Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy (TV Mini Series)

Smiley Tracks the Mole (1979)

Alec Guinness: George Smiley

Photos 

Quotes 

• Roy Bland : You're an educated sort of a swine. "An artist is a bloke who can hold two fundamentally opposing views and still function." Who dreamed that one up?

  George Smiley : Scott Fitzgerald.

  Roy Bland : Well, Fitzgerald knew a thing or two. And I'm definitely functioning. As a good socialist, I'm going where the money is; as a good capitalist, I'm sticking with the revolution, because if you can't beat it, spy on it! Don't look like that, George. It's the name of the game these days. You scratch my conscience, I'll drive your Jag, right?

• Roy Bland : So, what's the deal?

  George Smiley : What do you want?

  Roy Bland : What about five thousand quid out of the reptile fund for starters?

  George Smiley : And a house, and a car...

  Roy Bland : And the kid to Eton.

  George Smiley : Your father would turn over in his grave.

  Roy Bland : Let him rotate, the old Commie thug!

• George Smiley : And within six months of Bill Haydon's diagnosis, Control was indeed dead.

  Peter Guillam : And what killed him? Operation Witchcraft or Operation Testify?

  George Smiley : Neither. Let's not be melodramatic, Control would disapprove. He died of old age... a little early. But Testify destroyed his function in life, which was a form of murder.

• Toby Esterhase : My problem is promotion. I mean the absence of it. I have so many years' senority that I feel actually quite embarrassed when these young fellows ask me to take orders from them.

  George Smiley : Who, Toby? Which young fellows? Roy Bland? Percy? Would you call Percy young? Who?

  Toby Esterhase : When you're overdue for promotion and working your fingers to the bone, anyone looks young who's above you on the ladder.

  George Smiley : Perhaps Control could move you up a few rungs...

  Toby Esterhase : Actually, George, I am not too sure he is able to.

• Peter Guillam : Why was Control always so hostile to Alleline? Percy wasn't a complete fool.

  George Smiley : Percy can flirt, Peter. And Control hadn't reckoned on the power of the Alleline lobby.

  Peter Guillam : Who were they?

  George Smiley : Golfers. "Golfers and Conservatives." That's what Control said to me.

• George Smiley : [looking at a nuclear naval treaty]  This is hardly my territory.

  Control : Don't let that worry you. Total ignorance of subject matter doesn't bother Percy.

• George Smiley : Who runs him, Bill?

  Bill Haydon : [jocularly]  Percy? Karla does, who else?

• George Smiley : Let me be blunt...

  Toby Esterhase : Not YOUR style, George.

• [Haydon notices an oil painting on Smiley's wall] 

  Bill Haydon : This is new. I fancy this very much.

  George Smiley : Ann gave it to me.

  Bill Haydon : Making amends?

  George Smiley : Probably.

  Bill Haydon : Must have been quite a sin. How is she?

• George Smiley : "There are three of them, and Alleline." Control's words. He meant Operation Witchcraft. Merlin's minders or inventors, or programmers, or marionettes... or, what?

• Control : And now there's a Witchcraft committee! The Minister's in the chair, Alleline's vice-chairman. Merlin's become an industry, it's THE industry and I'm not employed!

  George Smiley : You won't even read Alleline's reports.

  Control : I haven't time! Buying their way in with counterfeit money, tell them that. Tell them anything, I need time! There are three of them, and Alleline. Sweat them, George, bully them, any damn thing, give them whatever they eat, I need time!

• [first lines] 

  George Smiley : You must assume, Peter, the Circus has dogs on you 24 hours a day. Think of it as a foreign country.

• Connie Sachs : So what does George want from Connie, you bad boy?

  George Smiley : Her memory. To go over some very old ground, Connie.

  Connie Sachs : Hear that, Flush? First they chuck us out with an old bone, and now they come begging to us!

• [last lines] 

  George Smiley : I don't seem to have very much on Operation Testify. Would you...?

  Peter Guillam : Of course, George.