Topaz (1969 film)
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
- For the documentary film shot illegally in Japanese internment camps in the western United States during World War II, see Topaz (1945 film).
| Topaz | |
|---|---|
 original film poster |
|
| Directed by | Alfred Hitchcock |
| Produced by | Associate producer: Herbert Coleman Uncredited: Alfred Hitchcock |
| Written by | Novel: Leon Uris Screenplay: Samuel A. Taylor |
| Starring | Frederick Stafford Dany Robin Claude Jade Michel Subor John Forsythe Karin Dor Roscoe Lee Browne |
| Music by | Maurice Jarre |
| Cinematography | Jack Hildyard |
| Editing by | William H. Ziegler |
| Distributed by | Universal Pictures |
| Release date(s) |  December 19, 1969 |
| Running time | 143 min. |
| Language | English |
| Budget | US$ 4,000,000 |
| All Movie Guide profile | |
| IMDb profile | |
Topaz, director Alfred Hitchcock's 51st movie, filmed between 1968 and 1969, was adapted from the book Topaz (ISBN 0-553235-47-8) by Leon Uris. It is a Cold War and spy story with about a dozen fairly major characters, none of whom are acting with a real heroic impulse.
It stars Frederick Stafford, Dany Robin, Claude Jade, Michel Subor, Karin Dor, John Vernon, Michel Piccoli, Philippe Noiret, John Forsythe, Roscoe Lee Browne, and Per-Axel Arosenius.
Contents |
[edit] Plot
When an important high-ranking Soviet intelligence officer defects to the West with a story of an agreement between the Russians and Cubans and the existence of a high-ranking "mole" within the French intelligence service, CIA agent Nordstrom (John Forsythe) enlists the aid of his friend and French agent André Devereaux (Frederick Stafford), encouraging him to accompany his daughter Michèle (Claude Jade) on her honeymoon with journalist François Picard (Michel Subor) as a premise to get him to New York. André accepts, but his wife Nicole (Dany Robin) is worried for him. After managing to get hold of some seriously damning papers from the visiting Cuban official Rico Parra (John Vernon), in New York to appear at the United Nations and staying in Harlem to show solidarity with "the masses", sneakily of course, a concerned Devereaux jets off to Cuba and catches up with his mistress Juanita de Cordoba (Karin Dor), who is now secretly involved with a local underground movement whilst also being involved in another way with Parra. Parra finds out and kills Juanita. Ever the jetsetter, Devereaux is now recalled to Paris, where he attempts to get to the bottom of this whole leak problem. Michèle wants to reconcile her parents. Nicole cheats on André after his Cuban affair with the man who proves to be the leader of the spy ring, "Topaz", Jacques Granville (Michel Piccoli), their old friend from their days together in the French Resistance. François goes on to find out who "Topaz" is by interrogating NATO official Henri Jarre (Philippe Noiret). A short time late Michèle finds the murdered Jarré – and François is missing. A short time later François arrives at Michèle and her parents and shows her a drawing of Jarré. Nicole knows him and tells André, that Granville is the head of "Topaz"...
[edit] Production
Three different endings were filmed. The first includes a duel between the French agent André Devereaux and his old friend the traitor Jacques Granville. Michèle and Nicole are worried about him. In that scene Michèle is shocked: "A duel?", François: "How idiotic", Nicole: "There was a last duel - four or five years ago - between the Marquis of Crevas and Serge Lifard". The duel starts in the soccer stadium "Stade Charléty", while Nicole and Michèle are waiting outside - Jacques is killed from an unknown man from the back.
The second version shows the two men stepping into two different planes, one flying to Washington, D.C. (with Devereaux) and the other flying to Moscow (with Granville). Nicole: "How can they let him get away like this?" André: "I told you, my love, he doesn't miss a trick. They have nothing against him. Anyway, that's the end of Topaz"
The third – official – alternative includes the suicide of Granville, embedded abruptly into the flow of the story. The version released in Universal's "Hitchcock Collection" VHS series shows the ending with the two old friends turned adversaries stepping onto two different planes going two very different places.
[edit] Reaction
The film was not particularly well-received or successful at the box office by Hitchcock standards. Hitchcock changed the script shortly before the beginning of the filming and the distributor Universal forced a different ending to the one preferred by Hitchcock. For Topaz, Hitchcock engaged the 19-year-old French actress Claude Jade. She and Dany Robin, cast as her mother, would provide the glamour in the story. "Claude Jade is a rather quiet young lady," Hitchcock said later, "but I wouldn't guarantee [that] about her behavior in a taxi".
[edit] Criticism
Some American critics said that there was no star in the movie—no Bergman, no Grant. The cast in fact was full of renowned international film stars (Jade, Piccoli, Noiret), whose previous successes had come primarily in France. As the film centered around a spy in the French intelligence service, it was very logical to have a predominantly-French cast. It is further believed that because of the negative experience Hitchcock had with working with Paul Newman on Torn Curtain, he decided not to cast actors who were big American "stars" in this film in retaliation. Some believe this created an aloof and detached atmosphere to American audiences.
[edit] Trivia
- Fidel Castro makes an uncredited (and, presumably, uncompensated) appearance in the film along with Che Guevara. While in Cuba, Deveraux attends a Castro rally in order to keep up the appearance of his official cover, that of a French trade attaché. The film spliced in actual footage of a real Castro rally of the era to add to the realism.
- "Juanita de Cordoba" is loosely based on Castro's daughter who fled Castro and defected to America. Castro disowns her for her treason.
- Alfred Hitchcock's cameo is a signature occurrence in most of his films. In Topaz he can be seen (28 minutes into the film) at the airport, seated in a wheelchair as he is being pushed by a nurse.
[edit] External links
- Topaz at the Internet Movie Database
- Alfred Hitchcock Fans Online - Topaz (1969)
- Image: Alfred Hitchcock directing Claude Jade in "Topaz"
- Image of Dany Robin, Frederick Stafford and Claude Jade
| Alfred Hitchcock's films |
|---|
| 1920s: The Pleasure Garden • The Mountain Eagle • The Lodger: A Story of the London Fog • Downhill • Easy Virtue • The Ring • The Farmer's Wife • Champagne • The Manxman • Blackmail • 1930s: Juno and the Paycock • Murder! • Elstree Calling • The Skin Game • Mary • Number Seventeen • Rich and Strange • Waltzes from Vienna • The Man Who Knew Too Much • The 39 Steps • Secret Agent • Sabotage • Young and Innocent • The Lady Vanishes • Jamaica Inn • 1940s: Rebecca • Foreign Correspondent • Mr. & Mrs. Smith • Suspicion • Saboteur • Shadow of a Doubt • Lifeboat • Aventure Malgache • Bon Voyage • Spellbound • Notorious • The Paradine Case • Rope • Under Capricorn • 1950s: Stage Fright • Strangers on a Train • I Confess • Dial M for Murder • Rear Window • To Catch a Thief • The Trouble with Harry • The Man Who Knew Too Much • The Wrong Man • Vertigo • North by Northwest • 1960s: Psycho • The Birds • Marnie • Torn Curtain • Topaz • 1970s: Frenzy • Family Plot |
