Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy (TV Mini Series)

Smiley Tracks the Mole (1979)

Michael Aldridge: Percy Alleline

Photos 

Quotes 

• Percy Alleline : Peter Guillam, you may not be aware of this, but I am posessed of an extremely forgiving nature. I positively seethe with goodwill.

• Percy Alleline : Merlin is the fruit of a long cultivation by certain people in the Circus. People who are bound to me as I am to them. People who are not at all entertained by the failure rate about this place. There's been too much blown, too much lost, too much wasted. Too many scandals. I've said so many times, but I might as well have talked to the wind for all the heed he paid me.

  Control : "He" means me, George.

  Percy Alleline : The ordinary principles of tradecraft and security have gone to the wall in this service. It's all "divide and rule," stimulated from the top.

  Control : Me again.

  Percy Alleline : We're losing our livelihood. Our self-respect. We've had enough. We've had a bellyful, in fact.

  [Alleline exits] 

  Control : And like everybody who's ever had enough, he wants more!

• Percy Alleline : Now, I would like to call your attention to the Foreign Office comment on the most recent Witchcraft product. And I quote, "This document sheds an extraordinary sidelight on Soviet aggressive thinking."

  Bill Haydon : [innocently]  Does that mean they like it, Percy?

• Percy Alleline : The reading room will be known for cover purposes as the conference room of the Adriatic Working Party. The AWP room, for short.

  Control : [snorts]  Thank you.

  Percy Alleline : Customers with reading rights will not have passes, since these, like keys, can be too accessible. Instead, they will appear on a special list with their photographs, and they will identify themselves personally to MY janitor.

  Control : WHOSE janitor, Percy?

  Bill Haydon : Well, he's already got his own personal wizard. The odd commissionaire seems modest enough domestic staff.