a hysterically funny cameo by John Bird. Clearly, Larry thought it was so funny he refused to restrain him, on a 'what the hell' basis, and a good thing too, as it made a rather pedestrian film come alive a bit. Lionel Stander, however, hammed up his part of a Russian so much he deserved an apple in his mouth. Per Oscarsson was wan and Ingmar Bergman-like, just as you would expect. Peter Cook floats around cheerily not knowing what to do and never did find out. Oh yes, this whole thing is about spies and betrayal and double-agents and all that sort of thing. Hardly matters. Tom Courtenay, that pipsqueak, cast here as a 'heavy', does not work. One does not believe in the rifle he is always carrying as a shooting stick, not his ability to use it. One strange aspect of this tale is that the double-agent is disillusioned and wants to return to Russia, but they won't let him and keep turning him back at the German border: a variation on Thomas Wolfe's 'You Can't Go Home Again'? Just joking. This film is past is 'view by' date.