Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy (TV Mini Series)

Smiley Tracks the Mole (1979)

Alexander Knox: Control

Photos 

Quotes 

• Percy Alleline : Merlin is the fruit of a long cultivation by certain people in the Circus. People who are bound to me as I am to them. People who are not at all entertained by the failure rate about this place. There's been too much blown, too much lost, too much wasted. Too many scandals. I've said so many times, but I might as well have talked to the wind for all the heed he paid me.

  Control : "He" means me, George.

  Percy Alleline : The ordinary principles of tradecraft and security have gone to the wall in this service. It's all "divide and rule," stimulated from the top.

  Control : Me again.

  Percy Alleline : We're losing our livelihood. Our self-respect. We've had enough. We've had a bellyful, in fact.

  [Alleline exits] 

  Control : And like everybody who's ever had enough, he wants more!

• George Smiley : [looking at a nuclear naval treaty]  This is hardly my territory.

  Control : Don't let that worry you. Total ignorance of subject matter doesn't bother Percy.

• Control : And now there's a Witchcraft committee! The Minister's in the chair, Alleline's vice-chairman. Merlin's become an industry, it's THE industry and I'm not employed!

  George Smiley : You won't even read Alleline's reports.

  Control : I haven't time! Buying their way in with counterfeit money, tell them that. Tell them anything, I need time! There are three of them, and Alleline. Sweat them, George, bully them, any damn thing, give them whatever they eat, I need time!

• Control : Percy Alleline would sell his mother for a knighthood, and this service for a seat in the House of Lords!

• Control : You're sure he left you out, George?

  [George stares at Control, Control raises his hands apologetically] 

• Percy Alleline : The reading room will be known for cover purposes as the conference room of the Adriatic Working Party. The AWP room, for short.

  Control : [snorts]  Thank you.

  Percy Alleline : Customers with reading rights will not have passes, since these, like keys, can be too accessible. Instead, they will appear on a special list with their photographs, and they will identify themselves personally to MY janitor.

  Control : WHOSE janitor, Percy?

  Bill Haydon : Well, he's already got his own personal wizard. The odd commissionaire seems modest enough domestic staff.