ago Just watched it. On the surface, we get at least some satisfying closure to the case of the clandestine neo-Nazi gang. The burning question for Quiller is, how close is too close? They don't know how to play it, it's neither enjoyable make-believe like the James Bond movies, nor is it played for real like "The Spy Who Came in from the Cold." One of the first grown-up movies I was allowed to go see by myself as an impressionable adolescent (yes, this was some years ago now) was the Quiller Memorandum, with George Segal. In 1965, writing under the pseudonym of Adam Hall, Elleston Trevor published athriller which, like Ian Flemings Casino Royale before it, was to herald a change in the world of spy thrillers. They wereso popularthat in 1966 a film was made the title waschanged to The Quiller Memorandum and from then on all future copies of the book were published under this title, rather than the original. The book is built around a continual number of reveals. Quiller tells Inge that they got most, but clearly not all, of the neo-Nazis. The intense first person narration which is the defining characteristic of the Quiller books comes into its own during this interrogation scene, and also during the latter chapters of the books as events begin to come to a head. Get help and learn more about the design. See production, box office & company info, Europa-Center, Charlottenburg, Berlin, Germany. 1966's The Quiller Memorandum is a low-key gem, a pared-down, existential spy caper that keeps the exoticism to a minimum. I recall being duly impressed by the menacing atmospherics, if much of it went over my head. In conclusion, having recently watched "Quiller's" almost exact contemporary "The Ipcress File", I have to say that I preferred the latter's more pointed narrative, down-home grittiness and star acting to the similar fare offered here. The former was a bracingly pessimistic Cold War alternative to freewheeling Bondian optimism that featured burnout boozer actor Richard Burton in an all-too-convincing performance as burnout boozer spy Alec Leamus. Languid, some might say ponderous mid-60's British-made cold-war drama (it could scarcely be called a thriller, more "The Spy Who Came In From The Cold" than, say "Thunderball") that for all its longueurs, does have some redeeming features. The book itself sets a standard for the psychological spy thriller as an agent (code-named Quiller) plays a suspense-filled cat-and-mouse game with the head of a neo-Nazi group in post-war Berlin. When Quiller returns to his hotel, a porter bumps Quiller's leg with a suitcase on the steps. The nation remained the home of the best spies. Kindle Edition. The film is ludicrous. Directed by Michael Anderson; produced by Ivan Stockwell; screenplay by Harold Pinter; cinematography by Erwin Hiller; edited by Frederick Wilson; art direction by Maurice Carter; music by John Barry; starring George Segal, Max Von Sydow, Alec Guinness, Senta Berger, and guest stars George Stevens and Robert Helpmann. The Quiller Memorandum book. The book is more focused on thinking as a spy and I found it to be very realistic. I listened to the audio version narrated by Andrew B Wehrlen and found it an utterly engaging tale. When Quiller decides to investigate the building, Inge says she will wait for him, while Hassler and the headmistress leave one of their cars for them. He also works alone and without contacts. The mind of the spy I read a few of these many years ago when they first came out. movies. As Quiller revolves around a plot that's more monstrously twisted than he imagines it to be . I havent watched too many movies from the 1960s in my lifetime, but the ones I have watched have been excellent (Von Ryans Express, Tony Rome, To Kill A Mockingbird, The Hustler, The Great Escape, etc, including this one.) But good enough to hold my interest till the end. Von Sydow (one of the few actors to have recovered from playing Jesus Christ and gone on to a varied and lengthy career) is excellent. Harold Pinter's fairly literate screenplay features . In West Berlin, George Segal's Quiller struggles through a near- existential battle with Neo-Nazi swine more soulless than his own cold-fish handlers. Press question mark to learn the rest of the keyboard shortcuts. Although the situations are often deadly serious, Segal seems to take them lightly; perhaps in the decade that spawned James Bond, he was confused and thought he was in a spy spoof. He was the author of. This isn't your standard spy film with lots of gunplay, outrageous villains, and explosions. Director Michael Anderson Writers Trevor Dudley Smith (based on the novel by) Harold Pinter (screenplay) Stars George Segal Alec Guinness Max von Sydow See production, box office & company info Released at a time when the larger-than-life type of spy movie (the James Bond series) was in full swing and splashy, satirical ones (such as "Our Man Flynt" and "The Silencers") were about to take off, this is a quieter, more