Reviewer Dr. Wesley Britton: Dr. Britton is the author of four non-fiction books on espionage in literature and the media. Starting in fall 2015, his new six-book science fiction series, The Beta-Earth Chronicles, debuted via BearManor Media.
In 2018, Britton self-published the seventh book in the Chronicles, Alpha Tales 2044, a collection of short stories, many of which first appeared at a number of online venues.
For seven years, he was co-host of online radio’s Dave White Presents where he contributed interviews with a host of entertainment insiders. Before his retirement in 2016, Dr. Britton taught English at Harrisburg Area Community College. Learn more about Dr. Britton at his WEBSITE
"It
had been six months since he had been pulled from retirement and
given a simple mission. Rebuild morale in an intelligence service
badly damaged by a series of highly-publicized operational blunders
and personnel scandals. Restore the esprit d'corps that had
characterized the office in the old days. Shamron had managed to stem
the bleeding. There had been no more humiliations . . . But there had been no stunning successes either. Shamron knew better than anyone
that the office had not earned its fearsome reputation by playing it
safe. In the old days, it had stolen MIGs, planted spies in the
palaces of its friends and its enemies, rained terror on those who
dared to terrorize the people of Israel . . . he wanted to leave
behind an office that could reach out and strike at will, an office
that could make the other services of the world shake their heads in
wonder."
(Daniel Silva, Kill Artist, 2000)
Unlike the
more formal bibliographies of books and articles on Israeli
intelligence posted at this website, this directory includes films
and TV projects that touch on or incorporate Jewish characters in
espionage plots whether directly connected to the Mossad or not. It
is in three parts:
Part I lists feature films employing
Israeli or Jewish characters involved in espionage.
Part II
lists documentaries.
Part III discusses and analyzes
television movies and episodes from series related to Israeli
intelligence.
For analysis of these films, especially the
changing trends of Israeli agents from Nazi hunters to
counter-terrorist operatives, see my Onscreen and Undercover: The
Ultimate Book of Movie Espionage (Westport, CT: Praeger Pub.,
2006).
---
Part I: Feature Films
Ambassador,
The. (1984). Robert Mitchum as an idealistic, if inattentive husband,
working for peace between Israel and Arab interests. Rock Hudson was
the security officer bailing Mitchum out of violence his plans result
in. As his wife (Ellen Burstyn) is having an affair with a PLO
leader, the Israelis have means to blackmail the ambassador and erode
his credibility with various factions.
Assignment, The.
(1997). Donald Sutherland was Jack Shaw/Henry Fields, A CIA agent
tracking Carlos "The Jackal" (Aidan Quinn). Originally
titled The Carlos Project, the movie featured Ben Kingsley as an
Israeli Mossad agent, connecting worries of the Middle East with
Western concerns. For some critics, this was a mere retread; for
others, the film was a success as its third act didn't disintegrate
into a special-effects explosion fest .
Black Sunday (1977).
While no overt connections to Israel are in this violent film, clear
references to the "Black September" group featured in films
like Sword of Gideon and Munich are central to the script. Robert
Shaw and Bruce Dern were graphic in this story about Palestinian
terrorists plotting to blow up Americans at the Super Bowl. A radio
promo for the film summed up the situation: "A `Black September'
broadcast in Beirut. A secret intelligence meeting in Washington. A
Coast Guard alert in California. An FBI stakeout in Miami. It all
comes together on--Black Sunday . . . It could be tomorrow."
While the box-office was disappointing, noted director John
Frankenheimer was lauded for his atmospheric location shots.
Boys
From Brazil, The. (1987). Back in 1968, Borman was an odd Italian
movie with CIA agent Bob Gordon (Robert Kent) going to South America
to find out if ex-Nazi Martin Borman is being cloned. In 1978, The
Boys From Brazil, based on the Ira Levin novel, took the concept more
seriously with an all-star cast distinguishing this production
including Gregory Peck, Lawrence Olivier, James Mason and Lili
Palmer. Playing against his usual type, Peck was ex-Nazi Joseph
Mengala plotting a comeback with 90 Hitler clones. Oliver tracks him
down, but isn't an agent of any government but rather an independent
Nazi hunter.
Death Merchants, The. (1975). Based on Jack
Stackburg’s novel, Double Agent, many issues explored in this movie
were ahead of their time. An Arab terrorist organization seeks a
non-existent agent code-named Herzog" in Germany. But they go
after the wrong man (Jason Robards) who's a Jew who has a love affair
with one of the terrorists. The film has its moments, as when Robards
and his Palestinian girlfriend debate the horrors of German
atrocities vs. the Israeli occupation of Palestine. But the inserted
narrations that explain points that could have been incorporated into
the dialogue broke the flow in a well-intentioned effort.
