Holcroft Covenant, The

Following some black and white footage of World War II, the scene is set using an aerial shot of Manhatten, New York.

A call comes in to the office of architect Noel Holcroft. 1330 Avenue of the Americas, at the intersection with West 54th Street, New York.

Noel is working on a construction site. Unidentified location.

Noel (Michael Caine) takes the call and is summoned to Geneva. The backdrop includes the tower of One World Trade Center on the left.

The film's Lake Geneva. In fact Lindau Harbour, on Bodensee in Germany.

The boat for Geneva is ready to sail. The Bad Schachen Ferry Port in Lindau with Hotel Vis à Vis to the right.

Hitman Anthony Beaumont (Carl Rigg) follows Noel onto the ferry. Lindau Harbour.

On the boat Noel meets Ernst Manfredi (Michael Lonsdale) who tells him he is in charge of 4 billion dollars. As he disembarks we see the Town Hall, Lindau.

The pair walk through the crowds on the shore. The building behind them is Finanzamt, the tax office, Lindau.

An assassination is attempted, but the perpetrator is shot. Ahead lies the Hotel Bayerischer Hof, Lindau.

Noel returns to New York. Brooklyn Bridge is shown.

Noel pulls up at his house. A yet to be identified London street, doubling for New York.

Noel enters his apartment building, which is unidentified, but in London according to the director's DVD commentary.

Noel is advised on a phone call to travel to London. A little scene-setting starts in Trafalgar Square, WC2.

Sir Henry Havelock statue, Trafalgar Square WC2.

The general is less flustered by pigeons. SJ

We see Noel at the base of Nelson's Column, Trafalgar Square.

No Caine, but the Landseer lion still keeps watch over the column. This replaces my June shot which was not quite as accurate and well as being rather cloudy. SJ

Hartman (Andy Bradford) is tailing Noel. The Fountains, Trafalgar Square, with the National Gallery in the background.

Marred by work on the fountains. SJ

Also observing is hitman Anthony Beaumont. Trafalgar Square.

Now that I've loaded this, I'm not convinced I have the correct angle. SJ

Commander Leighton (Bernard Hepton) is the man Noel has come to see. Trafalgar Square WC2.

The base of the Havelock statue. SJ

Noel and Leighton make their introductions in front of the National Gallery, Trafalgar Square.

The area was sealed off for a Major League Baseball weekend. SJ

The pair head for St. Martin-in-the-Fields WC2.

A little leafier. SJ

Noel and Leighton climb the steps of the church. St. Martin-in-the-Fields.

The statue of King George IV is hidden by a new tree. SJ

Leighton sends Noel into the church, where he is to be briefed. St. Martin-in-the-Fields, WC2.

Now with, on the left, Chapman's sculpture in Portland stone known as Christ Child added in 1999. SJ

Hartman drives to Waterloo Place in front of Carlton House Terrace, SW1..

Looking towards the Royal Society at 6-9 Carlton House Terrace, formerly Prussia House, the German Embassy until 1938. SJ

Hartman calls to Noel outside the Athenaeum Club, Waterloo Place, SW1.

The Athenaeum has the address of 107 Pall Mall. SJ

Hartman tells Noel to get in the car. Waterloo Place, looking north.

Waterloo Place crosses over Pall Mall before turning into Regent Street St. James's. SJ

Noel is driven north out of Eaton Square, SW1.

Nothing much has changed, except the lamppost. (SR)

The journey continues on Ludgate Hill EC4, looking west.

A damp day has cleared the streets. SJ

The car drives towards St. Paul's Cathedral EC4.

That tree has done well. SJ

The car approaches as we look north on Tower Bridge SE1.

Just never a break in the traffic to hop over the rails into the middle of the road! SJ

At dusk they reach a large house in the country. Here Noel is interrogated by Herr Oberst. Black Park Cottage, Black Park Road, Fulmer, Slough. This is located conveniently close to Pinewood Studios and has been used in many TV series, including 'The Professionals' and 'Midsomer Murders'.

Changing cars, Noel and Helden Tennyson (Victoria Tennant) cross Albert Bridge on foot in the rain.

An empty Albert Bridge in daylight.

Across the bridge they board another car. Albert Bridge SW11.

