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He spends as much time and energy attempting to lose the bouncer-like minders sent to cover him in the field as he does the neo-Nazi goon squads that eventually come calling. Despite an Oscar nomination for "Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf?," Segal's strength lies in light comedy, and both his demeanor and physical build made him an unlikely pick for an action role, even if the film is short on action. Omissions? Quiller continues his subtle accusations, and Inge continues her denial of ever meeting Jones. Meanwhile , Quiller befriends and fall in love for a teacher , Inge Lindt (Senta Berger) , and both of whom suffer constant dangers . I listened to the audio version narrated by Andrew B Wehrlen and found it an utterly engaging tale. The brawny headmistress points Quiller in the direction of Inge (Senta Berger), who happens to be the only English-speaking teacher at the school. An almost unrecognizable George Segal stars in "The Quiller Memorandum," set in Berlin and made 40 years ago. Senta Berger was gorgeous! As such, it was deemed to be in the mode of The Ipcress File (1965) and The Spy Who Came in from the Cold (1965). They both go to the building, whereupon they are captured. Thanks in advance. You are the hero of an extraordinary novel that shows how a spy works, how messages are coded and decoded, how contacts are made, how a man reacts under the influence of truth drugs, and that traces the story of a vastly complex, entertaining, convincing, and sinister plot. A highly unusual and stimulating approach that draws us into the story. Their aim is to bring back the Third Reich. Quiller tells Inge that they got most, but clearly not all, of the neo-Nazis. American agent Quiller (George Segal) arrives in Berlin and meets with his British handler Pol (Alec Guinness). When a spy film is made in the James Bond vein then close analysis is superfluous, but when the movie has a pretense of seriousness then it'd better make sense. But Quiller gets closer to the action when he visits a supposedly progressive West Berlin middle school on a tip about an alleged Nazi war criminal who once taught there. Oktober demands Quiller reveal the Secret Intelligence Service (SIS) base by dawn or Inge will be killed. What a difference to the ludicrous James Helm/Matt Bond (or is it the other way round?) Also published as "The Berlin Memorandum" (UK title). Its excellent entertainment. Pol tells Quiller that Kenneth Lindsay Jones, a fellow agent and friend of Quiller's, was killed two days earlier by a neo-Nazi cell operating out of Berlin. But Quiller shares an important kinship with Spy in that it challenges popular 007 mythmaking: freshly envisioning the unglamorous underside of an intelligence profession that the James Bond franchise had been relentlessly trivializing since its inception. In the mid-Sixties, the subgenre of the James Bond backlash film was becoming a crowded market. An American secret agent called Quiller (George Segal) working for MI6 (whose chief is George Sanders) travels to Berlin to uncover a deadly Neo-Nazi band . youtu.be/rQ4PA3H6pAw. 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. Before long, his purposefully clumsy nosing around leads to his capture and interrogation by a very elegantly menacing von Sydow, who wants to know where Segal's own headquarters is! Probably the most famous example of a solid American type playing an Englishman is Clark Gable from Mutiny On The Bounty. 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. 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. 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.) The Quiller Memorandum strips the spy persona down to its primal instincts, ditching the fancy paraphernalia in favor of a rather satisfying display of wits and gumption. That makes the story much more believable, and Adam Hall's writing style kept me engaged. Audiobook. He is shielded behind the building when the bomb explodes. Segal is a very young man in this, with that flippant, relaxed quality that made him so popular. 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. Sadly, Von Sydows formidable acting chops are never seriously challenged here, and his lines are limited to fairly standard B-movie Euro-villain speak. In . Want to Read. 