Eye
Witness (1981). A film with quasi-espionage motifs. Connecting news
stories about Jewish dissidents in Russia with tried and true
romance, William Hurt played a janitor in love with a reporter
(Sigourney Weaver). To interest her, Hurt pretended to know more
about a murder than he really does. They ran across a rich Jew who
paid a former spy to get fellow Jews out of Russia but was murdered
after being blackmailed by the evil Christopher Plummer.
Firefox
(1982). Director, producer, and actor Clint Eastwood
cast himself
as a reluctant Vietnam War vet pulled out of retirement by a Jewish
dissident spy group to save U.S. from the "Firefox," the
new Soviet airplane with special radar technology. Considered as
another bad example of the Red bashing Hollywood fare during the
Reagan era.
Funeral In Berlin (1966). Second Michael Caine
vehicle as Len Deighton's Harry
Palmer. Includes a beautiful
Israeli agent (Eva Renzi) seeking money from an
ex-Nazi who'd
stolen it During World War II. (See “From Harry Palmer to
Austin
Powers: A Spy-ography of Michael Caine” also posted at
this website.)
Half Moon Street (1986). Sigourney Weaver
played Dr. Slaughter, an expert in Arab affairs doubling as a paid
escort. She becomes involved with a lonely diplomat (Michael Caine)
negotiating top priority matters between the Arabs and Israelis. Some
felt the film deserved Oscar nominations but lackluster audience
response trumped critical favor.
House on Garibaldi Street,
The. (1979). Well-done quasi-documentary starring Israeli actor Topol
in the story of how the Israelis captured and kidnapped former Nazi
Adolf Eichmann in 1959. (See Man Who Captured Eichmann, The
below.)
Jerusalem File, The (1972). set during the
Arab-Israeli Six Day War, an archeologist (Bruce Davison) got caught
in the cross-fire. Israeli guerillas wanted him to work for them but
allowed him to work for his girlfriend (Nicole Williamson) and an
Arab group hoping he'll lead them to an Arab leader.
Judas
(1965). Set before the formation of Israel, Sophia Loren played the
wife of a Nazi who sent her to a concentration camp. There, she joins
the Jewish underground and, after the war, seeks her husband out when
he becomes an advisor for Arab states.
Little Drummer Girl,
The. (1982). One of the lowest regarded adaptations of a John Le
Carre' book. Diane Keaton starred as a young, politically naive
actress recruited by Israeli Intelligence and sent to infiltrate a
Palestinian terrorist organization. Directed By George Roy Hill, the
cast included Yorgo Voyagis and a cameo by novelist Le
Carre'.
Mossad. (1997). Director Jonathan Tammuz's arty love
story between an Mossad agent and a poetic young girl. The conflict
between his work and the destruction it brings to his lover is
demonstrated in paintings and music. Starred Mili Avital, Dan
Turgeman, and Christine Jones.
Munich (2005). Described in
detail in "Before Munich: Black September on TV and Film"
article at this website.
Operation Thunderbolt (1977). While
this historical event doesn't directly relate to the Mossad, most
overviews of Israeli intelligence pay homage to the July 1976 IDF
rescue of hijacked hostages from an Air France flight forced to land
in Entebbe, Uganda. 100 Jewish hostages were saved by a force of less
than 500 Israeli commandos in one of the most successful military
operations in history.
Two 1977 films attempted to depict the
daring mission with realism and accuracy: Operation Thunderbolt was
an Israeli project starring Yehoram Gaon As Col. Yonatan Netanyahu,
the only Israeli casualty of the raid. He was the older brother of
Benjamin Netanyahu, the future Israeli prime minister. Reviews note
the most famous of the actors, Klaus Kinski and Sybil Danning, didn't
have much to do, but due to the cooperation of the Israeli military
and governmental figures, details were indeed accurate if the
political point-of-view was clear and blatant. It should be noted the
movie was very much a product of its cinematic times, so modern
viewers may see some of the camerawork as out-dated. (See Raid on
Entebbebe below.)
Point Men, The. (2001). Stars Christopher
Lambert as Israeli agent Tony, a hit man who thinks his team killed
the wrong man and then finds terrorists are killing them off in
revenge. (A take on the actual Lilihamer debacle?) An action fest but
a notable step down for Bond director John Glen. Plodding--not
recommended.
Prisoner in the Middle (1974, A.K.A. Warhead).
Low budget fare with David Jansen and Bond girl Karin Dor looking for
a stolen atomic bomb that threatens Arab/Israeli relations. Not
released theatrically, the movie was possibly cobbled together from
two films. The final version was released on home video in the
1980s.
