Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy (1979): Season 1, Episode 6 - Smiley Sets a Trap - full transcript

George Smiley continues his round of interviews this time meeting part-time agent and journalist, Jerry Westerby. Jerry had contacted Smiley after the Testify fiasco as he had an important piece of information for him. George was out of the Service by then and ignored the letter. Jerry's information confirms that Testify was a set-up. George now takes a gamble and takes one of Percy Alleline's senior men into his confidence. With his investigation now complete, it's to lay a trap and Ricky Tarr is sent to Paris.

- The facts were known, man.

Toby ordered me
not to approach anyone

or to try
and make my story heard.

The Circus was back in the road.

I could forget Tinker, Taylor,
the whole damn game:

moles, everything.

"Drop out," he said.

"You're a lucky man, Jim.

"Forget it, right?

Forget it."

- So Toby actually mentioned
Tinker, Tailor to you.



How ever did he
get hold of that?

- That's what I've been doing.

Obeying orders and forgetting.

[bell ringing]

[people speaking indistinctly]

[engine turning over]

[glass shattering]

- You told Prideaux
to forget about Tinker, Tailor.

Where did that come from?

- I never knew what that meant.

Now, George, that's the truth.

- Poor Toby.

Yes, I do see.

What a dog's life
you must have been leading,



running between them all.

- George, if there's anything
I can do of a practical nature,

now, you know me, George.

My boys are pretty well trained.

If you want to borrow them,

I'd have to speak to Lacon,
of course.

Well, you'd expect that.

All I want is for this thing
to be cleared up.

For the good of the Circus,
I want nothing for myself.

- Where's this safe house
you keep exclusively

for meeting Polyakov?

- 5, Lock Gardens, Camden Town.

- You're going to be staying
here for a night or two.

Fawn will look after you.

- Fawn.

- You'll have to make
explanations to the Circus

by telephone.

You're having girl trouble,

or whatever sort of trouble
you're in these days.

Then there's your wife,
of course.

- Yes, George,
I can look after that.

- If he's any bother, Fawn,
use your own discretion.

- Peter, I want you
to watch my back.

Will you do that for me?

Look for one man, but look.

- We'll draw it up
at Sussex Gardens.

[intense instrumental music]

II

[suspenseful instrumental music]

II

[siren wailing]

- Same as you, George.

Just a feeling.

Someone, but I couldn't say
for certain.

- I covered both of you
right to the front door.

If either of you did have
company, he's cleverer than me.

That's been done.

Do you have anyone particular
in mind?

Shall I go down
to pavement level,

take a sniff?

- Well, proceed?
- Yes.

- Right.

Now, the minister
has one major worry.

In his own words, "How much
porcelain gets broken

at the end of the day?"

Scandal he's talking about.

If we unmask the mole,
are the Russians

going to cut their loses by
telling the press of the world

how they've made fools of us
all this time?

- I think not.

If you make your enemy
look stupid,

you lose the justification
for taking him on.

- Yes, I've told him that,
George.

- So isn't his mind at rest?

- He hopes there will be
nothing messy, George,

nothing that could provoke
Moscow.

- But proceed?
- Heavens yes.

- Clean the stables.
- Mm-hmm.

- Problem: flush out the mole.

- Method.

- We need to alarm him
just sufficiently

to make him call for
a crash meeting with Polyakov

at the safe house,

a meeting Gerald the mole
needs all to himself,

secret from the rest
of the Witchcraft magic circle.

There are two of them
and Alleline.

- We have definitely cleared
Esterhase?

- Oh, yes.

- Thank you.

- Karla really did bring off
the perfect fix...for a while.

It would be beautiful
in another context.

- Tinker, Alleline;
Tailor, Haydon;

Soldier, Bland.

Spot the mole.

- Quite.
Ways and means, George.

- Ricki Tarr will go to Paris.

He'll make use of the
appropriate embassy facilities

to send a signal
to the head of London Station.

"Something, something,
something,"

which we'll now concoct.

[train brakes screeching]

[intense instrumental music]

II

[seagulls cawing]

- Message will be,
"Have information

"vital to the safeguarding
of the Service.

Request immediate meeting.
Personal."

Remember, "Vital to the
safeguarding of the Service."

- It's even true.

- Don't forget that.

No mistakes, Ricki.

Your head's on the block.

- I'm not the only one, Peter.

[typewriter clicking]

- Check, Peter.

