While Sir Sean Connery’s James Bond romanticised the world of Cold War espionage, Sir Michael Caine’s spy films presented a more grounded and accurate portrayal of the intelligence services.
Based on Len Deighton’s 1962 novel of the same name, The Ipcress File starred Caine as Harry Palmer, an agent at the Ministry of Defence tasked with investigating the disappearances of some major scientists.
The actor’s portrayal of a British Intelligence Officer as a regular man in glasses who cooks for himself at home was a stark contrast to Ian Fleming’s suave 007.
Interestingly enough, the film was produced by Bond’s Harry Saltzman, with 007 production designer Ken Adam and composer John Barry also working on it.
The first of Caine’s five Harry Palmer spy movies was critically acclaimed and a box office success. Meanwhile, it would go on to win three BAFTAs, including Best British Film, and in 1999 came 59th in the BFI’s list of the 100 best British films of the 20th century.
The Ipcress File is on BBC Two at 1:05pm this Saturday. And if that wasn’t enough, its 1966 follow-up Funeral in Berlin, directed by Goldfinger’s Guy Hamilton, is on right afterwards at 2:50pm if you fancy a double bill.