I do like a bit of 'Ivy in Literature'. Shall contribute some of mine later when I have a mo. The Naked Lunch by Burroughs has some good New York Ivy stuff.

From Len Deighton, Yesterday's Spy, 1975:

Colonel Schlegel, U.S. Marine Corps (Air Wing), Retired, cut a dapper figure in a lightweight houndstooth three-piece, fake club-tie and button-down cotton shirt. It was the kind of outfit they sell in those Los Angeles shops that have bow windows and plastic Tudor beams.

Last edited by Yuca (2022-03-03 03:20:16)

Harry Palmer in The Ipcress File also hated Americans, and the British establishment, but indulged in fine coffee and flirted with the girl at the Italian delicatessen. An almost inevitably totally naff ITV adaptation heading to our screens this weekend.

Love the snappy way these guys put words together. Advanced level pulp fiction, where the act of reading is an effortless pleasure.

Smiley, like Bond, lived in Chelsea: somewhere off Kings Road, wasn't it? 
Fleming, at his best, outclasses Le Carre.  But I read all the Bond novels during 'lockdown' and reached the conclusion that, after almost sixty years, I was pretty tired of it all.

I suspect Smiley was 'Anti-Bond', although the Bond of the novels bears little relation to the celluloid version, either in looks or demeanour.  He looks like 'a young Hoagy Carmichael', worries about being killed before the age of thirty five; worries about killing.  I watch the early films now for their style, their titles, for - as some author had it of 'Goldfinger' - their 'zippy pop bluster'.  The first remains the best.  I bought a history of Jamaica on Saturday, based largely on repeated viewings of 'Dr.No' rousing my curiosity.  They dressed Connery beautifully of course.

I'll be tuning in to the TV version. But am fully expecting it to be heavily influenced by The Kingsman films. I'll be happy if I'm wrong though.

Has anyone seen the Johnny Worriker trilogy of films, starring Bill Nighy (JS customer) as an MI5 officer nearing the end of his career who becomes enmeshed in a scandal involving the Prime Minister and things get a bit sticky for him. It is not ‘Bondesqe’ at all, there are no car chases and very little shooting. Worriker dresses quite pleasingly in a low key manner but not Ivy.  He likes listening to Lester Young and lives in a mansion house apartment in Battersea that could never be afforded on a civil servant’s wages. He’s always able to park outside easily, there never seem to be any yellow lines or traffic wardens in these films. But I suppose it wouldn’t be quite the same if he got on the Tube and went home to Willesden at the end of each scene.

Yes watched Worriker but he did have a stint in the Caribbean in plush surroundings. Not grim Iron curtain locations.

Nighy is always the same. Always wears a navy suit too.

The Game was beautifully shot. Was disappointed to only have one series.

'The Sand Baggers' is worth a look.  I seem to remember the CIA/'Head Of London Station'-type character, Sherman I think he's called, having a decent haircut.

On that channel I watched some of a poor early 60s British comedy film today 'What A Whopper'. Lots of the British comedy regulars, Adam Faith as the star in some decent clothing, Kings Road clearly in shot. A poor film but worth spotting lots of British comedy actors. There was a beatnik modern art part at the start that AFS would recognise as inspired by The Rebel. Sighting of a Mod looking scooter too. Interesting to see how different the world was.

Talking Pictures has lots of older TV and film that is worth a look for memories or sightings.

Last edited by An Unseen Scene (2022-03-05 14:26:05)