down-to-earth and realistic effort. It's a more realistic or credible portrayal of how a single character copes with trying to get information in a dangerous environment. George Segal as Agent Quiller with Inge Lindt (Senta Berger). For Quiller, it's a question of staying alive when he's not in possession of all of the facts. Oh, there are some problems, and Michael Anderson's direction is. Very eerie film score, I believe John Barry did it but, I'm not sure. Defiant undercover spy Quiller carries out a nervy , stealthy , prowling around Berlin in which he becomes involved into a risked cat and mouse game , being chased and hunted , by a strange and sinister leader , known only as Oktober (Max Von Sidow) . In this first book in the QUILLER series, undercover agent Quiller is asked to take the place of a fellow spy who has recently been murdered in Berlin, in identifying the headquarters of an underground but powerful Nazi organization, Phnix, twenty years . Quiller meets his controller for this mission, Pol, at Berlin's Olympia Stadium, and learns that he must find the headquarters of Phoenix, a neo-Nazi organization. aka: The Quiller Memorandum the first in a series of 19 Quiller books. Quiller enters the mansion and is confronted by Phoenix thugs. In the relationship between Quiller and Inge, Pinter casts just enough ambiguity over the proceedings to allow us plebian moviegoers our small participatory role in the production of meaning. His understated (and at times simply wooden) performance here can be a tough sell when set against the more expressive comedic persona he cultivated in offbeat 1970s comedies like Blume in Love, The Owl and the Pussycat, Wheres Poppa?, California Spilt, and Fun With Dick and Jane. The sentences are generally clipped and abrupt, reminiscent of Simon Kernicks style wherenot a word is wasted, but predating him by a generation. The Quiller Memorandum, British-American spy film, released in 1966, that was especially noted for the deliberately paced but engrossing script by playwright Harold Pinter. Phoenix boss Oktober (Max von Sydow) with George Segal, seated. Oktober reveals they are moving base the next day and that they have captured Inge. I had to resist the temptation to fast forward on several occasions. Blu-ray, color, 105 min., 1966. Cue the imposing Max Von Sydow as Nazi head honcho Oktober, whose Swedish accent is inflected with an Elmer Fudd-like speech impedimentthus achieving something like a serviceable German accent. It was interesting to me that in 1965 (when I also happened to be living in Germany as a US Army dependent) the crux of the book was the fear of a Nazi resurgence -- and I'm not talking about skinheads, but Nazis deep within the German government and military. In the process, he discovers a complex and malevolent plot, more dangerous to the world than any crime committed during the war. His virtual army of nearly silent, oddball henchmen add to the flavor of paranoia and nervousness. An American agent is sent to Berlin to track down the leaders of a neo-Nazi organization, but when they . George Segal was good at digging for information without gadgets. The plot revolves around former Nazis and the rise of a Neo-Nazi organisation known as Phonix. Finally, he is placed in the no-win position of either choosing to aid von Sydow or allowing Berger to be murdered. A spy thriller for chess players. At the 1967 BAFTA Awards the film had nominations in the best Art Direction, Film Editing and Screenplay categories, but did not win. The Berlin Memorandum, or The Quiller Memorandum as it is also known, is the first book in the twenty book Quiller series, written by Elleston Trevor under the pen name of Adam Hall. In terms of style The Quiller books aretaut and written with narrative pace at the forefront. Thought I'd try again and found this one a bit dated and dry - I will persevere with the series, Adam Hall (one of Elleston Trevor' many pseudonyms) wrote many classic spy stories, and this one is considered one of his best. Scriptwriter Harold Pinter, already with two of the best adapted screenplays of the 1960s British New Wave under his belt (The Servant and The Pumpkin Eater), adapted his screenplay for Quiller from Adam Halls 1965 novel, The Berlin Memorandum. Quiller leaves the Konigshof Hotel on West Berlin's Kurfurstendamm and confronts a man who has been following him, learning that it is his minder, Hengel. Performed by Matt Monro, "Wednesday's Child" was also released as a single. Quilleris a code name. Alec Guiness and George Sanders have brief roles as Segal's Control and Home Office head, respectively, and both rather coldly and matter-of-factly pooh-pooh over the grisly death of Segal's agent predecessor. He also wroteacrossa number ofgenres. It out the quiller? They have lots of information about the film, but inexplicably take ten minutes to explain how the Cold War conflict between Communism and Capitalism relates to . The friend proves to be Hassler, who