Commenting on Quiller in 1966, The New York Timessomewhat unfairlywrote off Segals performance as an unmitigated bust: If youve got any spying to do in Berlin, dont send George Segal to do the job. The reviewer then refers to Quiller as a pudding-headed fellow (a descriptive phrase that sounds more 1866 than 1966). Sort of a mixed effect clouds this novel. The name of the intelligence agency that Quiller ( George Segal) worked for was MI6. 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. When Quiller returns to his hotel, a porter bumps Quiller's leg with a suitcase on the steps. And the legendary John Barrycomposer of the original Bond themeprovides appropriately haunting incidental music here. It certainly held my interest, partly because it was set in Berlin and even mentioned the street I lived on several times. But good enough to hold my interest till the end. The source novel "The Berlin Memorandum" is billed in the credits as being by Adam Hall. As Quiller revolves around a plot that's more monstrously twisted than he imagines it to be . When drug-induced questioning fails to produce results, Segal is booted to the river, but he isn't quite ready to give in yet. I was really surprised, because I don't usually like books written during the 50s or 60s. It was from the quiller memorandum ending of the item, a failed nuclear weapons of Personalized Map Search. I also expected just a little more from the interrogation scenes from the man who wrote "The Birthday Party". 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. 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. Variety and the Flying V logos are trademarks of Variety Media, LLC. Hes that good try the book and youll find out. Segals laconic, stoop-shouldered Quiller is a Yank agent on loan to the British government to replace the latest cashiered Anglo operative in West Berlin. Please refer to the appropriate style manual or other sources if you have any questions. The book is more focused on thinking as a spy and I found it to be very realistic. 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? Neo-Nazi plot The nation remained the home of the best spies. The intense first person narration which is the defining characteristic of the Quiller books comes into its own during this interrogation scene, and also during the latter chapters of the books as events begin to come to a head. The Quiller Memorandum subtitles. The third to try is Quiller, an unassuming man, who knows he's being put into a deadly game. Twist piles upon twist , as a British agent becomes involved in a fiendishly complicated operation to get a dangerous ringleader and his menacing hoodlums . Submissions should be for the purpose of informing or initiating a discussion, not just to entertain readers. The novel was titled The Berlin Memorandum and at its centre was the protagonist and faceless spy, Quiller. 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. Want to Read. The setting is the most shadowy "post WWII Berlin" with the master players lined up against each other - The Brits and The Nazi Heirs. 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 . , . It was time for kitchen-sink alternatives to the Bond films upper-crust Empire nostalgia, channeled as it was through a tuxedoed, priapic Anglo toff committing state-sponsored murder in service of Her Majestys postcolonial grudges. The photo shows a man in Luftwaffe (airforce) uniform. youtu.be/rQ4PA3H6pAw. The Quiller Memorandum (1966) - IMDb Two British agents are murdered by a mysterious Neo-Nazi organization in West Berlin. Quiller works for the Bureau, an arm of the British Secret Service so clandestinethat no-one knows itexists. He published over 50 novels as Elleston Trevor alone. I too read the Quiller novels years ago and found them thrilling and a great middle ground between the super-spy Bond stories and the realism of Le Carre. 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! 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. 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. Special guests Sanders and Helpmann bring their special brand of haughty authority to their roles as members of British Intelligence. In a feint to see if Quiller will reveal more by oversight, Oktober decides to spare his life. Quilleris a code name. The sentences are generally clipped and abrupt, reminiscent of Simon Kernicks style wherenot a word is wasted, but predating him by a generation. Which is to say that in Quillers world, death is dispensed via relatively banal means like bombs and bullets instead of, say, dagger shoes and radioactive lint. Its there to tackle the dirty jobs, and Quiller is the Bureaus go-to guy. The book is built around a continual number of reveals. 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. 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. She claims she turned in the teacher from the article, and points out the dilapidated Phoenix mansion. 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 George Segal just doesn't cut it as a British secret agent in The Quiller Memorandum. 1966's The Quiller Memorandum is a low-key gem, a pared-down, existential spy caper that keeps the exoticism to a minimum. Because the books were written in the first person the reader learns very little about him, beyond his mission capability. 