Coach Roy's Random Thoughts....
Tinker, Tailor, Rich Man, Poor Man
Those of us who still remember the 70's, will have all those memories stimulated again, now that they've made a theatrical movie of Tinker, Tailor, Soldier, Spy, the John LeCarre novel about the British Secret Service.
If we think back that far, there was another mini-series in the 70's with a title based on the children's fortune telling rhyme: "Rich Man, Poor Man, Beggerman, Thief, Doctor, Lawyer, Indian Chief." (The Brits have another version that LeCarre used: "Tinker, Tailor, Soldier, Sailor").
"Rich Man Poor Man" made stars out of Nick Nolte and Peter Strauss and helped the careers of Susan Blakely, Talia Shire and Kim Darby. It was one of the potboilers that titilated network audiences with all kinds of off screen sex and violence. The scenes of Ed Asner down in the basement baking bread still sticks in my memory.
But still, the overall better of the two stories is John LeCarre's tour de force, directed by John Irvin, about the recalled to duty George Smiley digging among the ruins of the "Circus" - the headquarters of British Intelligence - to uncover a double agent (Gerald) of Moscow Centre, who has ascended into the inner circle of that most secret organization.
George Smiley in my mind, will forever be Alec Guinness, yes Obi Wan Kenobe of Star Wars.
As Smiley, Sir Alec is the epitome of the tired, former top executive of the Circus, forced into retirement by that double agent - Gerald, then called back by a senior member of the government when a suspected defector re-emerges with a story that just doesn't seem to fit the reported events.
Before he was deposed, Smiley's boss, Control, had given all of the suspected candidates for Gerald names from the nursery rhyme - hence, Tinker, Tailor, etc., Smiley eventually figures it all out, and puts everything right.
It took the BBC 7 episodes to unravel the entire story, and it took another 6 part effort by Guiness and Co. (in Smiley's People) to finally wrap up the entire story of Karla and Gerald the Mole.
And now, the movie world is going to try to tell this intricate story in 120+ minutes, and judging from the credits, they've got every character in the book well represented.
At some point, I guess I'll watch the movie on cable, but as I reread Tinker, Tailor, I still see Alec Guiness' masterful portrayal of George Smiley whenever he appears in the book. It will be very difficult to follow the new movie since I'll be looking for the "real" George Smiley who isn't there.
If we think back that far, there was another mini-series in the 70's with a title based on the children's fortune telling rhyme: "Rich Man, Poor Man, Beggerman, Thief, Doctor, Lawyer, Indian Chief." (The Brits have another version that LeCarre used: "Tinker, Tailor, Soldier, Sailor").
"Rich Man Poor Man" made stars out of Nick Nolte and Peter Strauss and helped the careers of Susan Blakely, Talia Shire and Kim Darby. It was one of the potboilers that titilated network audiences with all kinds of off screen sex and violence. The scenes of Ed Asner down in the basement baking bread still sticks in my memory.
But still, the overall better of the two stories is John LeCarre's tour de force, directed by John Irvin, about the recalled to duty George Smiley digging among the ruins of the "Circus" - the headquarters of British Intelligence - to uncover a double agent (Gerald) of Moscow Centre, who has ascended into the inner circle of that most secret organization.
George Smiley in my mind, will forever be Alec Guinness, yes Obi Wan Kenobe of Star Wars.
As Smiley, Sir Alec is the epitome of the tired, former top executive of the Circus, forced into retirement by that double agent - Gerald, then called back by a senior member of the government when a suspected defector re-emerges with a story that just doesn't seem to fit the reported events.
Before he was deposed, Smiley's boss, Control, had given all of the suspected candidates for Gerald names from the nursery rhyme - hence, Tinker, Tailor, etc., Smiley eventually figures it all out, and puts everything right.
It took the BBC 7 episodes to unravel the entire story, and it took another 6 part effort by Guiness and Co. (in Smiley's People) to finally wrap up the entire story of Karla and Gerald the Mole.
And now, the movie world is going to try to tell this intricate story in 120+ minutes, and judging from the credits, they've got every character in the book well represented.
At some point, I guess I'll watch the movie on cable, but as I reread Tinker, Tailor, I still see Alec Guiness' masterful portrayal of George Smiley whenever he appears in the book. It will be very difficult to follow the new movie since I'll be looking for the "real" George Smiley who isn't there.
Posted by Coach Roy at 1/17/2012 2:48 PM 
Categories: Broadcasting
Tags: "Tinker Tailor" Alex Guiness Gary Oldman John LeCarre Gerald the Mole British Secret Service MI-6 Moscow Centre John Irvin
Categories: Broadcasting
Tags: "Tinker Tailor" Alex Guiness Gary Oldman John LeCarre Gerald the Mole British Secret Service MI-6 Moscow Centre John Irvin
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