is now much more friendly. Watchable and intriguing as it occasionally is, enigmatic is perhaps the most apposite adjective you could use to describe the "action" within. He sounded about as British as Leo Carillo or Cher. What is the French language plot outline for The Quiller Memorandum (1966)? Quiller's assignment: to discover the location of the neo-Nazi . The Quiller Memorandum is a 1966 British neo noir eurospy film filmed in Deluxe Color and Panavision, adapted from the 1965 spy novel The Berlin Memorandum, by Elleston Trevor under the name "Adam Hall", screenplay by Harold Pinter, directed by Michael Anderson, featuring George Segal, Alec Guinness, Max von Sydow and Senta Berger. youtu.be/rQ4PA3H6pAw. Omissions? Twist piles upon twist , as a British agent becomes involved in a fiendishly complicated operation to get a dangerous ringleader and his menacing hoodlums . (What with wanting to go to sleep and wanting to scream at the same time, this film does pose certain conflict problems.) And considering how terrible its one fight scene is, it's certainly a blessing that it doesn't have any more. Written by Harold Pinter from the novel by Adam Hall Produced by Ivan Foxwell Directed by Michael Anderson Reviewed by Glenn Erickson The enormous success of James Bond made England the center of yet another worldwide cultural phenomenon. A highly unusual and stimulating approach that draws us into the story. The film's screenplay (by noted playwright Pinter) reuses to spoon feed the audience, rather requiring that they rely on their instinct and attention span to pick up the threads of the plot. The third to try is Quiller, an unassuming man, who knows he's being put into a deadly game. Press J to jump to the feed. Don't start thinking you missed something: it's the screenplay who did ! Segal is a very young man in this, with that flippant, relaxed quality that made him so popular. All Rights Reserved. What will Quiller do? He notices the concierge is seated where he can see anyone leaving. The Mysterious Case of the Alperton Angels by Janice Hallett, Norwegian crime show Witch Hunt comes to Walter Presents, The Wall: Quebec crime show comes to More4, Irish crime drama North Sea Connection comes to BBC Four, The complete guide to Mick Herrons Slough House series. Variety and the Flying V logos are trademarks of Variety Media, LLC. The movie made productive use of the West German locations. What a difference to the ludicrous James Helm/Matt Bond (or is it the other way round?) Quiller, a British agent who works without gun, cover or contacts, takes on a neo-Nazi underground organization and its war criminal leader. Audiobook. I thought the ending was Quller getting one last meeting with the nice babe and sending a warning to any remaining Nazis that they are being watched. This exciting movie belongs to spy sub-genre being developed during the cold war , it turns out to be a stirring thriller plenty of mystery , tension , high level of suspense , and a little bit of violence . ): as a result, they were summarily bumped off with stereotypical German precision. Their aim is to bring back the Third Reich. Also contains one of the final appearences of George Sanders in a brief role, a classic in his own right! You are a secret agent working for the British in Berlin. After being prevented from using a phone, Quiller makes a run for an elevated train, and thinking he has managed to shake off Oktober's men, exits the other side of the elevated station only to run into them again. An almost unrecognizable George Segal stars in "The Quiller Memorandum," set in Berlin and made 40 years ago. That way theres no-one to betray him to the other side. Dril several holes in it, the size of a pin, one the size of a small coin. American agent Quiller (George Segal) arrives in Berlin and meets with his British handler Pol (Alec Guinness). As explained by his condescending boss Pol (Alec Guinness), Quillers two unfortunate predecessors were getting too close to exposing the subterranean neo-Nazi cell known as Phoenix (get it? It certainly held my interest, partly because it was set in Berlin and even mentioned the street I lived on several times. The ploy works as one, two or all three of those places were where the Nazis did learn about Quiller, who they kidnap. As classic as it gets. The British Secret Service sends agent Quiller to investigate. Two British agents are murdered by a mysterious Neonazi organization in West Berlin. The Phoenix group descend and take Quiller, torturing him to find out what he knows. Our hero delivers a running dialogue with his own unconscious mind, assessing the threats, his potential responses, his plans. No doubt Quiller initially seems like a slow-witted stumblebum, but his competence as an agent begins to reveal itself in due course: for instance, we find out he speaks fluent German; in a late scene, he successfully uses a car bomb to fake his own death and fool his adversaries; and along the way he exhibits