Permission to Kill

Date: 1975
Director: Cyril Frankel
Production Company: Sascha-Verleih, Warner Bros.

Stars: Dirk Bogarde, Ava Gardner, Bekim Fehmiu, Timothy Dalton, Melissa Calfan, Frederic Forrest
Location(s): Oberösterreich (Austria), London

Region(s): ,

Storyline:

Forces gather in strength to prevent a freedom fighter returning to replace his country’s dictator.

Additional Information:

An Anglo-Swiss co-operation with research by Manuel Gurtner and loaded by SJ

Also known as ‘The Executioner’ (US Title)

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If you have any information regarding this production, the locations or, even better, some comparison shots please contact us. Images submitted must be in Landscape orientation, as would be seen on the cinema screen, not Portrait.

We are aware that there are films on the site that were added when the criteria for the inclusion of locations was very different from today and, as a result, there may be scenes missing from some productions. Please do not forward additional screen captures to us but bring the detail to our attention, for we do, and are, 're-addressing' these older entries as time allows.

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During the opening credits, some Parisian street scenes are shown, but maybe filmed in Vienna.

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Nicole Calfan as sexy hit-woman Melissa Lascade is shadowed on her way home by the fictitious "Western Intelligence Liaison".

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Dirk Bogarde as head of operations Alan Curtis follows Melissa unnoticed to her apartment.

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Frederic Forrest as journalist Scott Allison has landed in New York City, while in the background the Air Force One (type Boeing 707 VC-137C) is refueled. Perhaps the Helicopter (type Agusta AB-206) gives an indication of the actual location.

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Government employee Charles Lord (Timothy Dalton) stops a cab at the corner of Parliament Street and King Charles Street. In the background the Victoria Tower and on the horizon the Millbank Tower can be recognized.

The buses are still numerous at this corner of SW1. SJ

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On the way to a little business, Charles enters a taxi, in front of the cenotaph. Later he is surprised by Curtis and his people in bed with a man.

I found it tricky to put the trees in the correct place. SJ

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The aerial view of Gmunden at the northern end of the Traunsee, the deepest lake in Austria.

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The Toyota Crown taxi with Scott Allison stops in front of the Hotel Austria.

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The journalist is accommodated by Curtis in the then 4-star hotel directly on esplanade.

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Katina Peterson (Ava Gardner), the former lover of Alexander Diakim (Bekim Fehmiu) and mother of their 8-year-old son, lodges in the noble Schlosshotel.

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An aerial view of the Hotel Schwan on Rathausplatz, where Charles Lord is quartered, just opposite the town hall.

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In this luxurious chalet with indoor pool and sauna, somewhere above Gmunden, Melissa Lascade lives under guard and trains for the ultima ratio in the causa Diakim.

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An inconspicuous apartment house near the chalet serves as an operations centre for Curtis and his staff.

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Returning from exile opposition leader Diakim and his entourage reside in the time-honoured “Hohenberg Castle”. But in fact we see Burg Altpernstein, located 27 km east of Gmunden.

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Scott strolls through the Kirchengasse and passes in search of an optician's store the restaurant “Weinstube Spiesberger”, founded 1885. He finds the store nearby the known inn “Gasthof Fuchs”and buys a pair of strong binoculars.

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Curtis and Katina at the Rathausplatz, with the splendid town hall from 1574 behind them, before they embark the steamboat to meet Diakim onto Lake Traun.

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In the background motor car N° 8 of the Gmunden Tramway at the then terminus can be recognized. In the same year the route was shortened to Franz-Josef-Platz.

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Curtis has ensured that Diakim's illegitimate son François Diderot (Oliver Schott), who lives somewhere in France, will be also aboard the “Gisela”. Gmunden pier, just before the 1872 built paddle steamer is docking, while to the right side Schloss Orth can be recognized. Founded around 1080, the castle is a famous landmark and was later the original venue of the German-Austrian TV series "Schlosshotel Orth"

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On the way to his meeting with Scott Allison in a church, Charles stands in front of the house Rinnholzplatz 5, then named “Michael Hochreiter”. On the right side partly the house Rinnholzplatz 7 and the town parish church, first mentioned in 1270, can be seen. Manuel found proving pictures from almost identical angles on the internet.

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One of Curtis’ henchmen at the corner to the Matthias-Leopold-Schleifer-Gasse is shadowing Charles and follows him along the Thomas-Schwanthaler-Gasse towards the church.

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Aboard the “Gisela” Curtis tries to dissuade Diakin from his plan and also brings François into the game. In the meantime the monastery of Traunkirchen, another landmark, comes into view.

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At the airport Melissa watches Curtis, who instructs Müller (Klaus Wildbolz) about the briefcase with the explosive charge. Obviously, these scenes were shot in the after midnight.

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Accompanied by a police escort, Diakim arrives at the airport too.

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Actually filmed at Vienna's Airport Schwechat, right in front of the desks of Austrian Airlines, where Diakim and his staff are photographed by Curtis' henchmen on their way to the press conference.