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. The Quiller Memorandum (1966) - IMDb He begins openly asking question about Neo-Nazis and is soon kidnapped by a man known only as "Oktober". Summaries 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 decides to investigate the building, Inge says she will wait for him, while Hassler and the headmistress leave one of their cars for them. Encyclopaedia Britannica's editors oversee subject areas in which they have extensive knowledge, whether from years of experience gained by working on that content or via study for an advanced degree. Also the increasing descent into the minutiae of spycraft plays into the reveal, plot-wise as well as psychologically. Create an account to follow your favorite communities and start taking part in conversations. 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. What Adam Hall did extremely wellwas toget us readers inside the mind of an undercover operative. The film is a spy-thriller set in 1960s West Berlin, where agent Quiller is sent to investigate a neo-Nazi organisation. He steals a taxi, evades a pursuing vehicle and books himself into a squalid hotel. But Quiller gets closer to the action when he visits a supposedly progressive West Berlin middle school on a tip about an alleged Nazi war criminal who once taught there. The film was shot on location in West Berlin and in Pinewood . Guinness appears as Segal's superior and offers a great deal of presence and class. 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.) Hassler drives them to meet an old contact he says knows a lot more, who turns out to be Inge's headmistress. Be the first to contribute. Michael Anderson directs a classy slice of '60s spy-dom. America's leading magazine on the art and politics of the cinema. Other viewers have said it all: it is a good movie and more interestingly it is a different kind of spy movie. 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. The Quiller Memorandum (1966) is one such film, and though it's one of the more obscure ones, it is also one of the better ones. 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. Pretending to be a reporter, Quiller visits the school featured in the article. He brings graceful authority and steely determination to his role. Harold Pinter was nominated for an Edgar Award in the Best Motion Picture category, but also didn't win. 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. 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. Quiller befriends a teacher, Inge Lindt, whose predecessor at the school had been arrested for being a Neo-Nazi. Also published as "The Berlin Memorandum" (UK title). Quiller leaves, startling the headmistress on the way out. In the 60's, in Berlin, two British agents that are investigating a Neonazi ring are murdered. A spy thriller for chess players. 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. But how could she put up with the love scenes with the atrocious Segal? 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!). Quiller: At the end of our conversation, he ordered them to kill me. That makes the story much more believable, and Adam Hall's writing style kept me engaged. Adam Hall/Elleston Trevor certainly produces the unexpected. In fact, he is derisory about agents who insist on being armed. 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. For example operatives are referred to as ferrets, and thats what they are. Press J to jump to the feed. Quiller, a British agent who works without gun, cover or contacts, takes on a neo-Nazi underground organization and its war criminal leader. 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. Oktober also wants to know the location of the British base in Germany and uses drugs in Quiller to get the information but the skilled agent resists. 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. The British Secret Service sends agent Quiller to investigate. 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. Alec Guinness gets to play a Smiley prototype but brings too much Noel Coward to the table. A bit too sardonic at times, I think his character wanted to be elsewhere, clashing with KGB agents instead of ferreting out neo-nazis. "The Quiller Memorandum" is a film with a HUGE strike against it at the outset.they inexplicably cast George Segal as a British spy! And whats more, Quillers espionage tale is free of the silly gimmicks and gadgetry that define the escapist Bond franchise. This time he's a spy trying to get the location of a neo-Nazi organization. He is shielded behind the building when the bomb explodes. The friend proves to be Hassler, who is now much more friendly. Apparently, it was made into a classic movie and there is even a website compiled by Trevor devotees. It was written by Harold Pinter, but despite his talent for writing plays, he certainly had no cinematic sense whatever. Reviews of The Quiller Memorandum Letterboxd All Rights Reserved. He is British secret agent Kenneth Lindsay Jones. The story, in the early days of, This week sees the release of Trouble, the third book in the Hella Mauzer series by Katja Ivar. Quiller wakes up beside Berlin's Spree River. 