Billion Dollar Brain (1967)

Director:

Ken Russell

Writers:

Len Deighton (novel)
John McGrath (screenplay)

Release Date:

20 December 1967 (USA)

Genre:

Adventure | Drama | Thriller

Tagline:

Pow . . . Power . . . Brainpower

Plot:

A former British spy stumbles into in a plot to overthrow Communism with the help of a supercomputer. But who is working for whom?

Plot Keywords:

Russian | Latvia | Classical Concert | Revolutionary | Murder

Cast

Michael Caine	...	Harry Palmer
Karl Malden	...	Leo Newbigen
Ed Begley	...	General Midwinter
Oskar Homolka	...	Colonel Stok (as Oscar Homolka)
Françoise Dorléac	...	Anya (as Francoise Dorleac)
Guy Doleman	...	Colonel Ross
Vladek Sheybal	...	Dr. Eiwort
Milo Sperber	...	Basil
Janos Kurutz	...	Latvian gangster
Alexei Jawdokimov	...	Latvian gangster
Paul Tamarin	...	Latvian gangster
Iza Teller	...	Latvian gangster
Mark Elwes	...	Birkenshaw
Stanley Caine	...	G.P.O. special delivery boy
Gregg Palmer	...	1st Dutch business man

Runtime:

111 min

Country:

UK

Language:

English

Color:

Color (as De Luxe)

Aspect Ratio:

2.35 : 1

Sound Mix:

Mono

Certification:

Australia:PG | Finland:K-16 | Sweden:15 | UK:PG | West Germany:16

Filming Locations:

297 Pentonville Road, King's Cross, London, England, UK

Company:

Jovera S.A.

Trivia:

Michael Caine performed most of his own stunts. During the final ice floe scene, he almost slipped and fell into freezing water.

Goofs:

When Harry is held captive with his hands tied behind his back in General Midwinter's firing range, his glasses are on when he is standing up, disappear when he is sitting down but re-appear when he stands up.

Quotes:

[Harry is shown a terminal of the Brain]
Harry Palmer: What does it do, tell fortunes?
Leo Newbigen: It *makes* fortunes: ours! Just a little toy, but it puts the MI5 and the CIA back into the Stone Age.

Movie Connections:

Referenced in Harry Saltzman: Showman (2000) (V)

Soundtrack:

A Hard Day's Night

Cold Comfort in The Frozen Wastes of Latvia

The BBC have been showing this film for years and recently in the widescreen format. Any film that gets the widescreen treatment at the moment is usually one held in high regard and BDB is certainly worthy.

The third in the Harry Palmer trio of spy movies, BDB is a "tour do force" of imagery, sound and acting talent. Directed by Ken Russell, this is one of the few examples of art film combined with commercial film production. The cinematography is superb with atmospheric footage shot in Finland (expensive), stunning studio sets including the computer room belong to megalomaniac General Midwinter and an end sequence which is both very graphic and impressive.

This is a fast moving film and is very Kaleidoscopic. I am sure this is a black comedy with all the leading players providing moments of hilarity, none more so than Karl Malden as Leo Newbiggin, as he attempts to con Harry Palmer and his employer out of millions. Michael Caine is equally funny with his quips and femme fatal Francois Dorleac is both stunningly gorgeous and amusingly funny as the temptress with a killer touch. To my complete and utter shock, I learned on this database that Francois Dorleac sadly died in a car crash at Nice in France the same year the film was released in 1967. She was only 25.

This is a film which I never tire of watching due to all of the above and is one of Michael Caine's best in an illustrious career. Watch out for Donald Sutherland playing a bit part as a scientist in the computer room. Blink and you will miss him. 10/10