Reilly: Ace of Spies (1983): Season 1, Episode 12 - Shutdown - full transcript

[soft music]

[rumbling]

- [Narrator] When Reilly
failed to return from Russia,

his wife Pepita went to Paris

in search of Maria Schulz.

Maria had driven Reilly
to the Russian border,

and Pepita believed that she was

the last person
to see him alive.

- Madam Reilly.

- Yes?

What do you want?



- Your husband has papers here.

- No.

This is just a place he
uses when he's in Paris.

Please.

- We have our orders.

- When my husband gets back--

- Your husband is
dead, Mrs. Reilly.

- [Narrator] Reilly was,
in fact, in the hands

of the Bolsheviks.

He had been arrested
by Felix Dzerzhinsky,

the head of the
Russian Secret Police,

on the direct orders of Stalin.

Reilly had returned to
Russia to expose the Trust,

a supposedly
anti-Bolshevik organization



which had been responsible

for the death of his
friend, Boris Savinkov.

In the battle of wits between
Dzerzhinsky and Reilly,

neither had counted on the
intervention of Stalin.

- [Felix] I have a present
for you, Captain Reilly.

- A razor, perhaps?

- You shall have
your belongings soon.

Our agents picked
this up in London.

I thought you might like it.

They also picked up
some papers in Paris.

Oh, your wife was not
molested in any way,

if that's what concerns you.

But she was told
that you were dead.

I thought it best that the

uncertainty be
removed from her mind.

- [Sidney] Think she's
likely to believe

anything your
agents may tell her?

- We shall see.

In the meanwhile,
would you be so kind

as to accompany me
down the corridor,

so that we can
begin the protocol

of the interrogation?

- You are to conduct it.

- In the time being.

[rumbling]

- Thanks very much.
- Very much, thank you.

- [Woman] Cabby.

[rumbling]

[soft music]

- Oh my God.

[soft music]

[rumbling]

[knocking]

- Come in.

- A gentleman to see
you, Miss Houselander.

- Thank you.

Hello, George.

Thank you for coming
to see me so promptly.

This arrived yesterday morning.

It's from Moscow.

- I'm sorry.

- He was your
friend too, George.

- As far as the world is
concerned, you're dead.

I emphasize this
because I don't want you

to hold out any hope
that you're gonna

get out of here alive.

And I want to spare
you any unnecessary

suffering that
prolonged resistance

to interrogation will bring.

- I appreciate your concern.

Beating someone to death
can be counterproductive.

- Only the unskilled
allow that to happen.

You will not be so fortunate.

- We'll begin with your name,
nationality, date of birth.

What is your real name?

- I can't tell you that.

- The illness ended with
the death of the children.

- [Sykes] What the
hell does that mean?

- That is the message we
received from boys in Stockholm.

It means he's dead.

- [Sykes] Well is
he or isn't he?

- I don't think that he is.

The Russians take
them from Helsinki.

It's all nonsense.

- Was he working for
you when he went in?

- He was not being paid by us.

- So you're in the clear.

- Strictly speaking, yes.

- Good.

Let's keep it like that.

- If he is still alive,

I shall expect the foreign
office to get him back.

- I have nothing
more to do with him.

He's on his own now.

- Well if you won't
help, then damn you.

I shall see the Prime Minister.

- As you please.

But you'll find his view
is the same as mine.

And let's keep it out of
the newspapers, shall we?

[chiming]

- Good morning, Sykes.
- Morning.

- Mrs. Reilly's been trying to

contact you all
morning, Captain Hill.

- Telephone her back, would you?

I suppose you know that
Reilly has disappeared.

- Not before time,
my dear fellow.

Not before time.

- I could happily push our

foreign office
friend under a tram.

- A wretched man, scared stiff.

The whole thing will break
and he'll lose his pension.

- Pillage.

- Damn it, blast
you, Sidney Reilly.

Why did you have to do it?

- It was you that
asked him to go.

[knocking]

- Mrs. Reilly's
on the telephone.

- Can't you talk to her?

- No!

I will not speak
to any of his wives

or any of his other women.

I'm delegating you to deal
with Pepita and Caryll

and that Russian
countess and Margaret,

if they can be found,

and all the rest of
the lovesick maidens.

You will ensure that
all of them realize

the seriousness of the situation

and that none of them
speaks to the press.