Toby Esterhase did say,
"Two full milk bottles

and all's well
and you may enter," yes?

- Yes, George.
And that's the second time.

- Is it?

Well, let's not pretend
we're not nervous.

- Check, George.

- Ready?
Drew a cord?

Shall we try it?

I'll go upstairs.

- What would you like,
Monteverdi, Irving Berlin,

Mick Jagger?

- This machinery,
installed at great expense

to the British taxpayer,
is voice-activated.

When I stop speaking,
the tape will stop recording.

See?

♪ Old Man River ♪

♪ That Old Man River ♪

♪ He just keeps rolling ♪

♪ De-de-de-de-de-de-de-de-de ♪

♪ De-de-de-de-de-de-deed le-d um ♪

[intense instrumental music]

II

- Hello, here's something.

Soldiefs just arriving.

That's all three of them
in there now.

And to start his orders.

- The important point is,
who gets away first?

Just going for a walk.
Back with you in a minute.

[siren wailing]

Peter.

All clear?

- As far as I can judge.
No promises.

- I think you should
come down now.

- Proceed?
- Proceed.

[siren wailing]

[gun clicks]
- What's that?

- Nothing.
Just fiddling.

[sun clicks]

- You there?

- Yes.

- Someone just leaving.

Can't quite make him out.

Called a taxi
right to the door.

Cheeky.

- Thank you.
Joints.

[intense instrumental music]

II

[engine idling]

[car door slams]

[car door slams]

[car door slams]

[door rattling]

[door thuds]

[metallic clanking]

[cat yowling]

- [speaking Russian]

- [speaking Russian]

- [speaking Russian]

- Scotch.
Bloody great big one.

- Have you anything on you that
you would prefer I should...

[intense instrumental music]

- Alleline go to Paris?

- He's got to.

He'll delay just long enough
to keep his dignity.

He can't jump the moment
Ricki Tarr tells him to.

And he knows Tarr would never
stick his neck out...

[intense instrumental music]

Something to buy back
his good name and then some.

[intense instrumental music]

II

- Know what it is.

Karla's got 24 hours
to pull me out.

[intense instrumental music]

II

- You, you, you.

You butchered my agents.

How many since?

How many?

200?

300?

400?

- Stop that!
- All right, all right!

- Are you armed, Bill?

- I'm a Soviet diplomat.

This behavior-
- Shut up!

- Peter, will you please
telephone Percy Alleline

and ask him and Roy Bland
to come here immediately

then Lacon,
then Toby Esterhase.

I think the first thing to do

is to play them
this evening's tapes.

That should save a great deal
of time in explanations.

- [speaking Russian]

- Aleks, really.

Oh, they're on.

Do you mind
if I finish my drink, George?

- There was no one out there
you noticed?

- Quiet as a grave.

" VeTY proper. George.

Don't want anything irrelevant,
do we?

Very tidy, George.

- Did Alleline go to Paris?

- He's got to.

He'll delay just long enough
to keep his dignity.

He can't jump the moment
Ricki Tarr tells him to.

But he knows Tarr would never
stick his neck out like this

unless he's got
something precious.

Something to buy back
his good name and then some.

And you and I know what it is.

Karla's got 24 hours
to pull me out.

The time has come, Aleks.

- Well, that's that.

Congratulations, George.

- Next step, gentlemen.

- Would you agree with me,
Percy, that our best course

is to make some positive use
of Bill Haydon?

We need to salvage
whatever's left

of the networks he's betrayed.

- Yes.

- We sell Bill to Moscow Center

for as many of our men
in the field as can be saved

for humanitarian reasons.

Professionally, of course,
they're finished.

- Quite.

- And the sooner you open
negotiations with Karla,

the better.

Well, you're much better placed
to talk terms

with our friend downstairs
than I am.

Polyakov remains
your direct link with Karla.

- The only difference is,
this time you'll know it.

It's definitely your job, Percy.

You're still chief,
officially...

for the moment.

- Very well, George.

- Excuse me, sir.

Mr. Guillam says, "Is it
all right if the inquisitors

take Mr. Haydon away and out?"

[train clattering]

- Shall I go first?

All the best, Percy.

- I want Fawn to stay with it.

[ominous music]

II

- I'm sorry about the assault.

Unprofessional.

It was just that it would have
to be Bill Haydon, wouldn't it?

He was always our hero
in capital letters.

I mean, for the younger lot.

