Spy Who Came in from the Cold, The

Through the opening credits we see “Checkpoint Charlie” the crossing between East and Western Germany where we watch Alec Leamas (Richard Burton) patiently waiting for a foreign agent. Actually Smithfield, Dublin, Ireland.

Smithfield 2012. New apartments on left. Brother David took picture but hasn't seen film. Note the skinny red and smaller white buildings in background, unchanged since movie. Market is location for horse-trading first Sunday of every month. Well done bro', Andrew Brennan

Having seen the agent shot at the crossing Leamas returns to London….. Trafalgar Square, London WC2

A more comprehensive view from ground level with five scooters replacing five cars, who would have thought it?

…and is dropped off to meet with ‘Control’ (Cyril Cusack) at the north end of Northumberland Avenue, London WC2

Top end near Traf. Sq., WC2. Not a great angle, no crane with me. SJ

‘Control’ tells him that he wants him to stay ‘out in the cold’ a little longer and assist in the discrediting of Hans-Dieter Mundt (Peter van Eyck) Head of East German Security. Westbourne Grove, London W2 looking across to Chepstow Place.

Now. SJ*

Leamas wanders thoughtfully across the road to a Labour Exchange [Now called a Job Centre]. Pembridge Villas, London W2

Now. SJ*

Having reported to his appointed post at a library he later visits a pub for a drink and buys a bottle of whisky. ‘The Elgin’ 96 Ladbroke Grove, London W11 but Leamas is exiting into Westbourne Park Road.

Gone are the days when one could just step out onto the pavement as Martin Blower found and did well to capture this near perfect shot.

To turn left and walk further down the road. Westbourne Park Road.

A slightly wider shot from Martin to reveal just what he was up against, and all the essentials are there.

Drunk, Leamas assaults his local grocer, Mr Patmore (Bernard Lee), and is sent to jail. His fellow librarian Nancy ‘Nan’ Perry (Claire Bloom) awaits his release. Wormwood Scrubs, Du Cane Road, London W12

In order to get this shot, Antony Blair was hanging around the prison again.

But so is Ashe (Michael Hordern). Wormwood Scrubs prison also seen in 'Feet of Clay', 'The Italian Job', 'Frenzy' and many others.

Now. SJ*

Ashe watches Nan catch her bus back to work…… Du Cane Road, London W12

Without the aid of a bus, Antony Blair recreates the scene without the buildings, which is now a car park, but including a Central Line train on the right.

…before venturing to Battersea Park, London SW11…..

Now. SJ*

….to meet with Leamas.

Now. SJ*

Ashe says that he is from the Discharged Prisoners Aid Society and offers to take Leamas to lunch with a view to helping him rehabilitate.

Now. SJ*

After lunch Leamas makes his way to circa 72 Fleet Street, London EC4

Now. SJ*

Buys some cigarettes…..Circa 72/74 Fleet Street, London EC4

Now. SJ*

….and crosses the road……Fleet Street

Now. SJ*

…..next to be seen emerging from South Kensington Underground station. Pelham Street, London SW7

Now. SJ*

From where he makes his way to Queen’s Gate Terrace, London SW7 by bus.

Now. SJ*

Getting off the bus…..

Now. SJ*

….he hails a waiting taxi……Queens Gate Terrace looking across Gloucester Road, London SW7

Now. SJ*

…..to take him to Bramerton Street, London SW3…..

The lamp has actually been replaced with a fatter version. SJ

…..No 19 in particular to meet with George Smiley (Rupert Davies) and ‘Control’ to acknowledge that ‘contact’ had been made…….via Ashe.

Now. SJ

As instructed, Leamas follows up the ‘contact’, meeting with Dick Carlton (Robert Hardy) who escorts him to The Hague the following morning, via Schiphol Airport, Amsterdam to meet with ‘a client’. Frank advises that this is the ‘old’ Schiphol that is east of the more recent airport, the location itself now called Schiphol Oost.

They journey to The Hague by car. Apparently, they didn’t need to go as far as The Hague as this is Boerhaaveweg, South Holland, half way between Amsterdam and The Hague.

The exact address of this house is Koningin Astrid Boulevard 54 and it is situated At the intersection Boerhaveweg and Koningin Astrid Boulevard, Noordwijk aan Zee they turn right and immediately draw to a stop…….. The exact address of this house is Koningin Astrid Boulevard 54.

"Where are the drones when you need them?", Frank asked himself when he was at this location.

…… approaching the door of the property it is opened by Peters (Sam Wanamaker), who sends Carlton away. With thanks to Frank for identifying this location and hence the previous two. Koningin Astrid Boulevard 54, Noordwijk aan Zee

Unfortunately Frank could not take the shot at the same angle because there is a new extension to the house that blocks the view. The house itself is called ‘Huis aan de Zee’ (House at the Sea) and that is, as he says, quite obvious.