- I've just seen
Caryll Houselander.

She's received a
postcard from Moscow

in Sidney's handwriting.

It contains one word.

Goodbye.

[clanking]

Pepita.

- What's going on, George?

I've just got back from Paris.

The place is wrecked.

And while I was over there,

two men called at the apartment

who told me Sidney's dead.

Is that true?

- I don't know, Pepita.

- I am his wife, George.

I have a right to
know what's happening.

- I'll come over right away.

[rumbling]

My God.

They certainly have
been busy, haven't they?

- They've taken his papers.

- I think we should
start on him now.

- Hmm.

When did he have breakfast?

- Eight.

- Tell them to be
careful with his head.

- [Torturer] On your feet.

[eerie music]

- What are you looking for?

- Anything that might
compromise him or the service.

I suggest you bank
this, my dear.

Money everywhere.

- How will this help us
to get him out of Russia?

- These are the
normal precautions

we take in shutdown.

[dramatic music]

[groans]

- Get your clothes off.

- I'm in the dark, George.

Completely in the dark.

I marry a man.

And within weeks, he
disappears into Russia.

I get a letter from him
which tells me not to worry.

I go and see Cummings,
who tells me not to worry,

everything will be all right.

Then you.

Arrive here and start
going through his pockets

in case you might find
anything which might

compromise the service.

I know that the commander
and you yourself know

a damn sight more about

and you just won't
tell me the facts.

- The facts are that
Sidney did not return

to the Finnish
border as arranged.

The Russians issued a statement

saying that an Englishman
had been killed

in a frontier skirmish and

that Caryll Houselander
has received a postcard

from Moscow in
Sidney's handwriting,

which says goodbye.

- Caryll Houselander was

she the woman who
drew that sketch?

- Yes.

[soft music]

- Mrs. Reilly.

I've come to see
Caryll Houselander.

- Oh yes, of course.

Come with me, please.

Mrs. Reilly.

I'm afraid she's been taken ill.

Doctor.

Doctor, this is Mrs. Reilly.

She's come to see Caryll.

- She's ill, I'm afraid.

- Nothing serious, I hope.

- It's hard to say.

It would appear to relate
to a postcard she received.

- From Moscow?

- Yes.

- My husband sent it to her.

- See?

It's quite gray.

And here.

The bruising goes
down to the coccyx.

We have no explanation for it.

[clanging]

[groans]

[moaning]

- Out of the depths I
cry to thee, oh Lord.

Oh Lord, hear my voice.

Let thine ears be attentive
to my supplication.

Oh Lord, who shall stand?

But I rest forgiveness in thee.

To always be filled.

[gasps]

My soul waits for the Lord.

I wait for the Lord.

And his voice I hope.

My soul waits for the Lord.

More than watchmen
for the morning.

[moaning]

[rumbling]

- [George] How is she?

- A little better.

- Take you home?

[soft music]

What did the doctor say?

- He doesn't know what
he's dealing with.

- Hmm.

- I'm sure.

I know it's got
something to do with

what's happening to Sidney.

- Well, at least it
means he's still alive.

Following your reasoning.

[rumbling]

- We'll begin once again.

Your name.

Do we still need to inflict

all this unnecessary suffering?

Your name.

- Sigmund

Geogvitch

Rosenblum.

- [Felix] Date of birth.

- March 24th, 1874.

- Tell me about your family.

- My mother married into the

Russian Military Establishment.

I am the product

of the illegitimate liaison

between my mother
and her doctor.

When I left home,

I took the name of
my natural father.

Rosenblum.

- And the name Reilly?

- My first wife's family name.

That is all I am
prepared to tell you.

I need a doctor.

- I've already explained
the situation to you.

Your time on this
earth is limited.

It's important that it's
used to our advantage.

You must realize that you
are now our instrument.

- It would be a
mistake to let me die.

- Get him a doctor.

- Think I will have that
cigarette after all.

- Sidney tried to
poison my first husband.

- Was he called Mr. Reilly?

- No.

The Reverend Hugh Thomas.

When he did die, he left
me tolerably well off.

I married Sidney and he was
able to join the service.

They paid damn
all in those days.

- They still do.

- I became addicted to
alcohol in Port Arthur.

And that was my downfall.

He couldn't tolerate
any sort of failure.

He was quite ruthless.

- And so you obtained a divorce.

