Michael Anderson directs a classy slice of '60s spy-dom. Variety wrote that "it relies on a straight narrative storyline, simple but holding, literate dialog and well-drawn characters". This repackaging includes some worthwhile special features like an isolated score track and commentary by film historians Eddy Friedfeld and Lee Pfeiffer of Cinema Retro magazine to go with the new format. George Segal, plays the edgy American-abroad new CI5 recruit (looking unnervingly at times like a young George W Bush!) 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. For example operatives are referred to as ferrets, and thats what they are. 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). 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. What will Quiller do? . And he sustains the same high level of quality over the course of nineteen books. If your idea of an exciting spy thriller involves boobs, blondes and exploding baguettes, then The Quiller Memorandum is probably not for you. 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. 2023 Variety Media, LLC. Another characteristic of Halls style isthe ending of chapters with a cliff hanger. Fans of realistic spy fiction will enjoy David McCloskeys debut thriller Damascus Station, newly available in paperback in the UK. 42 editions. Instead, the screenplay posits a more sinister threat: the nascent re-Nazification of German youths, facilitated by an underground coven of Nazi sympathizing grade-school teachers. The premise isn't far-fetched, but the details are.
The Quiller Memorandum Cineaste Magazine With George Segal, Alec Guinness, Max von Sydow, Senta Berger. Languid, some might say ponderous mid-60's British-made cold-war drama (it could scarcely be called a thriller, more "The Spy Who Came In From The Cold" than, say "Thunderball") that for all its longueurs, does have some redeeming features. The nation remained the home of the best spies. 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. I enjoyed the book. As usual for films which are difficult to pin down . He is shot dead by an unseen gunman. 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.
Amazon.com: The Quiller Memorandum eBook : Hall, Adam: Books 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 fact, he is derisory about agents who insist on being armed. Quilleris a code name. 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. The setting is Cold War-divided Berlin where Quiller tackles a threat from a group of neo-Nazis who call themselves Phoenix. She claims she turned in the teacher from the article, and points out the dilapidated Phoenix mansion. Neo-Nazi plot Hall (also known as Elleston Trevor and several other pseudonyms) seemed really to hate the Germans, or at least his character did. 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 for today's audiences, those films are a bit old fashioned and not always very easy to follow, too much complicated. All of that, and today the novels are largely forgotten. 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.) "[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. It is the first book in the 20-volume Quiller series.
Can someone please explain to me the ending in The Quiller Memorandum Take a solid, healthy chicken's egg out of the hen house or the fridge Now throw out all the substance, and just keep the eggshell. 1966's The Quiller Memorandum is a low-key gem, a pared-down, existential spy caper that keeps the exoticism to a minimum. Be the first to contribute. This spy novel about neo-Nazis 1960's Berlin seemed dated and a little stilted to me. And will the world see a return of Nazi power? The cast is full of familiar faces: Alec Guinness, who doesn't have much of a role, George Sanders, who has even less of one, Max von Sydow in what was to become a very familiar part for him, Robert Helpmann, Robert Flemyng, and the beautiful, enigmatic Senta Berger.
DVD Savant Review: The Quiller Memorandum - DVD Talk The setting is Cold War-divided Berlinwhere Quillertackles a threat from a group ofneo-Nazis whocall themselves Phoenix. And of course, no spy-spoof conversation would be complete without mentioning 1967s David Niven-led piss-take on the Bond films, Casino Royale. Audiobook. Quiller, a British agent who works without gun, cover or contacts, takes on a neo-Nazi underground organization and its war criminal leader. He is the true faceless spy. 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). 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. Quiller slips out though a side door to the small garage yard where his car is kept. 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. They are all members of Phoenix, led by the German aristocrat code-named Oktober. Once Quiller becomes extra-friendly with Ingewhich happens preternaturally quicklyits clear someone on the other side is getting nervous. Fresh off an Oscar nomination for the mental anguish he suffered at the hands of Richard Burton and Liz Taylor in Whos Afraid of Virginia Woolf (also 1966), George Segal seems, in hindsight, a dubious choice to play the offbeat Quiller. I can see where some might find it more exhausting than anything else, though--he does get tired :). Whats more, not even Harold Pinter can inject Segals Quiller with anything like the cutting cynicism and dark humor that made Alec Leamus such a formidably wretched character. 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. I enjoyed this novel just as much (if not more) as the previous books that I have read, and I will certainly be purchasing any further Quiller novels that I come across in my exploration of second-hand bookshops. Create an account to follow your favorite communities and start taking part in conversations. 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. The Quiller series is highly regarded by the spy-fiction community, and as strange as it may seem - because I have had most of the books for years - I have never actually read them. Two British agents are murdered by a mysterious Neo-Nazi organization in West Berlin. 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.
