Smiley's People (1982)

Barry Foster: Saul Enderby

Quotes 

• Saul Enderby : Well, why doesn't he dig up his treasure? Put it somewhere else and cover his traces? The shit's in the fan, he knows that, Kirov's confessed!

  George Smiley : Perhaps the treasure refuses to be moved. Perhaps Karla's options have run out.

  Saul Enderby : It's daylight madness to leave that Swiss bank account intact!

  George Smiley : It was daylight madness to use a fool like Kirov. It was madness to approach Ostrakova, and madness to believe that by killing three people he could stop the leak.

• George Smiley : It's simply a question of whether your Service wants the product. I can't see that anything else is ultimately of very much importance.

  Saul Enderby : Can't you, by God! Oh, I want him all right. I want the Mona Lisa, and the Chairman of the Chinese People's Republic, and next year's winner of the Irish Sweep. I want Karla sitting in the hot seat at Sarratt, coughing out his life story to the inquisitors. I want the American Cousins to eat out of my hand for years to come. I want the whole ball game, of course I do.

• Saul Enderby : Oh, that reminds me, George. Did you twist that young fellow Mostyn's tail, by any chance?

  George Smiley : Whatever do you mean?

  Saul Enderby : Yes, I thought so. That's why I sacked him. Tried to sell him to the BBC, but they wouldn't have him. What's he up to now, Strickland?

  Lauder Strickland : He's in retreat, sir. Joined an order of Franciscan monks near Ipswich.

  Saul Enderby : Ipswich, eh? Cold bloody spot to pray.

• Saul Enderby : All right so far, everyone? Peter? Still stumbling along behind me, are you?

  Peter Guillam : I think so, sir.

  Saul Enderby : How's marriage?

  Peter Guillam : Blissful, thank you, sir.

  Saul Enderby : Give it three years.

• [reading a spy's confession] 

  Saul Enderby : "Karla's signal referred me to several émigré families who might be persuaded by pressure to adopt such an agent as their own child, since blackmail is considered preferable to bribery." Damn right it is.

  [lifts his glass] 

  Saul Enderby : Cheers. At the present rate of inflation, blackmail's about the only thing that keeps its value.

• Saul Enderby : You'd think a man making his deathbed confession would have the grace to keep it brief, wouldn't you, but oh no... not our Kirov.