surprisingly competent hand-to-hand combat skills in beating up a few Nazi bullyboys. But the writing was sloppy and there was a wholly superfluous section on decoding a cipher, which wasn't even believable. Quiller being injected with truth serum by agents of Phoenix. Once Quiller becomes extra-friendly with Ingewhich happens preternaturally quicklyits clear someone on the other side is getting nervous. Slow-moving Cold War era thriller in the mode of "The Spy Who Came in from the Cold," "The Quiller Memorandum" lacks thrills and fails to match the quality of that Richard Burton classic. Soon Quiller is confronted with Neo-Nazi chief "Oktober" and involved in a dangerous game where each side tries to find out the enemy's headquarters at any price. Try as he might though, he can't quite carry the lead here, lacking as he does the magnetism of Connery or the cynicism of Caine. The British Secret Service sends agent Quiller to investigate. The Quiller Memorandum is a film adaptation of the 1965 spy novel The Berlin Memorandum, by Trevor Dudley-Smith, screenplay by Harold Pinter, directed by Michael Anderson, featuring George Segal, Max von Sydow, Senta Berger and Alec Guinness.The film was shot on location in West Berlin and in Pinewood Studios, England.The film was nominated for 3 BAFTA Awards, while Pinter was nominated for an . He contacts the teacher Inge Lindt (Senta Berger) expecting to get some clues to be followed and soon he is abducted the the leader Oktober (Max von Sydow) and his men. First isthe protagonist himself. Quiller reaches Pol's secret office in Berlin, one of the top floors in the newly built Europa-Center, the tallest building in the city, and gives them the location of the building where he met Oktober. Commenting on Quiller in 1966, The New York Timessomewhat unfairlywrote off Segals performance as an unmitigated bust: If youve got any spying to do in Berlin, dont send George Segal to do the job. The reviewer then refers to Quiller as a pudding-headed fellow (a descriptive phrase that sounds more 1866 than 1966). When Quiller arrives inthe cityhis handler gives him three items found on a dead agent: tickets to a swimming pool and a bowling alley along with a newspaper cutting. He quickly becomes involved with numerous people of suspicious motives and backgrounds, including Inge (Senta Berger), a teacher at a school where a former Nazi war criminal committed suicide. But soon he finds that she has been kidnapped and Oktober gives a couple of hours to him to give the location of the site; otherwise Inge and him will be killed. It's a bit strange to see such exquisitely Pinter-esque dialogue (the laconic, seemingly innocuous sentences; the profound silences; the syntax that isn't quite how real people actually talk) in a spy movie, but it really works. After a pair of their agents are murdered in West Berlin, the British Secret Service for some unknown reason send in an American to investigate and find the location of a neo-Nazi group's headquarters. Fans of "Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory" will notice that film's Mr. Slugworth (Meisner) in a small role as the operator of a swim club (which features some memorably husky, "master race" swimmers emerging from the pool.) The headmistress introduces him to a teacher who speaks English, Inge Lindt. I too read the Quiller novels years ago and found them thrilling and a great middle ground between the super-spy Bond stories and the realism of Le Carre. Instead, the screenplay posits a more sinister threat: the nascent re-Nazification of German youths, facilitated by an underground coven of Nazi sympathizing grade-school teachers. I wanted to make a list of all the things that are wrong with this film, but I can't - such a list would need much more than a thousand words. In a clever subversion of genre expectations, the plot and storyline ignore contemporary East versus West Cold War themes altogether (East Berlin is, in fact, never mentioned in the film). Book 4 stars, narration by Simon Prebble 4 stars. Following the few leads his predecessor Jones had accumulated, Quiller finds himself nosing around for clues in the sort of unglamorous places in which Bond would never deign to set footbowling alleys and public swimming pools, especially. "The Quiller Memorandum" is a film with a HUGE strike against it at the outset.they inexplicably cast George Segal as a British spy! My take was, he knows she's one of the bad guys, and same with the headmistress who he passes on the way out. Meanwhile , Quiller befriends and fall in love for a teacher , Inge Lindt (Senta Berger) , and both of whom suffer constant dangers . Quiller had the misfortune to hit cinemas hot on the heels of two first-rate examples of Bond backlash: Martin Ritts gritty The Spy Who Came in from the Cold and the first (and easily best) entry in the acclaimed Harry Palmer trilogy, The Ipcress File, both released in 1965. Updates? The setting is Cold War-divided Berlin