Book 4 stars, narration by Simon Prebble 4 stars. The Neo-Nazis want to know the location of British operations and similarly, the British want to know the location of the Neo-Nazis' headquarters. 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 . 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. Submissions should be for the purpose of informing or initiating a discussion, not just to entertain readers. document.getElementById( "ak_js_1" ).setAttribute( "value", ( new Date() ).getTime() ); 2021 Crime Fiction Lover. You are a secret agent working for the British in Berlin. In fact, Segal as Quiller can often feel like a case of simple miscasting, although not as egregious a lapse in judgment as, say, Segals choice to play a Times Square smackhead in 1971s Born to Win. 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. In the 60's, in Berlin, two British agents that are investigating a Neonazi ring are murdered. And will the world see a return of Nazi power? 1966. George Segal provides us with a lead character who is somewhat quirky in his demeanor, yet nonetheless effective in his role as an agent. In fact, he is derisory about agents who insist on being armed. Mind you, in 1966-67 the Wall was there, East German border guards and a definite (cold war) cloud hanging over the city. With George Segal, Alec Guinness, Max von Sydow, Senta Berger. The setting is the most shadowy "post WWII Berlin" with the master players lined up against each other - The Brits and The Nazi Heirs. But the writing was sloppy and there was a wholly superfluous section on decoding a cipher, which wasn't even believable. Watchable and intriguing as it occasionally is, enigmatic is perhaps the most apposite adjective you could use to describe the "action" within. Special guests Sanders and Helpmann bring their special brand of haughty authority to their roles as members of British Intelligence. It was nominated for three BAFTA Awards,[2] while Pinter was nominated for an Edgar Award for the script. 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. How nice to see you again! and so forth. Finally, paint the result in Barbie pink and baby blue That's more or less what happened to Adam Hall's spy novel for this movie. All of that, and today the novels are largely forgotten. A highly unusual and stimulating approach that draws us into the story. Be the first to contribute. As usual for films which are difficult to pin down . 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. 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. Quiller is released. What is the French language plot outline for The Quiller Memorandum (1966)? Quiller, a British agent who works without gun, cover or contacts, takes on a neo-Nazi underground organization and its war criminal leader. After two British agents are killed while investigating Phoenix, a neo-Nazi group, Quiller is tasked with finding the organizations leader. His book. 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 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. Clumsy thriller. Don't start thinking you missed something: it's the screenplay who did ! The film starred George Segal in the lead role, with Alec Guinness supporting andwas nominated for three BAFTAs. Quiller (played by George Segal) is an American secret agent assigned to work with British MI6 chief Pol ( Alec Guinness) in West Berlin. The scene shot in the gallery of London's Reform Club is particularly odious. Phoenix boss Oktober (Max von Sydow) with George Segal, seated. . But Quiller is an equal to a James Bond, or a George Smiley. He also has to endure some narcotically enhanced interrogation, which is the basis of one of the novel's most thrilling chapters. Agent Quiller is relaxing in a Berlin theater the night before returning to London and rest after a difficult assignment when he is accosted by Pol, another British agent, with a new, very important assignment. We never find out histrue identity or his history. While the rest of the cast (Alec Guinness, Max Von Sydow and George Sanders) are good and Harold Pinter tries hard to turn a very internal story into the visual medium, George Segal is totally miscast as Quiller. And of course, no spy-spoof conversation would be complete without mentioning 1967s David Niven-led piss-take on the Bond films, Casino Royale. He also wroteacrossa number ofgenres. 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 . A bit too sardonic at times, I think his character wanted to be elsewhere, clashing with KGB agents instead of ferreting out neo-nazis. 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). Meanwhile , Quiller befriends and fall in love for a teacher , Inge Lindt (Senta Berger) , and both of whom suffer constant dangers . Newer. In the process, he discovers a complex and malevolent plot, more dangerous to the world than any crime committed during the war. They both go to the building, whereupon they are captured. Quiller drives off, managing to shake Hengel, then notices men in another car following him. He finds that a bomb has been strapped underneath and sets it on the bonnet of the car so it will slowly slide and fall off due to vibration from the running engine. 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. 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. 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 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 first meets with Pol, who explains that each side is trying to discover and annihilate the other's base. 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. (UK title). 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. movies. Want to Read. The British Secret Service sends agent Quiller to investigate. "[4], The review aggregator website Rotten Tomatoes reports that 67% of critics have given the film a positive rating, based on 12 reviews, with an average score of 7.4/10. 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. Get help and learn more about the design. Max von Sydow as a senior post-War Nazi conspirator over-acts and is way out of control, Anderson being so hopeless and just a bystander who can have done no directing at all. Each reveal, in turn, provides a separate level of truth--or, as it may be, self-deception. Press J to jump to the feed. Thank God Segal is in it. Fairly interesting spy movie, but doesn't make much sense under close scrutiny. Guinness appears as Segal's superior and offers a great deal of presence and class. The burning question for Quiller is, how close is too close? 