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 . The nation remained the home of the best spies. The Berlin Memorandum, renamed The Quiller Memorandum, was published in 1965 by Elleston Trevor, who used the pseudonym Adam Hall. Pol tells Quiller the fascist underground is far more organized and powerful in Germany than people believe. He manages to get over the wall of his garage stall as well as the adjoining one and then outside to the side of the building before detonation. The thugs believe him dead when they see the burning wreckage. How nice to see you again! and so forth. Sadly the Quiller novels have fallen out of favour with the apparentend of the Cold War. It keeps the reader engrossed right up to the last couple of lines. I've not put together a suite before so hopefully it works.Barry's short (35mins) if atmospheric score for the Cold War thriller The Quiller Memorandum, 1966. Sort of a mixed effect clouds this novel. It is credible. Finally, he is placed in the no-win position of either choosing to aid von Sydow or allowing Berger to be murdered. The Phoenix group descend and take Quiller, torturing him to find out what he knows. The original, primary mission has been completely omitted. Alec Guinness is excellent as a spy chief, and he gives a faint whiff of verisimilitude to this hopeless film. The film illustrates the never-ending game of spying and the futility that results as each mission is only accomplished in its own realm, but the big picture goes on and on with little or no resolution. Hes that good try the book and youll find out. It was from the quiller memorandum ending of the item, a failed nuclear weapons of Personalized Map Search. Whats left most open to interpretation is Inges role in all this: was she a Janus-faced Nazi mole who used sex as a weapon to lead Quiller into a trap? True, Segal never seems to settle into the role of Quiller. Newer. George Segal is a fine and always engaging actor, but the way his character is written here, he doesn't really come across as "a spy who gets along by his brains and not by his brawn"; he seems interested almost exclusively in the girl he meets, not in the case he's investigating, and (at least until the end) he seems to survive as a result of a combination of his good luck and the stupidity of the villains. Twist piles upon twist , as a British agent becomes involved in a fiendishly complicated operation to get a dangerous ringleader and his menacing hoodlums . Segal plays Quiller with a laconic but likeable detachment, underlining the loneliness and lack of relaxation of the agent, who can- not even count on support from his own side. I loved seeing and feeling the night shots in this film and, as it was shot on location, the sense of reality was heightened for me. 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. The film had its world premiere on 10 November 1966 at the Odeon Leicester Square in the West End of London. In the process, he discovers a complex and malevolent plot, more dangerous to the world than any crime committed during the war. As usual for films which are difficult to pin down . There are long stretches of what may have seemed to Pinter like very lively and amusing dialogue (the torture scenes between October and George Segal), but they drag on interminably, and make one want to go to sleep. 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. It relies on a straight narrative storyline, simple but holding, literate dialog and well-drawn characters. Let us know if you have suggestions to improve this article (requires login). In typically British mordant fashion, George Sanders and a fellow staffer in Britain are lunching in London on pheasant, more concerned with the quality of their repast than with the loss of their man in the field! 1966's The Quiller Memorandum is a low-key gem, a pared-down, existential spy caper that keeps the exoticism to a minimum. The love interest between Quiller and Inge (Senta Berger) developed with no foundation. On paper, this film had all the makings of a potential masterpiece: youve got a marquee cast, headed up by George Segal, Max Von Sydow, and Alec Guinness, for starters. effective, low key, intelligent, spy film, Attractive, thoughtful spy film with an excellent cast. The protagonist, Quiller, is not a superhuman, like the James Bond types, nor does he have a satchel full of fancy electronic tricks up his sleeve. After all, his characters social unease and affectless personality are presumably components of the movies contra-Bond commitment. Quiller, a British agent who works without gun, cover or contacts, takes on a neo-Nazi underground organization and its war criminal leader. "The Quiller Memorandum" is a film with a HUGE strike against it at the outset.they inexplicably cast George Segal as a British spy! Two British agents are murdered by a mysterious Neo-Nazi organization in West Berlin. Be the first to contribute. NR. Oktober reveals they are moving base the next day and that they have captured Inge. Alec Guinness gets to play a Smiley prototype but brings too much Noel Coward to the table. Ian Nathan of Empire described the film as "daft, dated and outright confusing most of the time, but undeniably fun" and rated it with 3/5 stars. It was written by Harold Pinter, but despite his talent for writing plays, he certainly had no cinematic sense whatever. He does this in a lone-wolf