| Harry Palmer | |
|---|---|
 Michael Caine in 1967 | |
| First appearance | The Ipcress File (1965) |
| Last appearance | Midnight in Saint Petersburg (1996) |
| Created by | Len Deighton |
| Portrayed by | Michael Caine Joe Cole |
Harry Palmer is the name given to theanti-hero protagonist of several films based onspy novels written byLen Deighton, in which the main character is an unnamed intelligence officer. For convenience, the novels are also often referred to as the "Harry Palmer" novels.
Michael Caine played Harry Palmer in three films based on published novels featuring this character:The Ipcress File (1965),Funeral in Berlin (1966) andBillion Dollar Brain (1967). Caine also starred as this character in two other films not directly based on Deighton's novels.
The Times called Caine "the epitome of Sixties cool in his first outing as the secret agent Harry Palmer".[1] A trailer for his second role as Palmer described him as possessing "horn rims,cockney wit and an iron fist".[2] The character's thickhorn-rimmed glasses, girls, and disregard for authority was cited byMike Myers as an influence forAustin Powers; Caine would later star inAustin Powers in Goldmember (2002), with his portrayal of Nigel Powers, father of secret agentAustin Powers, aspoof of Palmer.[3]
When developing the 1965 filmThe Ipcress File, based on Len Deighton's 1962novel of the same name, the production team needed a name for the previouslyanonymous protagonist, a rough-edged, petty crook turned spy. They chose "Harry Palmer", because they wanted a mundane name, 'one that means absolutely nothing, a common name', to distance him fromIan Fleming'sJames Bond, the stereotypical sophisticated, swashbuckling spy.[4] Caine stated at the time of filming that he knew a dull kid at school called "Palmer", withHarry Saltzman saying 'good, and what about a first name?', to which Caine innocently remarked "Harry", not realising his gaffe until seeing Saltzman's stare.[5]
| Novel | Film | Lead actor | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| The IPCRESS File (1962) | The Ipcress File (1965) | Michael Caine | |
| The Ipcress File (2022 TV series) | Joe Cole | ||
| Horse Under Water (1963) | Not adapted to a film | ||
| Funeral in Berlin (1964) | Funeral in Berlin (1966) | Michael Caine | |
| Billion-Dollar Brain (1966) | Billion Dollar Brain (1967) | Michael Caine | |
| An Expensive Place to Die (1967) | Not adapted to a film | ||
| Spy Story (1974) | Spy Story (1976) | Michael Petrovitch | Character is renamed 'Patrick Armstrong' |
| Yesterday's Spy (1975) | Not adapted to a film | ||
| Twinkle, Twinkle, Little Spy (1976) | North American title:Catch a Falling Spy | ||
| Bullet to Beijing (1995) | Michael Caine | Not based on a Len Deighton novel | |
| Midnight in Saint Petersburg (1996) | Michael Caine |
 | This sectionrelies excessively onreferences toprimary sources. Please improve this section by addingsecondary or tertiary sources.(October 2023) (Learn how and when to remove this message) |
Len Deighton introduced the lead character inThe IPCRESS File, his first novel, published in November 1962. In thatfirst-person novel, the intelligence officer is anonymous, although at one point he is greeted by someone saying "Hello, Harry"; he later says, "Now my name isn't Harry, but in this business it's hard to remember whether it ever had been."[6] Deighton's character is described asworking class, living in a back street flat and seedy hotels, and shopping insupermarkets. He wearsglasses, is hindered bybureaucracy, and craves a pay rise. It is revealed in passing that he is fromBurnley, Lancashire, and that he was born in 1922 or 1923.[7]
Further novels featuring this character followed, includingHorse Under Water (1963),Funeral in Berlin (1964),Billion-Dollar Brain (1966), andAn Expensive Place to Die (1967). Again, the lead character is never named, but they appear to be the same character in all of the books. In his 2009 afterword toHorse Under Water, Deighton noted "Now, writing a second book, I found it an advantage to have an anonymous hero. He might be the same man; or maybe not. I was able to make minor changes to him and his background...I realized that...identifying him as a northerner would make demands on my knowledge that I could not sustain. It would be more sensible to give him a background closer to my own."
From the first novel onwards, the narrator shows knowledge offine food anddrink,painting,classical and20th-century music,jazz,military history, andLatin. InHorse Under Water, he is described as an expert on world currency.