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. When Quiller returns to his hotel, a porter bumps Quiller's leg with a suitcase on the steps. See for instance DANDY IN ASPIC too, sooo complex and fascinating in the same time. For Quiller, it's a question of staying alive when he's not in possession of all of the facts. He does this in a lone-wolf way, refusing to be hampered by bodyguards. But how could she put up with the love scenes with the atrocious Segal? They are not just sympathisers though. 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. She claims she turned in the teacher from the article, and points out the dilapidated Phoenix mansion. After the interview, he gives her a ride to her flat and stops in for a drink. This isn't your average James Bond knockoff spy thriller; the fact that the screenplay is by playwright Harold Pinter is the first clue. Quiller, however, escapes, and with Inges help, he discovers the location of Phoenixs headquarters. Twist piles upon twist , as a British agent becomes involved in a fiendishly complicated operation to get a dangerous ringleader and his menacing hoodlums . 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. You HAVE been watching it carefully. It's not my intention to be obnoxious and list every point in the movie that strays from the book, but it's truly a shame that such well-crafted material--intriguing back stories, superior spy tactics--is wasted here. The plot holes are many. My take was, he knows she's one of the bad guys, and same with the headmistress who he passes on the way out. The Quiller Memorandum book. Press question mark to learn the rest of the keyboard shortcuts. Nobel prizes notwithstanding I think Harold Pinter's screenplay for this movie is pretty lame, or maybe it's the director's fault. Quiller also benefits from some geographically eclectic West Berlin location shooting from master cinematographer and Berlin native Erwin Hillier. The name of the intelligence agency that Quiller ( George Segal) worked for was MI6. Create an account to follow your favorite communities and start taking part in conversations. Hes that good try the book and youll find out. Just watched it. The film magnificently utilizes West German locations to bring the story to life. 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. 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. Quiller asks after Jones at the bowling alley without success and the swimming pool manager Hassler tells him spectating is not allowed. Keating. THE SITE FOR DIE HARD CRIME & THRILLER FANS. Where to Watch. Max Van Sydow is better as the neo-Nazi leader, veiled by the veneer of respectability as he cracks his knuckles and swings a golf club all the time he's injecting Segal with massive doses of truth serum, while Senta Berger is pleasant, but slight, as the pretty young teacher who apparently leads our man initially to the "other side", but whose escape at the end from capture and certain death at the hands of the "baddies" might lead one to suspect her true proclivities. 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). It out the quiller? Composer Barry provides an atmospheric score (though one that is somewhat of a departure from the notes and instruments used in his more famous pieces), but silence is put to good use as well. This reactionary quake in the spy genre was brief but seismic all the same. 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. 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. His job is to locate their headquarters. This was the first book, and I liked it. Not terribly audience-friendly, but smart and very, very cool. On the surface, we get at least some satisfying closure to the case of the clandestine neo-Nazi gang. Watched by Rui Alves de Sousa 04 Jun 2022. True, Segal never seems to settle into the role of Quiller. This well-drawn tale of espionage is set in West B. I can see where some might find it more exhausting than anything else, though--he does get tired :). The screenwriter, Harold Pinter, no less, received an Edgar nomination. It's hard to believe this book won the Edgar for Best Novel, against books by Mary Stewart, Len Deighton, Ross MacDonald, Dorothy Salisbury Davis, and H.R.F. Read 134 reviews from the world's largest community for readers. Its excellent entertainment. I read it in two evenings. 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. 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. Although competing against a whole slew of other titles in the spies-on-every-corner vein, the novel, "The Quiller Memorandum" was amazingly successful in book stores. Quiller then returns to his hotel, followed by the men who remain outside. He is shielded behind the building when the bomb explodes. Another isQuillers refusal to carry a weapon hebelieves it lends the operative an over-confidence and cangive the opposition an opportunity to turn your firearm against you. The nation remained the home of the best spies. 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. The Wall Street Journal said it was one of the best espionage/spy series of all time. The third to try is Quiller, an unassuming man, who knows he's being put into a deadly game. Conveniently for Quiller, shes also the only teacher there whos single and looks like a Bond girl. 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). As classic as it gets. 