Hopscotch (1980)

Grounded with a desk job by incompetent superiors, a clever CIA agent retires and writes a tell all memoir that will embarrass his bosses, prompting him to go on the run and elude them.

Director:

Ronald Neame

Writers:

Brian Garfield (novel), Brian Garfield (screenplay)

Stars:

Walter Matthau, Glenda Jackson, Sam Waterston

Nominated for 1 Golden Globe. Another 2 nominations.

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Walter Matthau	...	Miles Kendig
Glenda Jackson	...	Isobel von Schönenberg
Sam Waterston	...	Joe Cutter
Ned Beatty	...	G.P. Myerson
Herbert Lom	...	Mikhail Yaskov
David Matthau	...	Leonard Ross
George Baker	...	Parker Westlake
Ivor Roberts	...	Ludlum
Lucy Saroyan	...	Carla
Severn Darden	...	Maddox
George Pravda	...	Saint Breheret
Jacquelyn Hyde	...	Realtor
Mike Gwilym	...	Alfie Booker
Terry Beaver	...	Tobin
Ray Charleson	...	Clausen

Storyline

CIA agent Miles Kendig decides to get out of 'the game' and to ensure he's left alone he threatens to send his memoirs to the world's intelligence agencies. When the CIA doesn't believe him, he calls their bluff and starts writing and sending out chapters one by one. Realizing that their operations would be compromised, the CIA (led by Myerson and Cutter) set out to put an end to Kendig's plan by whatever means necessary. The heart of the movie follows a game of cat and mouse between a fumbling CIA and an artful Kendig.

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Plot Keywords:

espionage | male male relationship | homosexual subtext | reference to eleanor roosevelt | man tied up | 

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Taglines:

Miles Kendig knows too much.

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Genres:

Adventure | Comedy

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Certificate:

R

Did You Know?

Trivia

After agreeing to be filmed in Germany, Walter Matthau resisted filming scenes showing him drinking at Oktoberfest until his stepdaughter Lucy Saroyan was given the role of Carla, the pilot who flies him in her seaplane. After arriving at their destination and being paid, she tells Matthau's character that he reminds her of her father. His response is, "That's always been my problem."

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Goofs

When Glenda Jackson leaves her house in Salzburg in her car "to get some ice" it shows her driving instead to a ferry boat which takes her to England, apparently arriving later the same day. The distance from Salzburg to the English Channel cannot be driven in one day.

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Quotes

[first lines]
Kendig: Hey Yaskov, how are ya?
Yaskov: Kendig. What as unexpected pleasure.
Kendig: May I have it please?
Yaskov: Have what?
Kendig: I got it all on film, Yaskov. You don't want to deal with the West Germans, they don't like Russian Intelligence, you know that. Just give it to me, and we'll forget all about it.
Yaskov: I could make a run for it, you know.
Kendig: Come on, Yaskov. You running, me chasing? We'd look like Laurel and Hardy.

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Alternate Versions

DVD version contains both the original theatrical soundtrack and a redubbed soundtrack used for television release (replacing profanity and other objectionable dialogue).

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Connections

Edited into The Clock (2010)

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Soundtracks

Rondo for Piano and Orchestra in D major, K. 382
Composed by Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart

User Reviews

Great comedy thriller for adults

I don't think a movie like this could get made today. Funny, clever and understated, it's exactly the kind of movie that does not lend itself well to Burger King merchandising or witty catch-phrases (although "I'd say he has you well and truly by the short hairs" comes close).

Instead, this is simply a funny, charming and romantic spy thriller that's all about Walter Matthau's great acting. As others have said, this is a movie I can see again and again for the great acting and hilarious moments. Thankfully, it's finally available on DVD.

Details

Country:

USA

Language:

English German French Russian Italian

Release Date:

10 October 1980 (Finland)

Also Known As:

Hopscotch

Filming Locations:

Marseille, France

Box Office

Budget:

$9,500,000 (estimated)

Company Credits

Production Co:

Edie & Ely Landau Inc., A Ronald Neame Film, International Film Investors

Technical Specs

Runtime:

106 min

Sound Mix:

Mono

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

2.39 : 1