Funeral in Berlin

Funeral in Berlin - 1966 | 102 mins | Thriller | Colour

The Production Team

Director: Guy Hamilton.
Producer: Harry Saltzman.
Script: Evan Jones. (from the novel by Len Deighton)
Cinematography: Otto Heller.
Film Editing: John Bloom.
Production Design: Ken Adam.
Art Direction: Peter Murton.
Makeup Department: Benny Royston and Freddie Williamson.
Original Music: Konrad Elfers.
Sound Department: Peter Davies, Gordon K. McCallum and Ben Rayner.

The Cast

Michael Caine - Harry Palmer
Paul Hubschmid - Johnny Vulkan
Oskar Homolka - Colonel Stok
Eva Renzi - Samantha Steel
Guy Doleman - Ross
Hugh Burden - Hallam
Heinz Schubert - Aaron Levine
Wolfgang Völz - Werner
Thomas Holtzmann - Reinhardt
Günter Meisner - Kreutzman
Herbert Fux - Artur

Plot Synopsis

Michael Caine’s second outing as cockney thief Harry Palmer conscripted into the secret service. Again adapted from a Len Deighton novel, Funeral In Berlin makes an intriguing alternative to James Bond's adventures.

Harry travels to Berlin to investigate Soviet Colonel Stok (Oskar Homolka), Russian head of security for the Berlin Wall. Stok makes a dubious offer to defect to the West, Harry arranges for his escape to West Berlin in a coffin only to be double-crossed. Although the bewilderingly complex plot lacks the edge of The Ipcress File, the film’s gloomy photography and strong character acting add to the finished article.