way, refusing to be hampered by bodyguards. Visually, the film was rather stunning, but the magical soft focus that appears every time Inga is in the frame is silly. One of the most interesting elements of the novel is Quiller's explanation of tradecraft and the way he narrates his way through receiving signals from his Control via coded stock market reports on the radio, and a seemingly endless string of people following him around Berlin as he goes about his mission. His job is to locate their headquarters. As other reviewers have suggested, this Cold War Neo-Nazi intrigue is more concerned with subtle, low-key plot evolution than the James Bond in-your-face-gadgetry genre that was prevalent during the 60's-70's. And the legendary John Barrycomposer of the original Bond themeprovides appropriately haunting incidental music here. 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. A much better example of a spy novel-to-film adaptation would be Our Man in Havana, also starring Alec Guinness. Our hero delivers a running dialogue with his own unconscious mind, assessing the threats, his potential responses, his plans. Required fields are marked *. The quarry for all the work is old Nazi higher officials who are now hiding behind new names and plotting to return Germany to the glory days of the Third Reich, complete with a resurrected Fhrer twenty years after the end of WW II. All of that, and today the novels are largely forgotten. The first thing to say about this film is that the screenplay is so terrible. A crisply written story that captured my attention from beginning to end. Book 4 stars, narration by Simon Prebble 4 stars. 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. 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 He also has to endure some narcotically enhanced interrogation, which is the basis of one of the novel's most thrilling chapters. Set largely on location in West Berlin, it has George Segal brought back from vacation to replace a British agent who has come to a sticky end at the hands of a new infiltrating group of Nazis. Or was she simply a lonely Samaritan who altruistically beds the socially awkward American spy to help prevent a Fourth Reich? 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 . The Quiller Memorandum. This isachievedviaQuillers first person perspective. Updates? Studios: The Rank Organisation and Ivan Foxwell Productions, https://www.britannica.com/topic/The-Quiller-Memorandum, BFI Screenonline - The Quiller Memorandum (1966), Britmovie.co.uk - "The Quiller Memorandum", The Quiller Memorandum - Student Encyclopedia (Ages 11 and up). 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. In the West Berlin of the 1960s, two British agents are killed by a Nazi group, prompting British Intelligence to dispatch agent Quiller to investigate.In the West Berlin of the 1960s, two British agents are killed by a Nazi group, prompting British Intelligence to dispatch agent Quiller to investigate.In the West Berlin of the 1960s, two British agents are killed by a Nazi group, prompting British Intelligence to dispatch agent Quiller to investigate. 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. Segals laconic, stoop-shouldered Quiller is a Yank agent on loan to the British government to replace the latest cashiered Anglo operative in West Berlin. Performed by Matt Monro, "Wednesday's Child" was also released as a single. Author/co-author of numerous books about the cinema and is regarded as one of the foremost James Bond scholars. George Segal as Agent Quiller with Inge Lindt (Senta Berger). The British Secret Service sends agent Quiller to investigate. Quiller then returns to his hotel, followed by the men who remain outside. After two British agents are assassinated in Berlin by a group of Neo-Nazis, the British Secret Service assign Quiller to locate and identify the culprits. Analismos este filme no 10. episdio de TRS J COMPANHIA. She claims she turned in the teacher from the article, and points out the dilapidated Phoenix mansion. This isn't your standard spy film with lots of gunplay, outrageous villains, and explosions. The film has that beautiful, pristine look that seems to only come about in mid-60's cinema, made even more so by the clean appearance and tailored lines of the clothing on the supporting cast and the extras. Variety is a part of Penske Media Corporation. Quiller, however, escapes, and with Inges help, he discovers the location of Phoenixs headquarters. The book and movie made a bit of a splash in the spy craze of the mid-sixties, when James Bond and The Man From Uncle were all the rage. They say 'what a pity' with droll indifference as they eat their roast pheasant and take note of which operatives have been killed this week. His book. 