"The Deadly Affair" was another of those 1960s cold war spy stories. It was produced/directed by Sidney Lumet with Quincy Jones doing the music. In this one, the character's names had to be changed because another studio had the rights to John Le Carre's character names, For example George Smiley becomes Charles Dobbs and so on.
The British Home Office receives an anonomous letter accusing senior Foreign Office official Samuel Fennan (Robert Flemying) of having been a communist in the 1930s while a student at Oxford. Agent Charles Dobbs (James Mason) is assigned to interview him to see if there is any truth to the letter. The interview, held in a park, goes well and Dobbs is prepared to clear Fenan's name.
During the night Dobbs is awakened with the news that Fenan has committed suicide. Dobbs' superiors agree with the police's suicide theory and want to close the file on the case. But Dobbs has doubts that the pleasant and cooperative Fenan committed suicide so soon after their meeting.
At home, we meet Dobbs nymphomaniac wife Ann (Harriet Andersson) whom Dobbs loves in spite of all her shortcomings. One day Dobbs arrives home to find an old war collaborator Dieter Frey (Maximillian Schell) in his living room. After pleasantries are exchanged, Dobbs comes to realize that his wife is seeing Frey on the side.
Dobbs resigns his position and plans to continue his investigation of Fenan's "suicide". He goes to see his widow Elsa (Simone Signoret) and learns little but comes to suspect her. Dobbs works with a retired Police Inspector Mendel (Harry Andrews) and a colleague Bill Appleby (Kenneth Haigh). Dobbs notices a car following him which is traced back to garage owner Adam Scarr (Roy Kinnear). It turns out that the car in question was rented to a large muscular man named "Blondie".
While Mendel is questioning Scarr in a local pub, Dobbs is mugged by Blondie and injured. Blondie flees when he is discovered by a hobo dragging Dobbs to an apparent death. Mendel works Scarr over. Blondie returns later and murders Scarr. Mendel, Dobbs and Appleby track Blondie to an office in a run down building. As they leave Blondie's body is discovered on the top of an elevator.
Dobbs discovers that Fenan in his role of a senior Foreign Officer had been bringing sensitive files home where his wife would take the information and forward it to her contact on the other side. Meanwhile Ann decides to run off to Zurich with Frey.
Dobbs, Mendel and Appleby decide to set a trap for Elsa Fenan to expose her contact. It works, the contact appears and...........................................................
A stellar cast. Mason is great as the middle aged British spy with the unfaithful wife. Harry Andrews stands out as the private investigator. Andersson as the unfaithful wife and Schell as her lover play important roles. Lynn and Corin Redgrave, in their only appearance together, appear in a theater sequence, she as a character called Virgin and he as the director of the play in question.
The British Home Office receives an anonomous letter accusing senior Foreign Office official Samuel Fennan (Robert Flemying) of having been a communist in the 1930s while a student at Oxford. Agent Charles Dobbs (James Mason) is assigned to interview him to see if there is any truth to the letter. The interview, held in a park, goes well and Dobbs is prepared to clear Fenan's name.
During the night Dobbs is awakened with the news that Fenan has committed suicide. Dobbs' superiors agree with the police's suicide theory and want to close the file on the case. But Dobbs has doubts that the pleasant and cooperative Fenan committed suicide so soon after their meeting.
At home, we meet Dobbs nymphomaniac wife Ann (Harriet Andersson) whom Dobbs loves in spite of all her shortcomings. One day Dobbs arrives home to find an old war collaborator Dieter Frey (Maximillian Schell) in his living room. After pleasantries are exchanged, Dobbs comes to realize that his wife is seeing Frey on the side.
Dobbs resigns his position and plans to continue his investigation of Fenan's "suicide". He goes to see his widow Elsa (Simone Signoret) and learns little but comes to suspect her. Dobbs works with a retired Police Inspector Mendel (Harry Andrews) and a colleague Bill Appleby (Kenneth Haigh). Dobbs notices a car following him which is traced back to garage owner Adam Scarr (Roy Kinnear). It turns out that the car in question was rented to a large muscular man named "Blondie".
While Mendel is questioning Scarr in a local pub, Dobbs is mugged by Blondie and injured. Blondie flees when he is discovered by a hobo dragging Dobbs to an apparent death. Mendel works Scarr over. Blondie returns later and murders Scarr. Mendel, Dobbs and Appleby track Blondie to an office in a run down building. As they leave Blondie's body is discovered on the top of an elevator.
Dobbs discovers that Fenan in his role of a senior Foreign Officer had been bringing sensitive files home where his wife would take the information and forward it to her contact on the other side. Meanwhile Ann decides to run off to Zurich with Frey.
Dobbs, Mendel and Appleby decide to set a trap for Elsa Fenan to expose her contact. It works, the contact appears and...........................................................
A stellar cast. Mason is great as the middle aged British spy with the unfaithful wife. Harry Andrews stands out as the private investigator. Andersson as the unfaithful wife and Schell as her lover play important roles. Lynn and Corin Redgrave, in their only appearance together, appear in a theater sequence, she as a character called Virgin and he as the director of the play in question.