Noel and Helden arrive at Johann's riding club. He tells them to go to Berlin to search out Erich Kessler. Unidentified location.

Noel's mother Althene (Lilli Palmer) leaves her New York bookshop. The view out from 44 Moorfields, London EC2.

The rebuilding continues. SJ

She locks up the shop. The set is built at 44 Moorfields EC2, now occupied by the British Red Cross.

The reverse from the previous capture and comparison with a white van parked in the "bookshop." SJ

An assassin (Tharita Olivera De Sera) waits across the street. Looking south from around 155 Moorfields EC2.

Armourers' Hall on the corner of London Wall and Coleman Street is still there in the middle of the background to the left of the new Elizabethan line entrance. SJ

A car speeds towards the shop and crashes into it. The assassin throws a bomb into it the shop destroying it. Looking north on Moorfields EC2.

Much has been rebuilt to the middle and right. SJ

Noel arrives in Berlin. The scene is set showing the ruined Kaiser Wilhelm Memorial Church.

Noel is driven from the airport by taxi. Gröbenufer on the south bank of the Spree. In 2010 the street was renamed May-Ayim-User.

Reaching the double-deck Oberbaum Bridge, the Taxi turns into Oberbaumstrasse.

Noel reaches the red light district and books into a seedy hotel with Helden. Looking south on Berlin's Falckensteinstrasse.

They meet with Erich Kessler who has become a famous conductor. Berliner Philharmonie, Berlin.

Malcolm Tinnelly on his first trip to Berlin supplies this excellent comparison shot.

At a street carnival the pair are attacked and Helden is kidnapped.

In a back street, Noel shoots Helden's assailant and rescues her. Unknown location.

They meet up with Johann (Anthony Andrews) at the Brandenburg Gate. He tells them to drive to Geneva where he, Helden, Noel and Kessler will sign the covenant to release the money.

Noel and Helden drive through back streets. Unidentified location.

Unidentified location, around the corner from the previous capture.

Commander Leighton has them intercepted and taken to a castle. Schloss Syrgenstein, Heimenkirch, Germany.

Helden's taxi arrives in Geneva. We are back in Lindau Harbour, Germany.

Helden enters the hotel. Bayerischer Hof, Lindau Harbour.

Ernst Manfredi heads for the Geneva bank where the covenant is to be signed. Manuel Gurtner informs us that in fact, this sequence was shot in Zurich, where the car is driving towards the Bellevue square and has just passed the spot where Kreuzstrasse branches off from Utoquai towards Kreuzplatz. The intersection with Dufourstrasse can be seen in the far background.

Manuel says "Taking the comparison shot was tricky because I was standing in the middle of a four-lane boulevard and had to wait for the traffic lights to turn red so as not to be hit. The building on the right, dating from 1929, housed Europe's first indoor tennis facilities. From 1953 onward, the first facilities of Swiss television were located there, called Bellerive Studio."

Manuel notes that the Mercedes-Benz 500 SEL with Manfredi stops in front of the bank building. "By now we know that we are in Switzerland, but not in Geneva, but in Zurich, more precisely on the Mythenquai, which runs along the western shore of the lake, with a view towards Enge harbour. To the left behind the tree, there is an extensive facility with several outdoor tennis courts, which over the years fell victim to the constant expansion of the Swiss Re Campus."

Manuel provides the comparison shot taken from the sidewalk and adds that this shows also the glass palace at Mythenquai 50, openend in 2017 and called Swiss Re Next. The street was recently traffic-calmed and equipped with a bus stop. In the distance, the intersection of Mythenquai, General-Wille-Strasse, and General-Guisan-Quai can be seen. On the right, the security fence can be recognized, which was temporarily erected for the Street Parade 2025 techno event, which is expected to attract around one million visitors.

Ernst Manfredi arrives at the Swiss bank where the covenant is to be signed. Swiss Re, 60 Mythenquai, Zurich, Switzerland.

Manuel provides today's view, adding that the building was originally built in 1911 to 1913 and extended from 1929 to 1931 in the same style. The supporting structure consists of reinforced concrete! The building presents itself as a neo-baroque monumental structure, using French lime sand brick for the facade. Between 1998 and 2000 the building was completely renovated.