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. The plot revolves around former Nazis and the rise of a Neo-Nazi organisation known as Phonix. The Quiller Memorandum Cineaste Magazine It's a bit strange to see such exquisitely Pinter-esque dialogue (the laconic, seemingly innocuous sentences; the profound silences; the syntax that isn't quite how real people actually talk) in a spy movie, but it really works. 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. I can see where some might find it more exhausting than anything else, though--he does get tired :). The film starred George Segal in the lead role, with Alec Guinness supporting andwas nominated for three BAFTAs. Fans of "Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory" will notice that film's Mr. Slugworth (Meisner) in a small role as the operator of a swim club (which features some memorably husky, "master race" swimmers emerging from the pool.) The premise isn't far-fetched, but the details are. (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 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 . The Quiller Memorandum | Popular Culture Wiki | Fandom I just dont really understand the ending to a degree. This books has excellent prose, unrealistic scenes, and a mediocre plot. But don't let it fool you for one minutenor Mr. Segal, nor Senta Berger as the girl. Pol tells Quiller the fascist underground is far more organized and powerful in Germany than people believe. 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. 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. Quiller drives off, managing to shake Hengel, then notices men in another car following him. 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 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. The Quiller Memorandum - Trailers From Hell 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. Drama. Quiller Memorandum, The (Blu-ray Review) - The Digital Bits 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. When Quiller refuses to talk, Oktober orders his execution. 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. There are a number of unique elements in the Quiller series that make it stand out. I loved seeing and feeling the night shots in this film and, as it was shot on location, the sense of reality was heightened for me. Like Harry Palmer, Quiller is a stubborn individualist who has some rather inflated ideas of being his own man and is contemptuous of his controlling stuffed-shirt overlords. Max von Sydow plays the Nazi chief quietly but with high camp menace. 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 ploy works as one, two or all three of those places were where the Nazis did learn about Quiller, who they kidnap. The Phoenix group descend and take Quiller, torturing him to find out what he knows. 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. 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. Hall alsopeppered the text with authentic espionage jargon and as you read you get to live the part of Quiller. The film magnificently utilizes West German locations to bring the story to life. George Segal was good at digging for information without gadgets. Once Quiller becomes extra-friendly with Ingewhich happens preternaturally quicklyits clear someone on the other side is getting nervous. All of that, and today the novels are largely forgotten. Quiller continues his subtle accusations, and Inge continues her denial of ever meeting Jones. 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. Quiller enters the mansion and is confronted by Phoenix thugs. 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). George Segal provides us with a lead character who is somewhat quirky in his demeanor, yet nonetheless effective in his role as an agent. 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. But the writing was sloppy and there was a wholly superfluous section on decoding a cipher, which wasn't even believable. Get help and learn more about the design. For Quiller, it's a question of staying alive when he's not in possession of all of the facts. Fans of realistic spy fiction will enjoy David McCloskeys debut thriller Damascus Station, newly available in paperback in the UK. 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. 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. The Quiller Memorandum - Variety Dril several holes in it, the size of a pin, one the size of a small coin. The Quiller Memorandum book. Hes lone wolf who lives or dies by his own actions a very clean and principled approach to espionage. I probably haven't yet read enough to be fully aware of what the typical Quiller characteristics are, but never mindthe key thing is that it was a pacy, intense and thrilling read. Really sad. This spy novel about neo-Nazis 1960's Berlin seemed dated and a little stilted to me. They are all members of Phoenix, led by the German aristocrat code-named Oktober. Oh, there are some problems, and Michael Anderson's direction is. Sadly the Quiller novels have fallen out of favour with the apparentend of the Cold War.
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