Requiem for a Secret Agent (1966). In this violent and
sadistic tale, a British agent (Stewart Granger) worked for his
government when not moonlighting as a double-agent or adventurer.
Uncovering a neo-Nazi secret organization in Morocco, he worked with
Israeli intelligence and killed off the duplicitous bad girl, played
by former Bond girl, Daniela Bianchi.
Walk On Water--A Film by
Eytan Fox. (2004). Lior Ashkenazi stars as a Mossad hit man given the
mission to track down the very old Alfred Himmelman, an ex Nazi
officer. Family relationships complicate life and the mission in
Israel and Germany.
---
Part II: Documentaries
Archives
of the Mossad: Israel's Secret Hunt for Nazi War Criminals. (Direct
Cinema Limited - Educational. Filmmaker: Chanoch Zeevi and Dan
Setton. VHS 1998) Includes the following four titles:
•
Angels of Vengeance
• The Disappearance of Martin Bormann
•
The Hunt for Adolf Eichmann
• Josef Mengele: The Final
Account
Archives of the Mossad: Israel's Secret Hunt for
Terrorists. (For grades 7 and up.) In the same series, this 1998
two-hour boxed set includes:
• Shaheed: The Making of a
Suicide Bomber
• Mikdad: Into the Mind of a Terrorist
For
more information, see:
http://www.directcinema.com/dcl/
Champagne
Spy, The. (2007) Documentary written and directed by Nadav Schirman
in English, Hebrew, and German. For the full story including an
interview with the director, see “The Bigamist Bond: The
Behind-The-Scenes Story Of The Champagne Spy” also posted at this
website.
Spies: Undercover Spies. (1991). Spies is a video
series dedicated to the secret wars that have raged through the past
decades. Through archival footage, interviews, and excerpts from
unpublished memoirs and recently declassified sources, this series
attempts to put a human face on the missions of secret agents from
various agencies. Material from the archives of the CIA, FBI, KGB,
and Mossad are used extensively. “Undercover in Damascus”
profiles Elie Cohen, an Israeli spy who infiltrated and compromised
the Syrian high command with disastrous results for Syria during the
1967 Six Day War. See:
WWW.Spies: Undercover Spies - Trailer -
Showtimes - Cast - Movies - New York Times
Spying
Game--Mossad, The. (May 09, 2005). 45 minute documentary on the
history of the Mossad. On DVD.
---
Part III: Television
Movies and Episodes
Danger Man (U.S. title, Secret Agent).
“Judgment Day.” First Aired: November 11, 1965. British agent
John Drake (Patrick McGoohan) is sent to an Arab country to retrieve
a “package.” This turns out to be an ex-Nazi scientist who’s
been discovered by an outlawed band of Israeli vigilantes out to
avenge the scientist’s atrocities during World War II. Stranded on
an abandoned airfield, the rogue group holds a kangaroo court where
Drake tries to claim the Nazi was insane and therefore not eligible
for the death penalty. But when the group learns Drake has had a
message sent out for a rescue, they murder the Nazi and flee across
the border back into Israel.
Typical of many Danger Man
scripts, this episode explores the ethics and morality of violence in
the name of a greater good. During the mock trial, Drake is caught
with the dilemma of knowing his country wants the scientist for their
own ends while recognizing the Nazi is a “moral imbecile,” unable
to distinguish right from wrong. But he also accuses the Jews of
being no better for not following legal procedures. In the end, Drake
has to admit he has no answer to the problem.
Impossible Spy,
The. (1987). HBO/BBC TV movie about life of Eli Cohen. Background to
the film is detailed in "The Story of Israel's Most Famous
Secret Agent: Behind the Scenes of The Impossible Spy" at this
website.
I Spy, "CHILD OUT OF TIME." First broadcast
on Jan. 11, 1967, written by Morton Fine & David Friedkin. This
well-regarded episode may be of special historical interest for its
early, perhaps first, use of Israeli agents on American network
television.
The story was set in Madrid, Spain, revolving
around a ten-year-old daughter of a former Nazi collaborator who
becomes a pawn in her mother's plot to sell the names of war
criminals to the highest bidder. Because of the child’s phenomenal
memory, she has all the names in her head and Kelly Robinson (Robert
Culp) and Alexander Scott (Bill Cosby) have to protect her as agents
from both sides are on the trail. According to an e-mail from I Spy
expert Marc Cushman, “The two Israeli agents are seen throughout
the episode, and broke into Kelly and Scott's room and stuck guns in
their ribs in an effort to get to the Nazi first. It was a race
between the Israelis and the Americans, who were not working
together, but were sympathetic to one another's agendas.” In the
closing moments, after the Israeli assassins kill the mother, Kelly
places a gun to the back of the child’s head and threatens to blow
her brains out if the Israeli agents don't lower their
weapons.