In 1974, the novelSpy Story was published, followed byYesterday's Spy (1975), andTwinkle, Twinkle, Little Spy (1976) (also known asCatch a Falling Spy in North America). As the protagonist also remains anonymous in these novels, it is still open to debate whether the narrator of these last three novels is the same as in the earlier books. There is conflicting evidence for either view. Despite this, and despite the lead protagonist being unnamed, all eight books have been unofficially called theHarry Palmer novels, based on the protagonist's name given in the subsequent film adaptations ofThe IPCRESS File and its sequels.
Evidence for this narrator being different from the earlier novels comes from Deighton himself, who is quoted as saying that the narrator ofSpy Story is not the same character as the narrator ofThe IPCRESS File; in fact, for most ofSpy Story, the narrator is named and addressed as "Patrick Armstrong" – although, as another character says, "We have so many different names." Additionally, he is reported to be in his late 30s,[8] whereas the narrator ofThe IPCRESS File was born in 1922 or 1923[7] (making him in his 40s), and thus implying that this protagonist is different from that of the earlier novels.
Encouraging the unitary concept – that the later novels feature the same narrator – is the 1974 dust jacket to the Harcourt, Brace & Jovanovich American edition ofSpy Story, in which the cover blurb states, "He is back, after five long-years' absence, the insubordinate, decent, bespectacled English spy who fought, fumbled, and survived his outrageous way through the best-sellingHorse Under Water,Funeral in Berlin, and the rest of those marvellous, celebrated Len Deighton spy thrillers." Likewise, on the 1976 edition dust jacket toCatch a Falling Spy, the novel features "Deighton's familiar hero, our bespectacled Englishman". A number of minor characters from the earlier novels also appear inSpy Story, further connecting the books.
The IPCRESS File novel came out just after the release of the firstJames Bond filmDr. No (1962). When the novel reached best-seller status,Eon Productionsfilm producersHarry Saltzman andAlbert R. Broccoli approached Deighton to write the script for the secondBond film,From Russia with Love (1963). Little of Deighton'sscreenplay was actually used on the shoot. Saltzman decided instead to make use ofThe IPCRESS File in the expectation of beginning a new secret agent film series. Unlike theBond films,The Ipcress File was designed to have a somewhat different, mostly rather naturalistic style, with hints of thekitchen sink school, film adaptations of which Saltzman had produced. Saltzman, however, also contracted crew members who had worked on the Bond films, including production designerKen Adam, film editorPeter Hunt, and film score composerJohn Barry.[9]Michael Caine was chosen to play the lead role.
In the film version, Harry Palmer is a British Armysergeant forcibly drafted into the security services to work away a prison sentence forblack marketeering. He worked first forArmy Intelligence, then theForeign Office. He works for the brilliant but slightly duplicitousColonel Ross. Harry Palmer has much in common with Deighton, including passions formilitary history (Harvey Newbegin complains about his bookshelf contents inBillion Dollar Brain),cooking, and classical music.
After the release ofThe Ipcress File (1965), Saltzman's production company madeFuneral in Berlin (1966) andBillion Dollar Brain (1967), both starring Michael Caine. The second Harry Palmer novelHorse Under Water was not used. In 1976, Deighton's novelSpy Story was filmed with Michael Petrovitch as 'Patrick Armstrong'; it is unrelated to Saltzman's Harry Palmer films.
In the mid-1990s, two further Harry Palmer films were released, this time with original screenplays and with Michael Caine returning to the role. These wereBullet to Beijing (1995) andMidnight in Saint Petersburg (1996). Despite sometimes being titledLen Deighton's Bullet to Beijing andLen Deighton's Midnight in St Petersburg, Deighton did not participate in the production of these films.
Evidence of Michael Caine's popular identification as Harry Palmer can be seen in films such asBlue Ice (1992), where he plays an ex-spy named 'Harry', and who has many similarities to Harry Palmer.
Caine's Harry Palmer character (with the glasses, the girls, and disregard for authority) was an influence forMike Myers’ spy action comedy filmsAustin Powers.[3] At Myers request, Caine starred inAustin Powers in Goldmember (2002), with his portrayal of Nigel Powers, father of secret agentAustin Powers, aspoof of Harry Palmer.[3]
InKingsman: The Secret Service (2014), Caine portrays the bespectacled head of a secret espionage unit.
In 2022,ITV released a six-parttelevision adaptation ofThe Ipcress File, starringJoe Cole as Palmer.[10][11]
Michael Caine is the epitome of Sixties cool in his first outing as the secret agent Harry Palmer. His cockney smarts, his horn-rimmed glasses
They needed a name – "Harry Palmer" was Caine's idea – to make the spy sound as ordinary as possible. They wanted him to be a kind of anti Bond