Billion Dollar Brain
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| Billion Dollar Brain | |
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 original film poster |
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| Directed by | Ken Russell |
| Produced by | Harry Saltzman |
| Written by | Len Deighton (novel) John McGrath |
| Starring | Michael Caine Françoise Dorléac Karl Malden Ed Begley Oscar Homolka |
| Release date(s) | December 20, 1967 U.S. release |
| Running time | 111 min |
| Language | English |
| IMDb profile | |
Billion Dollar Brain is a 1967 Ken Russell film based on the novel Billion-Dollar Brain by Len Deighton. The film features Michael Caine as secret agent 'Harry Palmer', the anti-heroic protagonist of the cinematic versions of The IPCRESS File (1964) and Funeral in Berlin (1965).
[edit] Movie details
In the cinematic Billion Dollar Brain (1967), Harry Palmer, working as a private investigator, is paid to take a package to Helsinki. He does not know that he is about to encounter his old acquaintance Leo Newbiggin (Karl Malden) -- nor that the package contains virus-filled eggs that have been stolen from the British government's research facility at Porton Down. Later, he is coerced into working once more for the British secret service. He must become a member of the 'Facts for Freedom' organisation (a ultra-right-wing group led by maniacal oil-billionaire 'General' Midwinter) and thwart its planned attempt at liberating Latvia from Soviet domination; he must also recover the stolen virus for the British.
The film's plot relies heavily upon the sophisticated 'brain' (computer) [1] with which the FFF controls its Latvian anti-Soviet spy network. The film directly refers to the ice battle in Alexander Nevsky (1938), by Sergei Eisenstein. [2] Billion Dollar Brain is the third of the Harry Palmer film series, preceded by The Ipcress File (1964) and Funeral in Berlin (1965). It is the only film in which Ken Russell worked as a mainstream 'director-for-hire', and the last film to feature actress Françoise Dorléac.
[edit] References
- ^ The computer consoles in the film are Honeywell 200 mainframe consoles.
- ^ Billion Dollar Brain, Time Out, London, Film Guide. Accessed: 03-08-2008.
[edit] External links
- Billion Dollar Brain at the Internet Movie Database
- Billion Dollar Brain photos – From Michael Caine fansite in Russia
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