- Divorce.

My divorce was a paragraph
in a Russian newspaper.

British Red Cross nurse
killed tragically in accident.

Apparently, I was in Bulgaria

and the ambulance in
which I was traveling

swerved off a mountain road

and plunged into a ravine.

Several nurses were killed,

including a Mrs. Reilly,
who until recently,

was a resident of
St. Petersburg.

Sidney wrote it, of course.

- You haven't still
got it, have you?

- They took it.

- They took all your papers?

- Everything related to Sidney.

[clanging]

[muffled yelling]

This is the only thing
that they missed.

Miss Nadia, his countess.

If ever there was a woman
set upon marrying Sidney,

and a great many
were, it was she.

- She divorced him.

Lives in New York.

- I know.

- And he's married Pepita.

- That makes three of us.

Doesn't it?

[muffled yelling]

- If the press come
round, Mrs. Reilly,

you won't say anything
about the robbery, will you?

Or about Sidney.

- Not a word, my dear.

- I'm most grateful
that you got in touch.

- When I first heard all this,

I thought it was Sidney
up to his old tricks.

But you tell me he's dead.

- That's what the Russians say.

- Sidney often plays
dead, you know.

It's his way of
getting out of things.

- Reilly, on the
28th of September,

killed near the village
of Alico, Russia.

Shot by troops of the
Russian Secret Police.

Captain Sidney Reilly MC.

Beloved husband of
Pepita N. Reilly.

So, you see.

Even your wife believes
that you're dead.

- It's not often a man gets
to hear his own obituary.

- Though some of
the British press

don't believe that you are dead.

- That is heartening.

- They spread the rumor that
you've become a Bolshevik.

- That'll be the foreign office.

[ticking]

- Prime Minister will
see you now, gentlemen.

- Good morning, gentlemen.

- Morning, Prime Minister.
- Morning, Prime Minister.

- Gentlemen.

There are a number
of questions down

on this man Reilly.

I have to know what is going on.

Who exactly is he?

Is he alive or dead?

- Sidney Reilly has been my most

valued agent for
more than 20 years.

I believe he is still alive.

- Gentlemen, there
are numerous occasions

when the Prime Minister
prefers to be told

less than the truth.

This is not one of them.

[honking]

Perhaps you could
begin by telling me

why Reilly went to Russia.

- To expose an organization
known as the Trust,

which purports to
be anti-Bolshevik.

We have long doubted
its authenticity.

So, when they invited
Reilly to Moscow

to convince him
they were genuine,

worthy of the aid which the West

has been channeling their
way for the past two years,

we encouraged him to go.

It should've been a
three day mission.

- Hmm.

What went wrong?

- Well obviously, the Bolsheviks
might have arrested him.

Although if the
Trust was fraudulent,

it would not be in
their interest to do so.

My view is that he quite simply

engineered his own arrest

in order to bring about the
distraction of the Trust.

- What is your view, Sykes?

- Certainly, Cummings
is right on one point.

Reilly's disappearance
has led to the

discrediting of the Trust.

An organization for
which the foreign office

has had the highest respect.

I have no doubt that he has been

a Bolshevik agent all this time,

and this episode only
confirms my view.

My advice to you,
Mr. Prime Minister,

is to have nothing else
to do with this man.

He's an adventurer, a womanizer,

a threat to the country.

- What do you say
to that, Cummings?

- Sir, he has done the
state some service,

and I am determined
to get him back

if it is at all possible.

[clanging]

[knocking]

[clanging]

- What do you want, Trilisser?

- I've brought the
list you asked for.

- I see you placed your
own name at the top.

- Yes, you asked for the names

of those most closely involved.

I've organized the Trust for
Dzerzhinsky for four years.

- Take it off.

- Why?

- Because I want these men shot.

- But for what are
these men to be shot?

- For conspiracy to
subvert our revolution.

- But they were acting
under our instructions.

- Does that excuse them?

Has Reilly been executed yet?

- Not to my knowledge.

- Tell Felix to see to it.

Or I shall.

[rumbling]

[ringing]

- [Pepita] Come in,
Commander, please.

- Where's George?

- He telephoned to
say he was delayed.

- He distinctly told
me he'd be here.

Why the hell did you do it?

- Isn't he even
entitled to an obituary?

- You knew the
publicity would follow.

