See more ideas about the ipcress file, film and caine michael. Jan 12, 2006 h ere is the downbeat alternative to 007 the spy classic the ipcress file based on the len deighton thriller about sinister mindcontrol technology, filmed in a gritty, gloomy, decidedly non. Aubrey richards, gordon jackson, guy doleman, michael caine, nigel green, sue lloyd official content from universal studios home. One prominent theme in the ipcress file is class consciousness and class resentment. For the working class narrator, an apparently len deightons classic first novel, whose protagonist is a nameless spy later christened harry palmer and made famous worldwide in the iconic 1960s film. It was the first of several films that featured michael caine in the lead role of harry palmer palmer, a british military intelligence agent, is reassigned by his superior, ross played by guy doleman, to work in a unit headed. The story involves cold war brainwashing, includes scenes in lebanon and on an atoll for a united states atomic weapon test, as well as information about joe one, the soviet unions first atomic bomb. An unknown agent is ensnared in a sinister plot to brainwash scientists and trade them. Publication date 20040117 topics bbc radio drama, saturday play, thriller language english. Len deightons low budget secret agent comes to the screen magnificently played by michael caine at his most deadpan. The ipcress file was filmed in 1965, starring michael caine as harry palmer and directed by sidney j. A stylized and compelling cold war spy movie, the ipcress file won multiple awards and nominations on its theatrical release.
The ipcress file 19652014 bluray an absolutely riveting thriller. The movie of the ipcress file captures the essence of the novel despite only using elements of the plot. In 1965 the ipcress file was such a hit, that mb games decided to put a game on the market. Furie, 1965 was designed to be in direct contrast to the bond adventures, although saltzman ended up employing much of the same production staff, including production designer ken adam, editor peter hunt and composer john barry. Deightons plot is a mild headache of deceit and doubledealing that glides stylishly and with much wit around caines sergeant palmer, a cocky london bachelor and middleranking scion of the mod. There are four principal characters who participate in the action. Jun 10, 2014 the ipcress file trailer 1965 director. Looking for online definition of ipcress or what ipcress stands for. The ipcress file, an album by john barry on spotify. Born in london,len deightonserved in the raf before graduating from the royal college of art which recently elected him a senior fellow. While in new york city working as a magazine illustrator he began writing his first novel,the ipcress file, which was published in 1962. For the working class narrator, an apparently straightforward mission to find a missing biochemist becomes a journey to the heart of a dark and deadly conspiracy.
For the working class narrator, an apparently straightforward. The downbeat alternative to 007 the spy classic based on the len deighton thriller about sinister mindcontrol technology, filmed in a gritty, gloomy, decidedly nonswinging. The quiller memorandum shares some of the cynical attitude of len deightons thrillers such as the ipcress file, but quiller himself is not a jaded character in the way len deightons unnamed protagonist is, tortured by his failure to do more to prevent the holocaust and driven by hatred of the nazis. Goodreads members who liked the ipcress file secret fi.
Deightons book was published in 1962 and made into a wellknown film starring michael caine as harry palmer in 1965. Len deightons classic first novel, whoseprotagonist is a nameless spy later christened harry palmer and made famous worldwide in the iconic 1960s film starring michael caine. Aubrey richards, gordon jackson, guy doleman, michael caine, nigel green, sue. This study guide consists of approximately 11 pages of chapter summaries, quotes, character analysis, themes, and more everything you need to sharpen your knowledge of the ipcress file. It stars michael caine as harry palmer, a spy who was railroaded into his profession against his will. Harry goes back to his flat to collect his belongings, and finds the body of the second cia man. And while barry utilizes some of his bond tricks here dramatic atmospherics and noirish exotica. Returning to the office, he finds that the ipcress file compiled by jock, relating to 17 other scientists, all of whom have also been brainwashed, has been stolen from his desk. Advertised as the thinking mans frank gatliff, the ipcress file offered a far more realistic view of the morally ambivalent world of espionage than did the likevintage james bond films. Furie, production designer, ken adam and sir maurice micklewaite himself. The ipcress file a firstrate british spy thriller directed by sidney furie, the ipcress file 1965 is based upon a novel by len deighton the first and best of the spy films based on his novels. There are t104s, b104s, b107s, t108s, l101s, and, most importantly, tx832s. Believing he is being set up, he tells dalby what has happened.
