bkoganbing Telefon casts Charles Bronson as a KGB agent on assignment in America trying to stop Donald Pleasance from igniting World War III. Bronson is aided and abetted uneasily by CIA agent Lee Remick and the two of them get involved with each other as well as the mission at hand.It's quite a mission they have, Pleasance is an old line Stalinist and he's noticed the new regime is slowly doing away with his kind. So he knows about this operation involving 51 Manchurian candidates who are Russian sleeper agents the way Laurence Harvey was in the Manchurian Candidate. With the proper phrase these people who are under hypnosis and just living regular humdrum lives get a signal to complete a mission involving sabotage of some military installation in their area. Pleasance has come to America to set these agents off.It might have been a whole lot easier to just dial long distance once he was out of the Soviet Union, but apparently Pleasance is also getting a few jollies and really wants to see his handiwork. Bronson gets the list and follows Pleasance's trail hoping to head him off.A nice cast of talented players pulls off and makes entertaining when you think about it, a really silly Cold War era story. Pleasance as usual pulls all the stops out as the villain and Bronson is his usual menacing self. His loyal legion of fans might like Telefon, I'm kind of partial to it myself, but I recognize it's illogicality.

Rodrigo Amaro TCM trailer of the movie "Telefon" was brilliant (of course they mixed with some other movies whose main character was the telephone) and I thought "This is gonna be a helluva movie!". When the name of the writers appeared on the screen it was said that this movie was based on a novel written by Walter Wager. Then I remembered having read the novel which was quite good but the movie went in another way and my disappointment was to see that the young main characters from the book were transformed into middle aged spies. Except that, the movie goes very well specially in the beginning and in the end. The middle is quite boring in some parts."Telefon" tells the story of a uncontrolled Stalinist Soviet agent named Dalchimsky (Donald Pleasence) who wants to cause the 3rd World War by activating Communist field agents living in U.S. and making them explode strategical military targets. How he does that? By simply making a phone call to them and reciting a poem by Robert Frost who makes these agents hypnotized and fulfilling their mission. The reason Dalchimsky is doing all these things is because during the Cold War URSS and U.S. starting a friendly period of diplomacy and he hates all that. Following his tracks are a Soviet Major played by Charles Bronson and a American CIA Agent played by Lee Remick. Like any other flick involving two different characters with one common mission they go in the same path traveled by many other great teams in the story of Hollywood: first they can't stand each other, then they start to work hard in the mission and at last they fall in love to each other. Very obvious. The good reason to watch this movie is that you're gonna see a different side of Charles Bronson, here he doesn't have that image of tough guy and he has some funny lines in the scenes with Remick. There are some good action scenes (when Dalchimsky agents are executing their actions), some funny moments (Tyne Daly's nerd character has a few good scenes; in other annoys a little bit). Considering that "Telefon" was directed by the great Don Siegel this could be a better movie. The main spy couple was totally miscast, in the book they're a passionate young spy couple and their relationship is more physical right in the middle and the movie only develop a little sparkle between the two almost at the end. Donald Pleasence plays the usual sinister guy but the problem was that his character wasn't too much developed in the book and throughout the movie you're gonna see him repeating Frost's poem and you'll never gonna see his character's motivations. But the concept of the uncontrolled brain washed and hypnotized agents are very good. In one of the most memorable scenes a military man tries to kill his captain after hearing a line of the poem but his gun had no bullets. Despite the fact that the theme is dated and it doesn't add nothing new still worth seeing if you enjoy Cold War spy movies. 6/10

lost-in-limbo Nicolai Dalchimski, a now rogue secret agent for KGB has stolen an important notebook which has the names and phone numbers of sleeping undercover KGB agents living in America. Under hypnosis they were given instructions, that when they hear a certain poem resided it triggers them to unknowingly act upon their mission which is a suicidal act on mainly military targets. Dalchimski heads to America to begin the process, so the Soviets send Colonel Borzov over there to put a stop to it before it causes a world war three.A curiously low-key, but plodding espionage cold war thriller (taken off Walter Wager's novel) by stalwart director Don Siegel. I'm really caught here, as the plot remains stimulating due to the novelty of its new slant (involving a KGB assignment of brainwashed sleepers living in the USA, who could be used to destroy an important target when a certain quote is mentioned to them), but I found it durably grinding than excitingly gripping. There was so much opportunity arising from the situations to the let the tension gradually build-up (as the concept is an alarming one), but despite some tight drilling set-pieces it never manages to tie them together to create a rampant urgency throughout. It's quite a spotty cross-country trip (spending a lot of time with Charles Bronson and Lee Remick), which gathers a head of steam before letting go the in the final third when the two parties finally come to blows (some underground car parking) and then delivering a well-staged, but underwhelming climax.The plot-work (by Peter Hyams and Stirling Silliphant) is quite constructive (if outrageous) with its sober script consisting of humorous quirks, but Siegel's efficiently grounded direction tries to cleverly milk out the dramatic suspense, but is forced to sourcing the material in an mechanical fashion. Although Pleasance's phone calls of stating Robert Frost's "Stopping by Woods" to trigger of the sleepers are eerily achieved. Those familiar with his work though would come to appreciate the use of the well positioned camera (photographed by Michael Butler), from the leering frames to the long, expansive shots of the surrounding backdrops. Siegel truly had an eye for those details. The music was composed by no other Lalo Schifrin (who's done quite a few scores for Siegel --- "Dirty Harry" (1971) comes to mind), as he chips in with an engrossingly simmering and characteristic score that works with its dangerous tone.The performances are acceptably spot-on with a sturdy as ever Charles Bronson and Lee Remick shines with her affable presence. The two worked together very fittingly, but sometimes their moody interludes did take away from the bigger picture. Donald Pleasance gleefully turns it up as the rogue Russian agent, but in the end I wished there was a little more to his character. Patrick Magee, Sheree North, Jacqueline Scott also show up good support roles and Tyne Daly appears in something of a disposable character, well for laughs anyway. The way she was brought in, I thought there might have been more made of it. Also if you look at the cast there are some regulars, if only used in small parts that feature in other Bronson and Clint Eastwood films… with the likes of character actors Ed Bakey, John Mitchum and Roy Jenson.Hypnotically established gear work that's leisurely paced, but bestows little to no fireworks.

jrs-8 I was never a big Charles Bronson fan. His movies usually followed the same predictable patterns of revenge and violence with Bronson usually coming off dry and stiff. His performances were usually always one note.Of the few films of his I have enjoyed (see also "The Mechanic" and "Hard Times") from that era, "Telefon is a surprisingly gripping thriller even though the story is downright silly at times. Bronson plays (and doesn't even begin to resemble) a KGB agent out to track a killer who have been brainwashed. One call from this guy and the reciting of some lines from a Frost poem and that person is hypnotized into going out and committing an act of violence that resembles terrorism in many cases. Donald Pleasance convincingly plays the bad guy and that, I think, is what makes the movie work. Pleasance is credible in the role, thus we fear him and route for Bronson to catch him. Also on hand is Lee Remick as an American agent assigned to help Bronson but who also has a hidden agenda of her own.Director Don Seigel handles the silly material in a straightforward manner never taking things too seriously. Bronson is less stiff then usual and the action scenes are well done. The ending is a bit abrupt but that is minor nit picking. It's a silly thriller I enjoyed and, if you are a Bronson fan, I am sure you will enjoy it too.