Look at it, speculation
hasn't stopped

for the past two weeks.

And what good has come of it?

- Well, you've
agreed to meet me.

That's a start.

And a number of
members of parliament

have telephoned me.

They're very interested
in Sidney's predicament.

What I want to know

is why Sidney went into Russia,

why you think he
hasn't returned,

and why you seemed to have
done nothing to get him out.

- You really think that?

- What else am I to think?

- Your husband was invited
to Moscow by the Trust.

They were desperate
to have his approval

of their operations.

Otherwise, there would have been

no further funds forthcoming

from the West who financed them.

I admit, I wanted him to go.

I hoped he would come
back with information

confirming our suspicions,

and my view was that
he could do that

in two or three days
without any true risk.

However.

It was George's suspicion
and is now my opinion

that Sidney went to
Moscow determined

to expose the Trust
by deliberately

getting himself arrested.

He planned it that way.

His marriage to you lulled both

us and the Bolsheviks into
a false sense of security.

He was determined to avenge
his friend, Boris Savinkov.

He has always used those
close to him quite ruthlessly.

Only this time, I fear he will

pay for it with his life.

You see, he has inflicted a
major defeat on Dzerzhinsky.

The Trust has been
shut down overnight

without any explanation.

All over the world,
there are Russian agents

left without money,
without instructions.

And we are simply picking
them off like flies.

They are not likely to
forgive him for that.

Now you must believe

I am doing everything
I can to get him back.

But I must ask you to desist

from any further sorters into
the field of public relations.

Your marriage to
Sidney was bigamous.

- What?

- The marriage was bigamous.

- You came to our wedding.

You toasted our health.

- I did, what else could I do?

You asked, if I
remembered correctly,

whether I would give you away.

And I replied that I have
never given anything away.

- Until now.

[clanking]

[knocking]

- Come in.

[clanking]

So you see.

They have abandoned you.

- Shilling please, love.

- Thanks so much, mate.
- For sure, love.

[muffled chatting]

- I shall miss these when
I have to return to Russia.

- I dare say.

Your friend Reilly
returned to Russia

on the 26th of September.

He's not been heard of since.

I want you to use your
contacts, Krassin.

I want to know
whether he is alive,

and if he is, where
he's being held

and who is holding him.

- There was a statement
about a skirmish

on the Finnish border.

- I want to know
what's happened to him.

- You know what's
happened to him.

He's disappeared.

- I want to know
whether he has defected.

It's a matter of honor.

- When people like
you talk about honor,

I look to my neck.

- My dear fellow, you would
be well advised to do so.

Your business in this country

borders on the fraudulent.

Thousands of pounds
passing through untaxed.

- All right, all right.

- Tell your comrade
Dzerzhinsky of my concern,

and I'm prepared to do
anything I can to help.

- Help?

- Stalin is about
to turn your country

into an abattoir.

All your friends are
being recalled to be shot.

- I fear we are on
the edge of an abyss.

- All the more reason
for Dzerzhinsky to know

who his friends are.

- The British Secret Service?

- We will help him
to get rid of Stalin,

if that's what he wants.

In exchange for
Reilly, of course.

Tell him that.

- We won't continue with
the protocol this morning.

There are other subjects I
wish to discuss with you.

The relationship
between the Service

and the West were won.

Perhaps we can start with a
fresh opinion of difference.

Who do you know, Captain Reilly?

- Well, I know everybody.

- Everybody?

- Of any consequence, that is.

In the West.

- You know the Prime
Minister, Baldwin?

- Yes.

- [Felix] American president?

- Coolidge, yes.

- Would you be in a position

to represent our views
if you were so asked?

- Our views?

- Mine.

- Well, I don't
know, I'd have to

consider it.

- You're not in a position
to consider anything.

- Did you speak to Krassin?

- Yes.

- You think it'll work?

- I don't know.

It's out of our hands now.

- What should I do
with Sidney's things?

- Burn them.

- Well I told Pepita I'd let
her have a few things back.

- Burn them.

- 5,000 people in the Trust

and Stalin wants them all dead,

every single one of them.

- Save your concern for our--

- Most of those abroad
have been arrested

and all those who work
for the Trust here

are on this list.
- I repeat.

Not one of our men on that
list will be sacrificed.

- How can I stop it?

- Put your name back on top.

And put mine above yours.

