Telefon

"They'll do anything to stop Telefon. The operation that can trigger 51 human time bombs."

1977 1h 42m EN

👍

6.6

SOLID

★6.6TMDB · 137

ThrillerActionCrime

Synopsis

Spoiler shield

Nicolai Dalchimski, a mad KGB agent steals a notebook full of names of "sleeping" undercover KGB agents sent to the U.S. in the 1950's. These agents got their assignments under hypnosis, so they can't remember their missions until they're told a line of a Robert Frost poem. Dalchimski flees to the U.S. and starts phoning these agents who perform sabotage acts against military targets.

“They'll do anything to stop Telefon. The operation that can trigger 51 human time bombs.”

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Cast

Charles Bronson
Major Grigori Borzov
Lee Remick
Barbara
Donald Pleasence
Nicolai Dalchimsky
Tyne Daly
Dorothy Putterman
Alan Badel
Colonel Malchenko
Patrick Magee
General Strelsky
Sheree North
Marie Wills
Roy Jenson
Doug Stark

Credits

Behind the camera

Director: Don Siegel
Writers: Stirling Silliphant, Peter Hyams
Languages: English
Countries: United States of America

Want more? Switch to Cinephile mode in the header for DP, composer, budget, box office, production companies, keywords, and release history.

Did you know?

Fun facts 🍿

1 / 7

ERA

Did you know

49 years old — old enough to be someone's favourite childhood film.

MoodPlayr · trivia#01

2 / 7

DIRECTOR

Did you know

Directed by Don Siegel, shot by Michael C. Butler. Note their partnership — DPs and directors often return to each other across a career.

MoodPlayr · trivia#02

3 / 7

DIRECTOR

Did you know

Original score by Lalo Schifrin. Worth a dedicated listen after — most great films lose half their impact without the score.

MoodPlayr · trivia#03

4 / 7

DIRECTOR

Did you know

Editor Douglas Stewart shaped the rhythm. On an edit-heavy film, the editor does more to control your pulse than the director.

MoodPlayr · trivia#04

5 / 7

CAST

Did you know

Charles Bronson and Lee Remick and Donald Pleasence carry the top of the cast.

MoodPlayr · trivia#05

6 / 7

ERA

Did you know

Marketing tagline: "They'll do anything to stop Telefon. The operation that can trigger 51 human time bombs.".

MoodPlayr · trivia#06

7 / 7

WILD

Did you know

IMDB entry: tt0076804 — still the authoritative cross-reference for credits and trivia.

MoodPlayr · trivia#07

Cinephile deep dive

The take

Don Siegel directs. Michael C. Butler behind the camera. Lalo Schifrin scores. Douglas Stewart cuts. Produced in United States of America. Dialogue in English.

Trivia

Things worth knowing

149 years old — old enough to be someone's favourite childhood film.
2Directed by Don Siegel, shot by Michael C. Butler. Note their partnership — DPs and directors often return to each other across a career.
3Original score by Lalo Schifrin. Worth a dedicated listen after — most great films lose half their impact without the score.
4Editor Douglas Stewart shaped the rhythm. On an edit-heavy film, the editor does more to control your pulse than the director.
5Charles Bronson and Lee Remick and Donald Pleasence carry the top of the cast.
6Marketing tagline: "They'll do anything to stop Telefon. The operation that can trigger 51 human time bombs.".
7IMDB entry: tt0076804 — still the authoritative cross-reference for credits and trivia.
8Classified under 10 themes, including "based on novel or book", "espionage", "spy", "soviet union".