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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. It's a more realistic or credible portrayal of how a single character copes with trying to get information in a dangerous environment. Other viewers have said it all: it is a good movie and more interestingly it is a different kind of spy movie. Alec Guinness gets to play a Smiley prototype but brings too much Noel Coward to the table. The thugs believe him dead when they see the burning wreckage. 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. 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. He notices the concierge is seated where he can see anyone leaving. Fans of realistic spy fiction will enjoy David McCloskeys debut thriller Damascus Station, newly available in paperback in the UK. What is the French language plot outline for The Quiller Memorandum (1966)? They both go to the building, whereupon they are captured. Quiller tells Inge that they got most, but clearly not all, of the neo-Nazis. 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 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. He first meets with Pol, who explains that each side is trying to discover and annihilate the other's base. 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. 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. 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. Our editors will review what youve submitted and determine whether to revise the article. Updates? Kindle Edition. And will the world see a return of Nazi power? The book is more focused on thinking as a spy and I found it to be very realistic. The film magnificently utilizes West German locations to bring the story to life. The mind of the spy The movie made productive use of the West German locations. . The book is built around a continual number of reveals. A bit too sardonic at times, I think his character wanted to be elsewhere, clashing with KGB agents instead of ferreting out neo-nazis. 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. The name of the intelligence agency that Quiller ( George Segal) worked for was MI6. The British Secret Service sends agent Quiller to investigate. Nimble, sharp-toothed and sometimes they have to bite and claw their way out of a dark hole. Variety wrote that "it relies on a straight narrative storyline, simple but holding, literate dialog and well-drawn characters". For example operatives are referred to as ferrets, and thats what they are. 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. 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." 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 Mind you, in 1966-67 the Wall was there, East German border guards and a definite (cold war) cloud hanging over the city. Book 4 stars, narration by Simon Prebble 4 stars. 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). She claims she turned in the teacher from the article, and points out the dilapidated Phoenix mansion. Segal is an unusual actor to be cast as a spy, but his quirky approach and his talent for repartee do assist him in retaining interest (even if its at the expense of the character as originally conceived in the source novels.) Lindt (Berger) is a school teacher who meets Quiller to translate for him. This spy novel about neo-Nazis 1960's Berlin seemed dated and a little stilted to me. Quiller has a love affair with Inge and they seek out the location of Oktober. 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? The Quiller Memorandum Reviews. He also works alone and without contacts. Really sad. These include another superior soundtrack by John Barry, if perhaps a little too much son-of "The Ipcress File", some fine real-life (West) Berlin exteriors, particularly of the Olympic Stadium with its evocation of 1936 and all that and Harold Pinter's typically rhythmic, if at times inscrutable screenplay. 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. But how could she put up with the love scenes with the atrocious Segal? Quiller then returns to his hotel, followed by the men who remain outside. Inge tells him she loves him, and he tells her a phone number to call if he is not back in 20 minutes. 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. 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. But Quiller is an equal to a James Bond, or a George Smiley. 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. 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. At lunch in an exclusive club in London, close to Buckingham Palace, the directors of an unnamed agency, Gibbs and Rushington, decide to send American agent Quiller to continue the assignment, which has now killed two agents. Quiller continues his subtle accusations, and Inge continues her denial of ever meeting Jones. The novels are esoteric thrillers, very cerebral and highly recommended. Your name is Quiller. 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. 2023's Most Anticipated Sequels, Prequels, and Spin-offs, Dirk Bauer . 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. 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. When their backs against the wall, its him they turn to. Inga is unrecognizable and has been changed to the point of uselessness. Quiller goes back to the school and confronts Inge in her classroom. The setting is as classic as the comeBerlin during the 1960s. Conveniently for Quiller, shes also the only teacher there whos single and looks like a Bond girl. 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. It was nominated for three BAFTA Awards,[2] while Pinter was nominated for an Edgar Award for the script. 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. 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 . Don't start thinking you missed something: it's the screenplay who did ! 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. The source novel "The Berlin Memorandum" is billed in the credits as being by Adam Hall. And of course, no spy-spoof conversation would be complete without mentioning 1967s David Niven-led piss-take on the Bond films, Casino Royale. 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 is British secret agent Kenneth Lindsay Jones. But good enough to hold my interest till the end. With George Segal, Alec Guinness, Max von Sydow, Senta Berger. movies. Quiller's primary contact for this job is a mid level administrative agent named Pol. They are all members of Phoenix, led by the German aristocrat code-named Oktober. George Sanders and others back in London play the stock roles of arch SIS mandarins who love putting people down, wearing black tie and being the snobs that they are. Quiller, a British agent who works without gun, cover or contacts, takes on a neo-Nazi underground organization and its war criminal leader. The screenwriter, Harold Pinter, no less, received an Edgar nomination. Very eerie film score, I believe John Barry did it but, I'm not sure. The Quiller Memorandum 1966, directed by Michael Anderson | Film review The Quiller Memorandum Film Time Out says The thinking man's spy thriller, in as much as Harold Pinter wrote the script. Quiller leaves, startling the headmistress on the way out. If you've only seen the somewhat tepid 1966 film starring George Segal which is based on this classic post-WWII espionage novel, don't let it stop you from reading the original. 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. aka: The Quiller Memorandum the first in a series of 19 Quiller books. Let us know if you have suggestions to improve this article (requires login). One of my all time favorites and the film too.