My kind, anyway-

The antiquated English patriot.

Never mind all the dirt
we have to do.

It's for England.

The funny thing about all this.

It's quite an effort now not
to think of him with affection.

[match sizzling]

- I suppose Bill would say that
means you've grown up, Peter.

- Always good for a laugh,
wasn't he, Bill?

- I'd like to thank you,
by the way.

You helped enormously.

No, truly, Peter.

[bird cawing]

[foreboding music]

II

[bird cawing]

[horn honking]

- Lacon assures me
there's been no coercion.

I hope that's true.

- Oh, yes.
No complaints, George.

Bit of a nosebleed.
Keep feeling dizzy.

I'm sure it's just
the excitement of it all.

- Why have you been weeping?

- Sheer exasperation.

Really, the pettiness
of our inquisitors.

They're not only incompetent,

they actually believe
I know the names

of Karla's other moles
around the world.

Idiots.

I can't talk
to people like that.

- But you're prepared
to say something to me,

according to Lacon.

- Can't Percy get a move on

doing his horse trading
with Karla?

- Oh, I'm sure it will only be
a matter of a day or two now.

[phone ringing]

- What do you want to know?

- Oh, why?
When?

How?

- [laughs]
Why'?

You ask that?

Because it was necessary!

That's why.

Someone had to.

We were bluffed.

You, me, Control, all of us.

The Circus talent spotters
all those years ago,

they picked us when we were
golden with hope,

told us we were on our way
to the Holy Grail,

a lifetime of glory
in front of us,

service to the great cause,

freedom's protectors.

[sobbing]

Oh, my God.

What a question.

Why'?

[sighs]

Do you know what's killing
Western democracy, George?

Greed and constipation-

moral, political, ascetic.

I hate America very deeply,

the economic repression
of the masses,

institutionalized.

Even Lenin couldn't foresee
the extent of that.

Britain, oh, dear,

no viability whatever
in world affairs.

I suppose that's when it began,

turning my eyes to the east,
I mean,

and I saw how trivial
we'd become as a nation,

say, mid-'40s.

By 1950, I was slipping Karla

occasional gifts
of intelligence,

carefully selected morsels
to help the Russian cause

against America.

At that time, I was scrupulous
not to give Moscow

anything harmful to ourselves:

our own agents in the field.

I still believe
the secret services

are the only real expression
of a nation's character.

Until the mid-'50s,
I still had hopes,

lingering loyalty
to what we represented.

Self-delusion, of course.

We were already
America's streetwalkers.

I was granted Soviet citizenship
12 years ago.

They're giving me
a couple of medals.

- What medals?

- I didn't ask him.
Does it matter?

- Quite a lot to Bill,
one supposes.

- Possibly.

- We're going to get a bit more
from him, I hope.

I do hope so, George.

- He's right about
the state of affairs down there.

Slovenly.

They don't even patrol
the perimeter day or night.

I have mentioned it.

- The thinking on Sarratt
is that it should be

as inconspicuous as possible.

- I'm concerned
for Hayden's safety.

- Aren't you being
a little overdramatic?

The only place he can go to
is Russia,

and they're sending him
there anyway.

The number of people who need
to be told about all this,

as we agree, must be kept
as small as possible.

I suppose your wife
will have to be among them.

I know you told me
she and Haydon

were over and done with now,
as you said,

but there's always the unknown
factor in matters of the heart,

isn't there?

I'm thinking about the future,

any possible further contact,

and if Ann doesn't know...

she does meet so many
different sorts of people.

- She gets around.

- I'm sorry, George.

- Not at all.

I quite take your point.

Ann must let us know
of any approach

directly or indirectly
made by or on behalf of...

- Exactly.

- Or even apparently
on behalf of

or merely concerning
Bill Haydon.

- Thank you.

- I was going to tell her
anyway.

You might call it
balancing the books.

- Absolutely.

You know, George,
one thing perplexes me

more than anything else
about the mole conspiracy.

Karla devised
Operation Witchcraft

primarily as a means of putting
poor Percy Alleline

on Control's throne.

But why didn't Karla want Haydon
to take over the Circus himself?

It surly would have been
less difficult to arrange

with all Bill's
acknowledged accomplishments.

- No, no.

We had the perfect setup.

Percy made the running.
I slipstreamed behind him.

Roy and Toby did the legwork.

Far better for me to remain
the freewheeling subordinate,

the laughing cavalier.