- Send Felix to see me.

- Very well.

- Tell him I have taken
his name off the list.

I have substituted
Sidney Reilly's.

Yours can stay on
for the present.

[rumbling]

- You feel good?

- Yes, I do.

Those walls were
beginning to depress me.

- I know.

I spent seven years in prison.

Mostly in solitary.

When I saw the sky
again, I was overjoyed.

- Where are we going?

- Just for a walk.

- I used to come out
here, in the old days.

- Mm-hmm.

So did Lenin.

- That was the attraction.

At one point, I was
toying with the idea

of having him shot.

So I had every vantage point
round here scouted out.

- When was that?

- This was July of 1918.

The Germans had just
broken through in France

and I was in Paris to get
Russia back into the war.

So my orders were
to get rid of Lenin

and replace him with someone
who was willing to fight.

However.

You thwarted my plans.

- I hadn't realized how
far they'd advanced.

But we did save the revolution.

That's what counts.

- Why did you get me out here?

[honking]

- Excuse me.

[rumbling]

- It's begun.

Over 50 of our men have
been arrested by Artuzov.

Stalin's orders, he says.

- When you decide
to arrest officers

of the Extraordinary Commission,

you will first inform me.

- [Stalin] But I have, Felix.

I've given you ample warning

of what I intended
to do for some--

- You'll rescind the order.

- You know I can't do that.

- I helped put you
in this office,

and if necessary,
I can see to it

that you are replaced.

- I was right all along.

Those who have served
the revolution longest

and made the
greatest contribution

are now among its
most deadly enemies.

- Rescind the order.

- [Operator] Hello?

Hello?

- Get me Artuzov.

- [Operator] Yes, sir.

- You shall have your
policemen, Felix.

But I must have
something in return.

I want Reilly shot.

- [Operator] Stalin for Artuzov.

- [Artuzov] Artuzov speaking.

- You can have Reilly.

- Artuzov?

Regarding that list given
to you by Trilisser,

you can let him have it back.

For the time being.

Meanwhile, I want you to arrange

for a marksman for
first light tomorrow.

Felix will give you the details.

- It'll be an outdoor occasion.

Yes, up in the hills.

No.

Sidney Reilly.

He said he'll do it himself.

- What time is it?

- [Soldier] Four o'clock.

- What's this in honor of?

[rumbling]

Over the white shroud
of your body, oh Russia,

the cold winds sing
a funeral song.

Do you remember who
is to sing that?

- Maria Plevitskaya.

- How does the rest of it go?

- My brother lies dead
in the icy ground.

His body hard as
the frozen earth.

Soon I in my turn
will lie with him.

When the spring comes,
remember us both.

[rumbling]

- Who's going to do it?

- Artuzov.

- Is he a good shot?

- He gets plenty of practice.

- Well, let's not
keep him waiting.

- One moment.

It's Stalin's wish
that you sign this.

- What is it?

- It's an acknowledgement
that you've read the word.

- What's the date?

- [Trilisser] The sixth.

- You can get out now.

- Don't get out of
the car, Trilisser.

Artuzov might get
you instead of me.

- I have no intention
of doing so.

- Walk towards the tree.

I leave you now.

♪ When the red, red rose grows

♪ Up, up, up and it'll bloom

[sings quietly]

♪ Get up, get up,
get out of here ♪

♪ Wake up

[gunshot]

- Dead.

- Executed.

At Stalin's command.

Dzerzhinsky had hoped to
find a use for him but

he was overruled.

That's the message that's
come through from Moscow.

I myself am being recalled.

I fear there is some
sort of a backlash

concerning anybody who had

dealings with the Trust.

I'm told that a large
number of members

have been arrested,

and are rumored
to have been shot

after the most
cursory of hearings.

In the circumstances--
- I don't believe it.

- My close association
with Reilly,

which at times was a great
use to my government,

has obviously become
something of an embarrassment.

In fact, I do not think this--
- But you have no proof.

- I believe him.

[chiming]

- [Caryll] I wanted to thank
you for coming to see me.

- [Pepita] That's all right.

I'm glad I did.

I had no idea you
loved him so much.

- He's gone.

- You're sure.

I thought I saw him last night.

I dreamt he came and took
away all the pictures.

I thought perhaps he'd made it.

- Well.

In a way,

he has.

[soft music]

[soft jingle]