where Quiller tackles a threat from a group of neo-Nazis who call themselves Phoenix. There was also a TV series in 1975. Hassler drives them to meet an old contact he says knows a lot more, who turns out to be Inge's headmistress. He is shot dead by an unseen gunman. And he sustains the same high level of quality over the course of nineteen books. And although Harold Pinters screenwriting for Quiller doesnt strike one as being classically Pinteresque, occasionally his distinct style reveals itself in pockets of suggestive menace where silence is often just as important as whats spoken. Quiller drives off, managing to shake Hengel, then notices men in another car following him. The Quiller Memorandum: Directed by Michael Anderson. Without knowing where they have taken him, and even if it is indeed their base of operations, Quiller is playing an even more dangerous game as in the process he met schoolteacher Inge Lindt, who he starts to fall for, and as such may be used as a pawn by the Nazis to get the upper hand on Quiller. The casting of George Segal in the lead was a catastrophe, as he is so brash and annoying that one wants to scream. Please refer to the appropriate style manual or other sources if you have any questions. In 1966, the book was made into a successful film starring George Segal, Max Von Sydow, Senta Berger, and Alec Guinness. He recruits Berger to help him infiltrate the Neo-Nazis and discover their base of operations, but, once again, is thwarted. The newspaper clipping that Hengel gives to Quiller, in the cafe when they first meet, shows that a schoolteacher called Hans Heinrich Steiner has been arrested for war crimes committed in WW2. When their backs against the wall, its him they turn to. Read our extensive list of rules for more information on other types of posts like fan-art and self-promotion, or message the moderators if you have any questions. Hall (also known as Elleston Trevor and several other pseudonyms) seemed really to hate the Germans, or at least his character did. After all, his characters social unease and affectless personality are presumably components of the movies contra-Bond commitment. Your email address will not be published. Thank God Segal is in it. Quiller continues his subtle accusations, and Inge continues her denial of ever meeting Jones. They are not just sympathisers though. See for instance DANDY IN ASPIC too, sooo complex and fascinating in the same time. Author/co-author of numerous books about the cinema and is regarded as one of the foremost James Bond scholars. Theres a humanity to Quiller that is unique in this type of action spy thriller. Conveniently for Quiller, shes also the only teacher there whos single and looks like a Bond girl. And, the final scene (with her and Segal) is done extremely well (won't spoil it for those who still wish to see itit fully sums up the film, the tension filled times and cold war-era Germany). The classic tale of espionage that started it all! I found it an interesting and pleasant change of pace from the usual spy film, sort of in the realm of The Spy Who Came in From the Cold (but not quite as good). He begins openly asking question about Neo-Nazis and is soon kidnapped by a man known only as "Oktober". The film starred George Segal in the lead role, with Alec Guinness supporting andwas nominated for three BAFTAs. Mind you, in 1966-67 the Wall was there, East German border guards and a definite (cold war) cloud hanging over the city. Guinness appears as Segal's superior and offers a great deal of presence and class. I know several spy fiction fans who rate Quiller highly; I'd read a couple and thought they were only OK, plus seen and enjoyed the film (which fans of the novel tend to dislike). The Quiller Memorandum (1966) is one such film, and though it's one of the more obscure ones, it is also one of the better ones. THE SITE FOR DIE HARD CRIME & THRILLER FANS. The Quiller Memorandum, based on a novel by Adam Hall (pen name for Elleston Trevor) and with a screenplay by Harold Pinter, deals with the insidious upsurge of neo-Nazism in Germany. I can see where some might find it more exhausting than anything else, though--he does get tired :). Don't bother watching it, except to see the many scenes shot on location in West Berlin at that time, with its deserted streets and subdued mood. Let us know if you have suggestions to improve this article (requires login). Also published as "The Berlin Memorandum" (UK title). We never find out histrue identity or his history. The goal of /r/Movies is to provide an inclusive place for discussions and news about films with major releases. The screenwriter, Harold Pinter, no less, received an Edgar nomination. The movie wants to be more Le Carre than Fleming (the nods to the latter fall flat with a couple of fairly underpowered car-chases and a very unconvincing fight scene when Segal first tries to escape his captors) but fails to make up in suspense what it obviously lacks in thrills.