Being in charge
could have bogged me down.

Too much admin,
diary full of meetings, dinners,

chewing the cud in Whitehall.

- Never happened to Control.

- A natural recluse, Control.

I couldn't have behaved
like that and got away with it.

No, no, George.

Karla and I agree.

I'd have been wasted as chief.

Could have done it, of course.

- Of course.

- I'd like to go inside now.

[airplane engine roaring]

- Some of that rain
will be turning to snow.

So let's put some detail
on the weather now for you.

Increasingly, I think you'll see
a pretty miserable picture

of the whole country
covered in clouds and rain.

- Yes, you're right.

The Czechoslovakian business was
a bit of a desperate throw,

but something pretty bold
was called for.

I was certain Control
was getting very warm indeed.

All that burrowing in the files
he was doing.

It was paying off, I knew.

He'd built up an incomputably
impressive inventory

of the number of operations

I'd either blown
or managed to cripple.

And then, of course, he was
narrowing his field of suspects,

a short list of officers of
a certain age, experience, rank.

Mm.

He did well,
considering he was so ill.

Surprised Karla.

- Was the offer of information
from General Stevcek genuine?

- Good Lord, no.

It was a fix
from start to finish.

Stevcek existed, of course.
Still does.

Very distinguished man.

But he never offered anything
to Control or anybody else.

Did you expect Control
to send Jim Prideaux?

- Well, obviously,
we needed to be certain

Control would rise to the bait.

We had to spell it out
that he'd got to send a big gun

to make the story stick.

And we knew he'd only settle for
someone outside London Station,

someone he trusted.

- And someone who spoke Czech,
of course.

- Naturally.

It had to be a man
who was old Circus,

to bring the temple down a bit.

- Yes, I see the logic of that.

- Bloody hell.

[dog barking]

- It was, perhaps,
the most famous partnership

the Circus ever had.

You and Jim
back in the old days.

The Iron Fist
and the Iron Glove.

Who was it who coined that?

- I got him home, didn't I?

- Yes.

That was good of you.

- The thing with Ann
was Karla's idea.

- Was it?
- Yes.

Did you think it was hers?

[bird cawing]

The point was, Karla always
thought if there was a threat,

it would come from you.

He said you were quite good,

but that you had
this one weak spot: Ann.

It was a double fix
actually.

On the one hand,
you weren't likely

to think of me as a Circus spy
if you were preoccupied

with what your wife and I
got up to in bed.

And on the other, if it was
well-known around the place

that I was her lover,

it was bound to look like
personal vengeance

if you ever did suggest
I might be the mole.

So Karla said not to strain it,

but, if possible,

join the queue.

Point?

- Point.

Presumably, it was
on Karla's instructions

you were with Ann on the night
of the Prideaux shootout

as insurance.

- Oh, yes.
He was adamant on that.

[airplane engine roaring]

[sighs] They tell me
I could be away tomorrow

or the day after at the latest.

Can you make sure any mail
gets forwarded from my club?

Oh, and the balance
of my salary, of course.

- I will.

Anything else?

- Oh, yes.
Nearly forgot.

You got a pen somewhere?

Thanks.

Girlfriend.

Give her this.

"I'm away on work
of national importance...

maybe for years."

So she can forget me.

And I can't take her with me,
can I?

Even if I could,
she'd be a bloody millstone.

Oh, and, um...

There's one particular boy.

A cherub but no angel.

I've been seeing a lot of him.

You better give him
a couple of hundred.

Can you do that
out of the reptile fund?

- I would think so.

- Good.

Oh, God, I'm tired.

" MY Pen. please.

- What?

Oh.
[chuckles]

Certainly.

Sorry--

- Thank you.

[laughter]

[ominous music]

♪♪

- Don't look around, Bill.

- Oh, it's you, Jim.

Come to say good-bye?

Nice of you.

I'm glad to see
you haven't lost your touch.

Must be in pretty good shape.

- Why did you get me back?

- I couldn't leave you
rotting in a Czech prison.

- Russian.

Why didn't Karla finish me off?

Was that out of delicacy to you?

Wasn't that, was it?

You both thought that a corpse
might create a lot more fuss

than just another repatriated
harmless cripple, didn't you?

- The shooting wasn't
part of the plan, Jim.

- No, not the shooting...

but everything else.

