Harry Palmer

Harry Palmer is a fictional secret agent who is the central character in a number of films based on three of the first four spy novels by Len Deighton. In the films, Palmer is played by Michael Caine.

Related Topics:
Secret agent - Film - Spy novel - Len Deighton - Michael Caine

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In Deighton's novels, which are written in the first person, the character is never named. The movie production team chose the name Harry Palmer because they wanted the character to have as dull and unglamorous a name as possible, to distance him from the prevalent stereotype of the flamboyant, swashbuckling secret agent exemplified by the James Bond movies. (Ironically, Ian Fleming originally named his brainchild James Bond after an American ornithologist because he thought it was a nice unromantic, no-nonsense name, much like Harry Palmer)

Related Topics:
First person - James Bond - Ian Fleming - Ornithologist

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In his memoirs, Michael Caine claimed that producer Harry Saltzman came up with the surname Palmer, whereupon Caine himself innocently remarked that Harry was a pretty dull name, only realizing his gaffe when he saw Saltzman's suspicious stare.

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