Leamas is ‘reported missing’ in the London papers and in consequence it is deemed that it is too risky for him to remain in Holland so Peters drives him to Germany for further questioning. Mikey of Britmovie Forum found this to be Newbridge House Demesne, just north of Dublin.

Michael Keating has provided this comparison shot for us and advises that this is between the current staff carpark and the main courtyard. It is also the location where Leamas was escorted up the cast iron stairs, still part of the fabric of the main house. Further, at the time of filming the house and demesne belonged to the Cobbe family. It was bought by Dublin County Council in the mid 1980s (since transferred to Fingal County Council) and is now open to visits by members of the public.

It is not long before Fiedler (Oskar Werner) enters the scene to continue the questioning and go for a walk ‘outside’. Manuel Gurtner finds them somewhere in the Wallgau region, probably walking up by the northeastern slope of the Schafkopf mountain, part of the Ester mountain range, near the Lake Sachen.

As they has reach a small plateau Manuel tells us that the Soiern mountain range with the summits of Untergrasberg (1727m), Hoher Grasberg (1783m), Markkopf (1357 m) and Fischbachkopf (1690m) can be seen in the distance.

As their conversation continues, in the distance, behind Oskar Werner and Richard Burton, the Soiern mountain range remains with the partially visible Ochsenstaffel mountain (1871m), followed by the summits of Schöttelkopf (1907m), Schöttelkarspitze (2050m), Feldernkreuz (2048m) and Seinskopf (1961m), again with thanks to Manuel.

During the close-up of Werner and Burton, Manuel tells us that we are looking south towards the mighty Karwendel north mountain range in the far distance between the two .

Whilst Fiedler waits the outcome of letters signed by Leamas to foreign banks they are obliged to spend time together. IMDb tells us that this is Garmisch, 82467 in Bavaria, West Germany but Mikey at Britmovie believes it could be Barmsee Krün. The debate, has been left for reference purposes but in Manuel's opinion, Lake Barm (Barmsee) is out of the question because it is too small and the surrounding topography is completely different, but he believes that it is Lake Walchen (Walchensee), located in the municipality Kochel am See as explained in the following capture.

While Leamas waits until Fiedler has finished his phone call, Niedernach Bay can be seen behind him. Despite the hazy weather, the Sagrinnenköpfl mountain (1120m), Rautbergkopf mountain (1415m) and Rautberg mountain (1210m) can be seen in the distance as well as the southern shore of the Walchensee. It seems that the hut and the phone booth have disappeared sometime in the last few decades. Thanks Manuel.

The supposed defection of Leamas and the plot to have Mundt ‘discredited’ fails but the accusations made against him were in fact true, he was also a double agent and as a result he assists in the escape of Leamas and Nan following their arrest. This looks very much like Newbridge House Demesne.

Michael Keating confirms that this indeed Newbridge House Demesne, more particularly, the restored 'Pineapple Gate' to the farmyard. Further details of the house can be read in Capture 27.

They are provided with a car and instructions as to the route of their escape over the Berlin Wall. They pass a waterfront and dockside buildings……. Looking across East Dock, St Katharine Docks, London E1, over Thomas More Street to the entrance to London Docks and associated warehouse(s).

Best possible angle given current day location restrictions.

…….and draw to a stop…….North West dockside of East Dock.

All totally re-developed as can be seen.

Having ‘justified’ the necessary wrongs of spying and the unpleasant consequences of the events they have been involved in, they are met, as planned, and are guided with explicit instructions to the Wall…. North West corner of East Dock looking at the eastern end of ‘C’ Warehouse across to ‘B’ Warehouse. This route of the whole dock sequence can be followed in 'Britain from Above' EAW022338.

Now known as 'Sun Walk'.

. . . the next on the left brings them to . . . Tony Hanna watched filming take place here, it's facing east on Bonny's Lane, now St. Kevin's Avenue, in Dublin 8 with since replaced properties in Clanbrassil Street in the right distance.

Taken from a similar viewpoint by Tony.

. . . The Wall, so near and yet so far . . . Contrary to contemporary reports in the cinema press about the Berlin Wall being recreated at Smithfield Market, Tony Hanna found that the the two buildings, centre and right background, still stand on Malpas Street in Dublin 8 and that Old Mill Court now occupies the foreground wasteland.

Tony's persistence in photographing the location has allowed this composite image of the narrow and restricted street to be created which shows the two surviving buildings on Malpas Street.

. . . as the light is extinguished they make their way to the marked crossing point. Tony Hanna explains that this is panning right across the waste ground adjacent to Malpas Street with Clanbrassil Street to the right.