" [grunts]

- "And that food shall be
for a store to the land

"against the seven years
of famine

"which shall be
in the land of Egypt

"that the land perish
not through the famine.

"And the thing was good
in the eyes of Pharaoh

"and in the eyes
of all his servants.

"And Pharaoh said
unto his servants,

"'Can we find
such a one as this,

"a man in whom
the spirit of God is?'

"And Pharaoh said unto Joseph,

"'For as much as God
hath shewed thee all this...

"'For as much as Goth-
God hath shewed...

"'For as much as-

"'For as much as God
hath sh-sh-shewed...

- "'For as much as God
hath showed thee all this..."'

- "'For as much as God
hath showed thee all this,

"'there is none so discreet
and wise as thou art.

"'Thou shalt be over my house,
and according unto thy word,

"'shall all my people be ruled.

Only in the throne
will I be greater than thou."'

- It seems
that at half past 10:00,

Haydon told the guards
he felt a bit sick,

and he thought a breath of air
would help him.

Because his case
was now considered closed,

they saw no reason
to tear themselves away

from some horror film that had
just started on the television.

And they let him wander off.

Half an hour later,
they thought

they'd better go
and look for him.

He'd received no letters,
messages, during the day.

I was the only outsider
to see him.

But his suit had come back
from the cleaners.

Possibly, a message
was concealed in it

inviting him to a rendezvous.

The guards had not inspected the
suit before giving it to him.

I'm afraid
that doesn't surprise me.

Any comments, anyone?

- What if someone
went to the cleaners,

said he'd lost his ticket,

and could he look through
the stuff ready for collection?

[clears throat]
That's one way.

- Would the Russians
kill Haydon?

- It gives Karla
all the reason he needs

to cancel the deal
on our networks.

- But Moscow Center
prides itself

on getting its people back.

- Important point, Roy.

' [sighs]

Well, who then?

- We will all, of course, have
to account for our movements

last night.

Necessary formality.

Also, Mendel, Fawn, Ricki Tarr.

Then, as to the future,
I've been asked

to look after things
for a while.

I'd like everyone
to take some leave.

And afterwards, there will
be some redeployment...

For those of you who wish
to remain with the service.

[intense instrumental music]

II

- George.

Hello.

- Ann.

- Just the same.

- You too.
- [chuckles]

- No, um, Julian?
Was that his name?

- Jake.

And no Jake.
Gone.

Actually, he got a job
somewhere.

I'm quite free at the moment.

Enjoying it.

Uncle Guzzleguts is away too.
Madrid.

So I've got the house
all to myself.

- I brought you this.

It goes, um...

- Oh, George.

Very nice of you.

Well, what's been happening?

How have you all been?

[bell tolling]

Did Bill say anything about me?

I mean, me as a person,
what he thought about me?

- Not really.

- Are you glad he's dead?

Please, don't say, "Not really."

- No, I'm not glad.

There was a moment when I knew,

when I heard his voice
talking to Polyakov.

Just for a moment,
I wanted to shoot him,

but it passed.

- Bill betrayed totally,
didn't he, everything, everyone?

Was he taking
some kind of revenge?

- He must have talked to you
quite a lot.

- Should I have passed all that
on to you?

Pillow talk.

Describe Bill.

- Yet another man trying to find
a little place in history.

- Ah, but, George,
Bill is standing at the center

of some secret stage
playing world against world.

He had a wonderful time.

He enjoyed himself.

He loved being a traitor.

I'm glad he's dead.
His life was over.

I'm glad for him.

- Did you love him?

Ann, did you?

- No, George.

Poor George.

Life's such a puzzle to you,
isn't it?

[Song of Simeon]

- ♪ Lord ♪

♪ Now lettest thou ♪

♪ Thy servant ♪

♪ Depart in peace ♪

II

♪ According to Thy word ♪

II

♪ For mine eyes ♪

♪ Have seen Thy salvation ♪

II

♪ Which Thou hast prepared ♪

♪ Before the face ♪

♪ Of all people ♪

II

♪ To be a light ♪

♪ To lighten ♪

♪ The Gentiles ♪

♪ And to be the glory ♪

♪ Of Thy people ♪

♪ Israel ♪

II

♪ Glory be to the Father ♪

♪ And to the Son ♪

♪ And to the Holy Ghost ♪

♪ As it was
in the beginning ♪

♪ ls now and ever shall be ♪

II

♪ World without end ♪

♪ Amen ♪