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The Secret Adversary

  • Episode aired Oct 9, 1983
  • PG
  • 1h 55m
IMDb RATING
7.1/10
475
YOUR RATING
Francesca Annis, Agatha Christie, and James Warwick in The Secret Adversary (1983)
CrimeDramaMystery

After two old friends accidentally meet and resolve to become investigators for hire, they quickly become embroiled in a missing treaty and a Bolshevik conspiracy.After two old friends accidentally meet and resolve to become investigators for hire, they quickly become embroiled in a missing treaty and a Bolshevik conspiracy.After two old friends accidentally meet and resolve to become investigators for hire, they quickly become embroiled in a missing treaty and a Bolshevik conspiracy.

  • Director
    • Tony Wharmby
  • Writers
    • Agatha Christie
    • Pat Sandys
  • Stars
    • James Warwick
    • Francesca Annis
    • Gavan O'Herlihy
  • See production, box office & company info
  • IMDb RATING
    7.1/10
    475
    YOUR RATING
    • Director
      • Tony Wharmby
    • Writers
      • Agatha Christie
      • Pat Sandys
    • Stars
      • James Warwick
      • Francesca Annis
      • Gavan O'Herlihy
    • 8User reviews
    • 1Critic review
  • See production, box office & company info
  • See more at IMDbPro
  • Photos47

    Francesca Annis and James Warwick in The Secret Adversary (1983)
    Francesca Annis in The Secret Adversary (1983)
    Francesca Annis in The Secret Adversary (1983)
    Toria Fuller in The Secret Adversary (1983)
    Toria Fuller in The Secret Adversary (1983)
    Toria Fuller in The Secret Adversary (1983)
    Toria Fuller in The Secret Adversary (1983)
    James Warwick in The Secret Adversary (1983)
    Francesca Annis in The Secret Adversary (1983)
    The Secret Adversary (1983)
    George Baker in The Secret Adversary (1983)
    John Fraser in The Secret Adversary (1983)

    Top cast

    Edit
    James Warwick
    James Warwick
    • Tommy Beresford
    Francesca Annis
    Francesca Annis
    • Tuppence Cowley
    Gavan O'Herlihy
    Gavan O'Herlihy
    • Julius P. Hersheimmer
    Alec McCowen
    Alec McCowen
    • Sir James Peele Edgerton
    Honor Blackman
    Honor Blackman
    • Rita Vandemeyer
    Peter Barkworth
    Peter Barkworth
    • Mr. Carter
    Toria Fuller
    Toria Fuller
    • Jane Finn…
    John Fraser
    John Fraser
    • Kramenin
    George Baker
    George Baker
    • Whittington
    Donald Houston
    Donald Houston
    • Boris
    Joseph Brady
    Joseph Brady
    • Dr. Hall
    Wolf Kahler
    Wolf Kahler
    • The German
    Reece Dinsdale
    Reece Dinsdale
    • Albert
    Peter Lovstrom
    Peter Lovstrom
    • Henry
    Matthew Scurfield
    Matthew Scurfield
    • Conrad
    Holly Watson
    Holly Watson
    • Child on Beach
    Phyllida Hewat
    Phyllida Hewat
    • Woman in Tea Shop
    James Walker
    • Clerk #1
    • Director
      • Tony Wharmby
    • Writers
      • Agatha Christie
      • Pat Sandys
    • All cast & crew
    • Production, box office & more at IMDbPro

    Storyline

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    Did you know

    Edit
    • Trivia
      This film is very accurate in comparison to the book.
    • Goofs
      In the final dinner scene, a fly lands on Julius Hersheimmer's hand.
    • Quotes

      Julius P. Hersheimmer: [Tuppence says she works as Rita's parlor maid] You mean you're a menial?

      Tuppence Cowley: I'm a special agent pretending to be a menial.

    • Connections
      Follows Partners in Crime (1983)

    User reviews8

    Review
    Review
    Featured review
    8/10
    good adaptation of the book, although the book had its problems
    This might be the only one of the Annis and Warwick versions to show them kissing. British reserve and all that. :) I very much enjoy watching these wonderful period pieces. This has some dramatic "I don't know which character to trust" moments but I think it had too many similar escape scenes. For baddies, they were very loath to kill people. :) What this story needed was fewer instances of holding people captive or more expendable characters. :)

    Agatha Christie apparently believed the conspiracy theory that was swirling about in those days that a general strike couldn't be an industrial action but instead had to be a sign of the end of the world as they knew it. There was one in 1926 in solidarity with the miners over their wages being reduced and hours lengthened, and no anarchy, no revolution ensued. In fact, the result was so poor for the miners that the unions decided political action was the way to go in the future rather than general strikes.

    Brits were as terrified by the demise of Cousin Nicky and his family in 1917 as they had been during the French Revolution with the loss of the French royals. Brits of a certain class were afraid of foreigners, afraid of the great unwashed masses, afraid of traitors within their own ranks. The economy was still struggling in the Twenties, many people felt the Great War had been horribly botched, and the Liberal party ended its disastrous run in Oct. 1922 around the time Christie's book came out and the year the USSR was formed, never to return to power up to the present day. It didn't take a seer to know that starvation wages and the threat of even worse would bring on a strike. You can only push people so far. Eight years after the war when they had sacrificed so much, they expected better. Well, that's understandable.

    The problem with Christie's timetable is that her book was much more 1922 than 1918. Right after the war people in Britain didn't have the heart for a mass uprising, let alone another war. They wanted some peace and quiet, and time to heal. People just wanted their lives back, damaged though they were. They were still okay with sacrifice and restrictions and the difficulty with finding a job, because that was to be expected. The story simply didn't fit the way people were thinking.

    And what was that draft treaty? Did Christie even have something in mind? It's fun to think what could possibly have been so very embarrassing that it would cause the masses to rise from their beds of pain in 1918 and carry out a coup, but honestly, Christie, that's lazy writing. So...if the US comes in on the side of Britain in its darkest hour against Germany, the US gets...the first born son of every Brit? Canada? The Prince of Wales as the president's chauffeur? What is sufficiently embarrassing to cause the demise of the nation and WWII? I'm not an expert on British politics but wouldn't the party in trouble just face a no confidence vote and/or an election?

    So I am taking away two points for the over-abundance of rescues and the premise behind the plot. But I still like Tommy and Tuppence. :)
    helpful•1
    4
    • skiddoo
    • Aug 26, 2017

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    Details

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    • Release date
      • October 9, 1983 (United Kingdom)
    • Country of origin
      • United Kingdom
    • Language
      • English
    • Also known as
      • Agatha Christie's 'The Secret Adversary'
    • Filming locations
      • London, England, UK
    • Production companies
      • London Weekend Television (LWT)
      • ITV - Independent Television
    • See more company credits at IMDbPro

    Technical specs

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    • Runtime
      1 hour 55 minutes
    • Color
      • Color
    • Sound mix
      • Mono
    • Aspect ratio
      • 1.33 : 1

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