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. [3], In a contemporary review for The New York Times, critic Bosley Crowther wrote: "Clearly, 'The Quiller Memorandum' is claptrap done up in a style and with a musical score by John Barry that might lead you to think it is Art. His dry but quick Yiddish humor shines through on many occasions, providing diversions that masquerade his underlying desire to expose the antagonists' machinations. He sounded about as British as Leo Carillo or Cher. Quiller's assignment: to discover the location of the neo-Nazi . Once Quiller becomes extra-friendly with Ingewhich happens preternaturally quicklyits clear someone on the other side is getting nervous. As Quiller revolves around a plot that's more monstrously twisted than he imagines it to be . I'll give this horribly dated film a generous **1/2 rating anyway; hell, you don't see a cast as great as this one every day! Hall (also known as Elleston Trevor and several other pseudonyms) seemed really to hate the Germans, or at least his character did. They are not just sympathisers though. Visually, the film was rather stunning, but the magical soft focus that appears every time Inga is in the frame is silly. See production, box office & company info, Europa-Center, Charlottenburg, Berlin, Germany. Another characteristic of Halls style isthe ending of chapters with a cliff hanger. His two predecessors were killed off in their attempts, but he nevertheless proceeds with headstrong (perhaps even bullheaded) confidence without the aid of cover or even a firearm! Senta Berger was gorgeous! Variety wrote that "it relies on a straight narrative storyline, simple but holding, literate dialog and well-drawn characters". 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. 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. The films featured secret agent is the very un-British Quiller (George Segal), a slightly depressive American operative on loan to Britains secret services (take that, Bond!). He is shot dead by an unseen gunman. The premise isn't far-fetched, but the details are. 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? Articles from Britannica Encyclopedias for elementary and high school students. 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. The casting of George Segal in the lead was a catastrophe, as he is so brash and annoying that one wants to scream. Neo-Nazi plot Required fields are marked *. Max von Sydow plays the Nazi chief quietly but with high camp menace. The shooting on location in Berlin makes it that much more thrilling. I was really surprised, because I don't usually like books written during the 50s or 60s. Journeyman director Michael Andersons The Quiller Memorandum, which was as defiantly anti-Bond as you could get in 1966, has just been rescued from DVD mediocrity by the retro connoisseurs at Twilight Time and given a twenty-first-century Blu-ray upgrade. 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. A man walks along a deserted Berlin street at night and enters an internally lit phone box. He recruits Berger to help him infiltrate the Neo-Nazis and discover their base of operations, but, once again, is thwarted. Quiller is surprised to learn that no women were found. All Rights Reserved. The thugs believe him dead when they see the burning wreckage. While every effort has been made to follow citation style rules, there may be some discrepancies. And whats more, Quillers espionage tale is free of the silly gimmicks and gadgetry that define the escapist Bond franchise. He is British secret agent Kenneth Lindsay Jones. After their first two operatives leading the field mission are assassinated in subsequent order, the British Secret Service recruit Quiller, an American agent, to continue to lead that field operation, namely to discover the base of operations of a new Nazi organization in West Berlin, they whose general members hide in plain sight in blending in with all walks of West German society. In addition to Pinters screenplay, the film was noted for its plot twists and the portrayal of Quiller as refreshingly vulnerable and occasionally inept. The film was shot on location in West Berlin and in Pinewood Studios, England. There was also a TV series in 1975. 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. Pol tells Quiller the fascist underground is far more organized and powerful in Germany than people believe. Kindle Edition. The Quiller Memorandum subtitles. It was written by Harold Pinter, but despite his talent for writing plays, he certainly had no cinematic sense whatever. Adam Hall/Elleston Trevor certainly produces the unexpected. 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. 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. 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. The Quiller Memorandum was based on a novel by Elleston Trevor (under the name Adam Hall). Unfortunately, the film is weighed down, not only by a ponderous script, but also by a miscast lead; instead of a heavy weight actor in the mold of a William Holden, George Segal was cast as Quiller. Unfortunately, the film is weighed down, not only by a ponderous script, but also by a miscast lead; instead of a heavy weight actor in the mold of a William Holden, George Segal was cast as Quiller. George Segal as Agent Quiller with Inge Lindt (Senta Berger). 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. Two British agents are murdered by a mysterious Neo-Nazi organization in West Berlin. I listened to the audio version narrated by Andrew B Wehrlen and found it an utterly engaging tale. Author/co-author of numerous books about the cinema and is regarded as one of the foremost James Bond scholars. before he started doing "genial" and reminds us that his previous part was in the heavyweight "Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf". This isachievedviaQuillers first person perspective. From that point of view, the film should be seen by social, architectural, and urban landscape historians. I had to resist the temptation to fast forward on several occasions. Its there to tackle the dirty jobs, and Quiller is the Bureaus go-to guy. 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. Segal is a very young man in this, with that flippant, relaxed quality that made him so popular. Is Quiller going to wind up dead too? Performed by Matt Monro, "Wednesday's Child" was also released as a single. His virtual army of nearly silent, oddball henchmen add to the flavor of paranoia and nervousness. The setting is Cold War-divided Berlinwhere Quillertackles a threat from a group ofneo-Nazis whocall themselves Phoenix. The ploy works as one, two or all three of those places were where the Nazis did learn about Quiller, who they kidnap.
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