Harold Pinter was nominated for an Edgar Award in the Best Motion Picture category, but also didn't win. He also works alone and without contacts. Meanwhile , Quiller befriends and fall in love for a teacher , Inge Lindt (Senta Berger) , and both of whom suffer constant dangers . In the process, he discovers a complex and malevolent plot, more dangerous to the world than any crime committed during the war. 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 . Quiller has a love affair with Inge and they seek out the location of Oktober. Quiller (played by George Segal) is an American secret agent assigned to work with British MI6 chief Pol ( Alec Guinness) in West Berlin. Always under-appreciated by U.S. audiences, it's a relief to know that she's had a major impact on the German film community in later years. What is the French language plot outline for The Quiller Memorandum (1966)? Read 134 reviews from the world's largest community for readers. 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. The nation remained the home of the best spies. His book. Conveniently for Quiller, shes also the only teacher there whos single and looks like a Bond girl. 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. Pol tells Quiller the fascist underground is far more organized and powerful in Germany than people believe. Older ; About; Quiller tells Inge that they got most, but clearly not all, of the neo-Nazis. Senta Berger was gorgeous! Quiller, however, escapes, and with Inges help, he discovers the location of Phoenixs headquarters. The classic tale of espionage that started it all! The West had sent a couple of agents to find out their headquarters, but both are killed. Quiller, a British agent who works without gun, cover or contacts, takes on a neo-Nazi underground organization and its war criminal leader. Twist piles upon twist , as a British agent becomes involved in a fiendishly complicated operation to get a dangerous ringleader and his menacing hoodlums . 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. 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. But then Quiller retraces his steps in a flashback. 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. But his accent was all wrongtaking the viewer out of the moment. The novels are esoteric thrillers, very cerebral and highly recommended. Oktober informs Quiller that if he does not disclose secret information this time, both he and Inge will be killed. An American agent is sent to Berlin to track down the leaders of a neo-Nazi organization, but when they . What is the French language plot outline for The Quiller Memorandum (1966)? 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. Two British agents are murdered by a mysterious Neo-Nazi organization in West Berlin. But Quiller is an equal to a James Bond, or a George Smiley. The thugs believe him dead when they see the burning wreckage. Quiller's assignment: to discover the location of the neo-Nazi . , . I feel this film much more typified real counter espionage in the 60's as opposed to the early Bond flicks (which I love, by the way). The novel was titledThe Berlin Memorandum and at its centre was the protagonist and faceless spy, Quiller. The brawny headmistress points Quiller in the direction of Inge (Senta Berger), who happens to be the only English-speaking teacher at the school. 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. Hall is not trying be a Le Carre, hes in a different area, one he really makes his own. As usual for films which are difficult to pin down . Segal is a very young man in this, with that flippant, relaxed quality that made him so popular. Press question mark to learn the rest of the keyboard shortcuts. Alec Guinness is excellent as a spy chief, and he gives a faint whiff of verisimilitude to this hopeless film. Max von Sydow plays the Nazi chief quietly but with high camp menace. NR. I can see where some might find it more exhausting than anything else, though--he does get tired :). 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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. It is credible. With what little information the British operatives are able to provide him especially in his most recent predecessor, Kenneth Lindsay Jones, working alone without backup against advice, Quiller decides to take a different but potentially more dangerous tact than those predecessors in showing himself at three places Jones was known to be investigating, albeit in coded terms, as the person who has now taken over the mission from Jones in the probability that the Nazis will try to abduct him for questioning to discover what exactly their opponents know or don't know, and to discover in turn their base of operations in West Berlin. People tend to like it because "it's not like the Bond movies"; well, it's not - it's like "The Ipcress File", except that "The Ipcress File" was a genuinely smart and atmospheric movie, while "The Quiller Memorandum" is a clumsy, dated spy thriller full of pseudo-hip dialogue and plot holes. Newer. This is a nom de plume for author. - BH. 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. He accepts the assignment and almost immediately finds that he is being followed. 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). Quiller then returns to his hotel, followed by the men who remain outside. The premise isn't far-fetched, but the details are. I liked that the main character was ornery and tired and smart and still made mistakes and tried to see all possible outcomes at once and fought more against jumping to conclusions and staying alert and clear-headed than he did directly against the villains themselves. And will the world see a return of Nazi power? Quiller's primary contact for this job is a mid level administrative agent named Pol. This demonstration using familiar breakfast food items serves to stimulate the American spys brainwaves into serious operative mode. This was a great movie and found Quillers character to be excellent. The headmistress introduces him to a teacher who speaks English, Inge Lindt. International in its scope its contributors include scholars from Australia, Quiller . 1 jamietre 8 mo. The whole thing, including these two actors, is as hollow as a shell. The latter reveals a local teacher has been unmasked as a Nazi. The source novel "The Berlin Memorandum" is billed in the credits as being by Adam Hall. 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. It certainly held my interest, partly because it was set in Berlin and even mentioned the street I lived on several times. All of that, and today the novels are largely forgotten. And of course, no spy-spoof conversation would be complete without mentioning 1967s David Niven-led piss-take on the Bond films, Casino Royale. 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 . Watchlist. This books has excellent prose, unrealistic scenes, and a mediocre plot. I'm generally pretty forgiving of film adaptations of novels, but the changes that were made just do not make sense. Quiller avoids answering Oktober's questions about Quiller's agency, until a doctor injects him with a truth serum, after which he reveals a few minor clues. 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! Quiller, a British agent who works without gun, cover or contacts, takes on a neo-Nazi underground organization and its war criminal leader. 