Dec 16, 2014 the ipcress file was not only len deightons first novel, it was his first bestseller and the book that broke the mould of thriller writing. Although the ipcress file was created by those behind the james bond movies, it eschews glamour for a resolutely dowdy, sunless london with highceilinged government offices behind fake fronts. The film won the british award for best british film in 1966. The ipcress file harry palmer michael caine movie site. In london, a counter espionage agent deals with his own bureaucracy while investigating the kidnapping and brainwashing of british scientists. While there are indeed differences between the bond books and ipcress, there are also likenesses.
The ipcress file by len deighton is the story of an unnamed spy telling his tale and accounts to the governor minister. Excellent seller the book got delivered fast and in the described condition. Several leading western scientists have been kidnapped only to reappear a fews days later. The protagonist, of workingclass origin, resents being regarded as a outsider by his colleagues and superiors who are public schooloxford educated. He is now the author of more than thirty books of fiction and nonfiction. Here was a british spy who had a workingclass accent and hornrimmed glasses and above all really didnt want to be a spy in the first place. With the music to such james bond classics as from russia with love and goldfinger already under his belt, john barry switched intrigue gears a bit with this soundtrack to the british spy thriller the ipcress file, starring michael caine as novelist len deightons government sleuth, harry palmer. The story itself takes place in many locations but both starts and ends in london. Michael caine and nigel green in the ipcress file 1965. The ipcress file became the first of the nominally rival harry palmer film series and some aspects are reminiscent of film noir. The ipcress file was not only len deightons first novel, it was his first bestseller and the book that broke the mould of thriller writing. Multiple oscarwinner sir michael caine stars in the first leading role of his career as harry palmer, a stubbornly insolent sergeant working for the ministry of defence who is transferred to an elite counterintelligence unit.
The ipcress file ebook by len deighton 9780007343027. It was the first of several films that featured michael caine in the lead role of harry palmer. Ipcress is listed in the worlds largest and most authoritative dictionary database of abbreviations and acronyms the free dictionary. But deightons narrator, an unnamed intelligence agent, begins his tale, not on a cruising yawl in the thames, but in a sheraton chair in a government. The screenplay, by bill canaway and james doran, wa.
The ipcress file is a 1965 british espionage film directed by sidney j. This kind of merchandise was very successful with the james bond movies, so mb developed a special game for the first harry palmer movie. Len deighton is a very good writer with a great feel for time and place of the plot. In contrast to bonds public school background and playboy lifestyle, palmer is a working class londoner who lives in a notting hill bedsit and has to put up with red tape and interdepartmental rivalries. Lloyd made an initial splash in the 1960s as michael caines glamorous foil in the ipcress file as well as appearing alongside peter cushing in the horror film corruption in 1968.
Superficially, there are many similarities, even to the extent of beginning the film. While in new york city working as a magazine illustrator he began writing his first novel, the ipcress file, which. The mysterious narrator later renamed harry palmer by the producers of the subsequent hit move works for british secret service department w. Although released during the mid1960s when james bond fever was gripping the country, this thriller presented a very different view of her majestys secret service. The screenplay, by bill canaway and james doran, was based on len deightons novel the ipcress file 1962. The ipcress file, british spy film, released in 1965, that was considered among the best of the genre, noted for a realism that was absent in the james bond movies. A firstrate british spy thriller directed by sidney furie, the ipcress file 1965 is based upon a novel by len deighton the first and best of the spy films based on his novels. The ipcress file by len deighton is a masterpiece of spy.
The sections of the novel in the lebanon and on the american base are dropped, with the action. Palmer escapes, whereupon he confronts a traitor in his midst in the climactic exchange of gunfire. The ipcress file watch turner classic movies on tcm. In the spycrazed film world of the 1960s, len deightons antihero harry palmer burst onto the scene as an antidote to the james bond films. Sue lloyd who played the role of jean courtney in both the ipcress file and in a small cameo in bullet to beijing passed away on 20 october 2011, aged 72. It received a bafta award for the best british film released in 1965. In 1999, it was included at number 59 on the bfi list of the 100 best british films of the 20th century.
Featuring a quintessential performance from doubleoscar winner sir michael caine and an iconic score from the legendary john barry, this stylised and compelling cold war spy movie won multiple awards on its theatrical release including three bafta awards. Born in london, he served in the raf before graduating from the royal college of art which recently elected him a senior fellow. Secret agent harry palmer spends the majority of his time filling out paperwork, being told to fill out paperwork, or devising ways to avoid filling out paperwork. Both seem to offer the privileged cognitive access to a concealed world epitomized in the first line of one of the epigraphs to ipcress, from shakespeares henry iv 1. Special edition featuring lots of good interviews with director, sidney j. Theme from romance for guitar and orchestra the john barry orchestra, john barry.
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