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IMDb > "Tinker, Tailor, Soldier, Spy" (1979)

"Tinker, Tailor, Soldier, Spy" (1979) More at IMDbPro »TV series

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Overview

User Rating:
9.0/10   1,530 votes
MOVIEmeter: ?
Down 1% in popularity this week. See rank & trends on IMDbPro.
Director:
John Irvin
Writers:
John le Carré (novel) and
Arthur Hopcraft (dramatisation)
Contact:
View company contact information for Tinker, Tailor, Soldier, Spy on IMDbPro.
Seasons:
1 full episode list
Release Date:
29 September 1980 (USA) more
Genre:
Drama | Thriller more
Plot:
George Smiley has been retired for about a year when he finds a friend from the circus, his old outfit... more
Awards:
Nominated for Primetime Emmy. Another 4 wins & 7 nominations more
User Comments:
Just about as good as it gets more

Cast

 (Series Cast Summary - 14 of 15)

Alec Guinness ... George Smiley (7 episodes, 1979)
Michael Jayston ... Peter Guillam (7 episodes, 1979)
Anthony Bate ... Sir Oliver Lacon / ... (7 episodes, 1979)
George Sewell ... Mendel (6 episodes, 1979)
Bernard Hepton ... Toby Esterhase (5 episodes, 1979)
Ian Richardson ... Bill Haydon (5 episodes, 1979)
Hywel Bennett ... Ricki Tarr (5 episodes, 1979)
Terence Rigby ... Roy Bland (4 episodes, 1979)
Ian Bannen ... Jim Prideaux (4 episodes, 1979)
Michael Aldridge ... Percy Alleline (4 episodes, 1979)
Alec Sabin ... Fawn (4 episodes, 1979)
Alexander Knox ... Control (3 episodes, 1979)
Duncan Jones ... Roach (3 episodes, 1979)
Daniel Beecher ... Spikely (3 episodes, 1979)
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Additional Details

Runtime:
290 min | UK:350 min (7 parts)
Country:
UK
Language:
English
Color:
Color
Aspect Ratio:
1.33 : 1 more
Sound Mix:
Mono
Certification:
Singapore:PG

Fun Stuff

Trivia:
Alec Guinness was very concerned that he wasn't the right type to portray the "frog-like" George Smiley. At one point during filming, he suggested that the production team ask Arthur Lowe to replace him. more
Goofs:
Continuity: In episode 6, when Peter Guillam is testing the taping system at the safe house, he says the recorder is voice-activated, but it doesn't stop turning on his first silent pause, which is much longer than his second and third pauses, when it stops instantly. more
Quotes:
Mendel: [about Guillam] He does sound jumpy. He might have overdone it a bit there. He was very loud. I've seen it all before, tough ones who crack at 40. They lock it away, pretend it isn't happening, all of a sudden you find 'em sat in front of their desks, the tears pouring on the blotter.
[Smiley looks at him critically]
Mendel: I thought I ought to say what's on my mind.
George Smiley: I think Peter will manage... You heard something about his murderous assignment in French North Africa, I suppose?
Mendel: Something. Whispers.
George Smiley: Peter was overmatched, and lost. His agents were hanged. No one recovers entirely from that sort of thing. That is, I wouldn't trust a man... who did.
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Movie Connections:
Remade as Tinker, Tailor, Soldier, Spy (2012) more

FAQ

This FAQ is empty. Add the first question.
15 out of 16 people found the following comment useful:-
Just about as good as it gets, 11 November 1999
9/10
Author: Tom-447 from Lafayette LA USA

Sir Alec Guinness is so good at being George Smiley that John LeCarre claims he can no longer write the character about without seeing Guinness' face. The supporting cast is uniformly excellent, and the script captures the novel almost flawlessly. It takes six hours because the story is complex and ranges over many years and many characters, but it is so well-written and acted that the any viewer with an attention span longer than that of a gnat can easily keep track of who did what and when, so that the ultimate unmasking of the traitor may be a surprise, but it is not a shock.

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Message Boards

Discuss this movie with other users on IMDb message board for "Tinker, Tailor, Soldier, Spy" (1979)
Recent Posts (updated daily)User
Big screen remake coming? :( Bernard-Herrmann
Why is important that the Czeck army was looking for Jim? dcojoc
one of the best spy movie/mini-series here is a list of others ... Renard-4
Music in the strip club... possibly from Smiley's People? green-munchkin
Who Should Play Smiley in the Movie Version? Karla-Smiley
DVD Differences Don-91
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Related Links

Episode guide Full cast and crew Company credits
External reviews IMDb TV section IMDb Drama section
IMDb UK section Add this title to MyMovies

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