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 is based on Adam Hall's thriller novel about neo-Nazism in contemporary Germany. It is very rare that I find anyone else who is even aware of the Quiller books and yet they are as your reviewer mentions, absolutely first class. The story is ludicrous. In 1966, the book was made into a successful film starring George Segal, Max Von Sydow, Senta Berger, and Alec Guinness. I can't NOT begin by saying, "This Is A MUST Read For Every Fan Of The Espionage Genre". In the following chapter the events have moved on beyond the crisis, instantly creating a how? question in your mind. Or was she simply a lonely Samaritan who altruistically beds the socially awkward American spy to help prevent a Fourth Reich? Quiller drives off, managing to shake Hengel, then notices men in another car following him. The Quiller Memorandum came near the peak of the craze for spy movies in the Sixties, but its dry, oddly sardonic tone sets it apart from both the James Bond-type sex-and-gadget thrillers and the more somber, "adult" spy dramas such as Martin Ritt's The Spy Who Came In from the Cold (1965). 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. After all, his characters social unease and affectless personality are presumably components of the movies contra-Bond commitment. Segal plays a secret agent assigned to ferret out the headquarters of a Neo-Nazi movement in Berlin. My take was, he knows she's one of the bad guys, and same with the headmistress who he passes on the way out. Quiller slips out though a side door to the small garage yard where his car is kept. Two British agents are murdered by a mysterious Neo-Nazi organization in West Berlin. 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. A handful of engaging spy thrillers followed before the author paused his novels to focus on journalism, although its also worth noting that he has freelanced. 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. 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. Quiller is eventually kidnapped and tortured by Oktober (Max von Sydow), the leader of Phoenix. They are all members of Phoenix, led by the German aristocrat code-named Oktober. The sentences are generally clipped and abrupt, reminiscent of Simon Kernicks style wherenot a word is wasted, but predating him by a generation. 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. A crisply written story that captured my attention from beginning to end. 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. George Segal was good at digging for information without gadgets. Our editors will review what youve submitted and determine whether to revise the article. He was the author of. Hes that good try the book and youll find out. (What with wanting to go to sleep and wanting to scream at the same time, this film does pose certain conflict problems.) 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. It was from the quiller memorandum ending of the item, a failed nuclear weapons of Personalized Map Search. On the surface, we get at least some satisfying closure to the case of the clandestine neo-Nazi gang. 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. While most realistic spy films of the 60s focused on the Soviet threat, Quiller pits the title character against a group of neo-Nazis. 1 hr 45 mins. 42 editions. The Quiller Memorandum Reviews. Yes, Scream VI Marketing Is Behind the Creepy Ghostface Sightings Causing Scares Across the U.S. David Oyelowo, Taylor Sheridan's 'Bass Reeves' Series at Paramount+ Casts King Richard Star Demi Singleton (EXCLUSIVE), Star Trek: Discovery to End With Season 5, Paramount+ Pushes Premiere to 2024. Alec Guinness never misses a trick in his few scenes as the cold, witty fish in charge of Berlin sector investigations. Quiller is surprised to learn that no women were found. 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. Quiller, an agent working for British Intelligence, is sent to Berlin to meet with Pol, another operative. But good enough to hold my interest till the end. In the 60's, in Berlin, two British agents that are investigating a Neonazi ring are murdered. Performed by Matt Monro, "Wednesday's Child" was also released as a single. Neo-Nazi plot This was evidently the first of a very long series featuring the spy Quiller. I recall being duly impressed by the menacing atmospherics, if much of it went over my head. Watched by Rui Alves de Sousa 04 Jun 2022. Set in 1950s Finland, during the Cold War, the books tell the story of a young police woman and budding detective who cuts against the grain when, John Fullertons powerful 1996 debut The Monkey House was set in war-torn Sarajevo and was right in the moment. Quiller manages to outwit his opponent yet again, leading to his arrest. At a key breakfast meeting, Pol uses two blueberry muffins to outline the particularly precarious cat-and-mouse game Quiller must play while in the gap between his own side and the fascist gang. A few missteps toward the end so that a few of the twists felt thin and not solidly set up, but overall very nicely plotted and written. Widescreen viewing is a must, if possible, if for no other reason than to fully glimpse the extraordinary stadium built by Hitler for the 1936 Olympic games. It's a more realistic or credible portrayal of how a single character copes with trying to get information in a dangerous environment. Can someone explain it to me? 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. This well-drawn tale of espionage is set in West Berlin, 15 years after the end of WW II. His dry but quick Yiddish humor shines through on many occasions, providing diversions that masquerade his underlying desire to expose the antagonists' machinations. Please refer to the appropriate style manual or other sources if you have any questions. When Quiller returns to his hotel, a porter bumps Quiller's leg with a suitcase on the steps. [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. Guinness appears as Segal's superior and offers a great deal of presence and class. 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. This spy novel about neo-Nazis 1960's Berlin seemed dated and a little stilted to me. True, Segal never seems to settle into the role of Quiller. 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. But the writing was sloppy and there was a wholly superfluous section on decoding a cipher, which wasn't even believable. Your name is Quiller. The burning question for Quiller is, how close is too close? The screenwriter, Harold Pinter, no less, received an Edgar nomination. The film starred George Segal in the lead role, with Alec Guinness supporting andwas nominated for three BAFTAs. 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. 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. 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). 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) . 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). 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. The setting is Cold War-divided Berlinwhere Quillertackles a threat from a group ofneo-Nazis whocall themselves Phoenix. The film magnificently utilizes West German locations to bring the story to life. The British Secret Service sends agent Quiller to investigate. Want to Read. I recently found and purchased all 19 of the series in hardback and read them serially. The movie made productive use of the West German locations.