Several aspects of this drama are of special
interest. First, in the years before Mossad agents became known for
tracking down Arab terrorists, uses of such agents on film usually
dealt with tracking down ex-Nazis, but network television normally
had its stars uncovering the old Nazis either plotting comebacks or
trying to resurrect the frozen body of Adolph Hitler (The Man From
U.N.C.L.E., The New Avengers.) I Spy uniquely brought in Israeli
agents and dealt with the theme of the cost of revenge, a concern not
yet common in either film or small-screen broadcast. (For one
exception, see Danger Man description above.)
In addition,
another plot point of the hour worried both the network and viewers.
One memo from NBC Broadcast Standards and Practices read: "The
Broadcast Standards objection to Scott and Kelly sharing information
on the locations of surviving Nazi death-camp officials with Israeli
agents was based on the belief that our government would not place
itself into the position of assisting another government that has
used extralegal methods of bringing war criminals to justice. As
discussed, I agreed that if you provide us with verification that our
government would indeed permit the sharing of information under like
circumstances, our objection would be withdrawn." Don R. Bay,
Broadcast Standards.
A letter from one viewer read: "Dear
Sirs: I am writing to protest the latest episode of your program,
where two agents, presumably American, hand over information to
agents of a foreign power. Such a program condones an action which is
basically immoral; the agents are working to supply information to
the agency that hires them, not to a foreign power. Even more basic,
they are Americans, not Israeli agents. The more subtle issue of the
propaganda value of the program, I will not question. Let me state,
however, that this particular episode of I Spy, I found extremely
offensive." Mrs. A.J.A., North Hollywood,
California.
Ironically, these notes were written six months
before the Six Days War, and a number of books have since claimed the
CIA indeed provided Israel with information assisting their June 1967
success. While this claim remains debatable, the idea that the U.S.
would share Intell to an ally being questionable prefigures these
discussions by decades.
(Information for this item came from
Marc Cushman and Linda J. LaRosa’s I Spy: A History and Episode
Guide, 1965-1968. Jefferson, NC: Mcfareland and Co. 2007, pps.
230-231.)
Man Who Captured Eichmann, The. (1996). TV movie
starring Robert Duvall and Jeffrey Tambor following the same line as
The House on Garabaldi St. (See above.)
NCIS. (CBS). Beginning
with the first episode of the 2005 season, Mossad Liaison Officer
Ziva David joined the cast, played by Chilean born actress Cote de
Pablo. In her first hour, David was assigned to the NCIS following
the murder of Special Agent Caitlin Todd by a rogue Mossad operative.
Soon after her assignment to NCIS, she killed a native Israeli named
Ari Haswari in order to save Jethro Gibbs (Mark Harmon) and it is
revealed afterwards that she is Ari's half-sister.
In the
show, David is an expert marksman and carries two Firearms and a
knife with her at all times. She frequently brags of her abilities as
a Mossad agent but is annoyed to learn in the 2006-2007 season the
Israelis have her under surveillance.
In a May 22, 2007
Chicago Tribune Watcher item, Pablo described her first visit to
Israel, invited to come when their tourist center became aware of her
role. She met “with a former Mossad agent -- one of the men who
captured Nazi official Adolf Eichmann in Argentina and brought him to
Israel for a trial. `How they did everything without technology -- I
mean, how they smuggled Eichmann out of the country without any of
that -- that's what intrigued me the most,’ she said.”
Raid
on Entebbebe. (1977) American TV movie directed by Irvin Kershner,
the film earned a Golden Globe. The all-star cast included Peter
Finch (his last movie) as Yitzhak Rabin and Charles Bronson as Brig.
Gen. Dan Shomron, leader of the commandos. (See Operation Thunderbolt
for details about the historical mission re-created in this
film.)
Return of the Saint, The. “Black September.” First
aired on British ITV onSunday October 1, 1978. Simon Templar (Ian
Ogilvy) joined forces with an Israeli agent, Captain Leila Sabin
(Prunella Gee), to track down and capture an Arab terrorist on the
loose in London. For more on the group that inspired this episode,
see “Before Munich: Black September on TV and Film” also posted
at this website.
Sword of Gideon, The. (1986). HBO production
based on the George Jonas
book, Vengeance. Described in detail in
"Before Munich: Black September on TV
and Film" article
at this website.
---