CIS: The Quiller Memorandum revisited | Crime Fiction Lover 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 . The novel was titled The Berlin Memorandum and at its centre was the protagonist and faceless spy, Quiller. 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. Its there to tackle the dirty jobs, and Quiller is the Bureaus go-to guy. His book. While most realistic spy films of the 60s focused on the Soviet threat, Quiller pits the title character against a group of neo-Nazis. If you have seen this movie, and it leaves you very dissatisfied or with a bunch of bright orange question marks, don't worry ! [5], According to Fox records, the film needed to earn $2,600,000 in rentals to break even and made $2,575,000, meaning it initially showed a marginal loss, but subsequent television and home video sales moved it into the black. At the 1967 BAFTA Awards the film had nominations in the best Art Direction, Film Editing and Screenplay categories, but did not win. His Oktober does, however, serve as a one-man master class in hyperironic cordiality: Ah, Quiller! The film is a spy-thriller set in 1960s West Berlin, where agent Quiller is sent to investigate a neo-Nazi organisation. They both go to the building, whereupon they are captured. During the car chase scene, the cars behind Quiller's Porsche appear and disappear, and are sometimes alongside his car, on the driver's (left) side. Keating. 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. Quiller befriends a teacher, Inge Lindt, whose predecessor at the school had been arrested for being a Neo-Nazi. The Quiller Memorandum's strengths and charms are perhaps a bit too subtle for a spy thriller, but those who like their espionage movies served up with a sheen of intelligence rather than gloss or mockery will embrace Quiller.Still, there's no denying that that intelligence doesn't go as deep as it thinks it does, which can be frustrating. Having just read the novel, it's impossible to watch this without its influence and I found the screen version incredibly disappointing. The British Secret Service sends agent Quiller to investigate. Hall is not trying be a Le Carre, hes in a different area, one he really makes his own. The Quiller Memorandum Reviews. The mission in Berlin is a mess, two of the Bureaus spies have been murdered already by the shadowy Phoenix. 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. Nobel prizes notwithstanding I think Harold Pinter's screenplay for this movie is pretty lame, or maybe it's the director's fault. He was the author of. Harold Pinter was nominated for an Edgar Award in the Best Motion Picture category, but also didn't win. When drug-induced questioning fails to produce results, Segal is booted to the river, but he isn't quite ready to give in yet. It is credible. 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. It was written by Harold Pinter, but despite his talent for writing plays, he certainly had no cinematic sense whatever. 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. He sounded about as British as Leo Carillo or Cher. Also contains one of the final appearences of George Sanders in a brief role, a classic in his own right! Two British agents are murdered by a mysterious Neo-Nazi organization in West Berlin. We never find out histrue identity or his history. 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. Theres a humanity to Quiller that is unique in this type of action spy thriller. 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. As usual for films which are difficult to pin down . 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. 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. George Segal was good at digging for information without gadgets. 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. While the Harry Palmer films from 1965 to 1967 (Ipcress File, Funeral in Berlin, and Billion Dollar Brain) saw cockney Everyman Michael Caine nail the part of Palmer, who was the slum-dwelling, bespectacled antithesis to Sean Connerys martini-sipping sybarite. The British Secret Service sends agent Quiller to investigate. 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. [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?" But then Quiller retraces his steps in a flashback. How nice to see you again! and so forth. But good enough to hold my interest till the end. 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. The Quiller Memorandum is based on Adam Hall's thriller novel about neo-Nazism in contemporary Germany. 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. There was also a TV series in 1975. The West had sent a couple of agents to find out their headquarters, but both are killed. 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) . 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). George Segal provides us with a lead character who is somewhat quirky in his demeanor, yet nonetheless effective in his role as an agent. His job is to locate their headquarters. For example, when the neo-Nazi goons are sticking to Quiller like fly paper, wasn't he suspicious when they did not follow him into his hotel? True, Segal never seems to settle into the role of Quiller. It relies. I just dont really understand the ending to a degree. My take was, he knows she's one of the bad guys, and same with the headmistress who he passes on the way out. But George Segal just doesn't cut it as a British secret agent in The Quiller Memorandum. The screenwriter, Harold Pinter, no less, received an Edgar nomination.
The Quiller Memorandum by Adam Hall | Goodreads The first thing to say about this film is that the screenplay is so terrible. THE SITE FOR DIE HARD CRIME & THRILLER FANS. The photo shows a man in Luftwaffe (airforce) uniform.
The Quiller Memorandum - DVD Talk George Segal as Agent Quiller with Inge Lindt (Senta Berger). But don't let it fool you for one minutenor Mr. Segal, nor Senta Berger as the girl. Senta Berger was gorgeous! . 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. Quiller's assignment is to take over where Jones left off. 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. The source novel "The Berlin Memorandum" is billed in the credits as being by Adam Hall. He also works alone and without contacts.
The Quiller Memorandum by Adam Hall - Goodreads Quiller continues his subtle accusations, and Inge continues her denial of ever meeting Jones. 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. 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. 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. The whole thing, including these two actors, is as hollow as a shell. One of my all time favorites and the film too. 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.
talula's garden happy hour When Quiller returns to his hotel, a porter bumps Quiller's leg with a suitcase on the steps.