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. He is shot dead by an unseen gunman. Published chrismass61 Aug 21 2013 If Quiller isnt the most dramatically pleasing of the anti-Bond subgenre, its certainly not for lack of ambition, originality, or undistinguished crew or cast members. In fact, he is derisory about agents who insist on being armed. 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. The headmistress introduces him to a teacher who speaks English, Inge Lindt. The film is a spy-thriller set in 1960s West Berlin, where agent Quiller is sent to investigate a neo-Nazi organisation. [7][8], Learn how and when to remove this template message, https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=The_Quiller_Memorandum&oldid=1135714025, "Wednesday's Child" main theme (instrumental), "Wednesday's Child" vocal version (lyrics: Mack David / vocals: Matt Monro), "Have You Heard of a Man Called Jones?" After the interview, he gives her a ride to her flat and stops in for a drink. The Quiller Memorandum subtitles. Quiller (played by George Segal) is an American secret agent assigned to work with British MI6 chief Pol ( Alec Guinness) in West Berlin. Your email address will not be published. His investigations (and baiting) lead him to a pretty schoolteacher (Berger) who he immediately takes a liking to and who may be of assistance to him in his quest. A bit too sardonic at times, I think his character wanted to be elsewhere, clashing with KGB agents instead of ferreting out neo-nazis. Can someone explain it to me? Pol dispatches a team to Phoenix's HQ, which successfully captures all of Phoenix's members. The mission in Berlin is a mess, two of the Bureaus spies have been murdered already by the shadowy Phoenix. I enjoyed the book. It's not often that one wishes so much for a main character to get killed, especially by NAZI's. The only really interesting thing is the way we're left spoiler: click to read in the end. That way theres no-one to betray him to the other side. But his accent was all wrongtaking the viewer out of the moment. Michael Anderson directs with his usual leaden touch. A man walks along a deserted Berlin street at night and enters an internally lit phone box. Have read a half dozen or so other "Quiller" books, so when I saw that Hoopla had this first story, I figured I should give it a listen to see how Quiller got started. He recruits Berger to help him infiltrate the Neo-Nazis and discover their base of operations, but, once again, is thwarted. The Quiller Memorandum is based on Adam Hall's thriller novel about neo-Nazism in contemporary Germany. 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). The story is ludicrous. Segal plays a secret agent assigned to ferret out the headquarters of a Neo-Nazi movement in Berlin. The Quiller Memorandum is the third Quiller novel that I have read, and it firmly establishes my opinion that Quiller is one of the finest series of espionage novels to have ever been written. But for today's audiences, those films are a bit old fashioned and not always very easy to follow, too much complicated. The Quiller Memorandum was based on a novel by Elleston Trevor (under the name Adam Hall). While every effort has been made to follow citation style rules, there may be some discrepancies. Berger is luminous and exceedingly solid in a complicated role. With its gritty, real-world depiction of contemporary international espionage, The Quiller Memorandum was one of the more notable anti-Bond films of the 1960s. The ploy works as one, two or all three of those places were where the Nazis did learn about Quiller, who they kidnap. George Segal was good at digging for information without gadgets. I'm generally pretty forgiving of film adaptations of novels, but the changes that were made just do not make sense. aka: The Quiller Memorandum the first in a series of 19 Quiller books. His Oktober does, however, serve as a one-man master class in hyperironic cordiality: Ah, Quiller! The only redeeming features of The Quiller Memorandum are the scenes of Berlin with its old U-Bahn train and wonderful Mercedes automobiles, and the presence of two beautiful German women, Senta Berger and Edith Schneider; those two females epitomize Teutonic womanhood for me. In the West Berlin of the 1960s, two British agents are killed by a Nazi group, prompting British Intelligence to dispatch agent Quiller to investigate. He is British secret agent Kenneth Lindsay Jones. The Quiller Memorandum certainly couldnt compete on an aesthetic level with a film like Spy Who Came in from the Cold: No actor, certainly not George Segal, is going to one-up Richard Burton in the anti-Bond department. How did I miss this film until just recently? If your idea of an exciting spy thriller involves boobs, blondes and exploding baguettes, then The Quiller Memorandum is probably not for you. See production, box office & company info, Europa-Center, Charlottenburg, Berlin, Germany.