Incredible photos reveal exbritish spy kim philby who shared uk secrets with the soviet union meeting communist chiefs on vip caribbean break in 1978. Film exploring the circumstances behind the escape of notorious british spy kim philby. Apr 04, 2016 media caption kim philby denied being a soviet agent while working for mi6. Harry st john bridger philby, cie 3 april 1885 30 september 1960, also known as jack philby or sheikh abdullah arabic. His family talk about one of the cold wars worst acts of treachery. Here he tells the story of his book a spy among friends. The tv banner has acquired the tv rights to british author ben macintyres new biography a spy among friends. The portlandbased punk band red dons is named after the cambridge.
Along with kim philby, anthony blunt and a fifth man, thought by many to have been john cairncross, the cambridge five passed information about the uk to. The story, considerably expanded and updated, appeared in the miniseries cambridge spies in 2003, but this version was a powerful piece of television with plenty of drama and fine performances from derek jacobi as the flamboyant guy burgess, anthony bate as the closemouthed kim philby and michael culver as the neurotic mclean. Apr 29, 2014 lionsgate is getting into the spy game. Daughter of philby admires good dad the sunday times. Nprs arun rath talks with author ben macintyre about his new book, a spy. The film recounts philbys love affair and marriage to eleanor brewer during his time in beirut and his eventual defection to the soviet union in. Incredible photos reveal exbritish spy kim philby in cuba.
X2 of the office of strategic services in london, where he met the famous double agent kim philby. Kim philby was the most notorious of the cambridge five, british communists who spied for moscow and evaded suspicion for years due to their upperclass credentials. Lionsgate adapting kim philby biography a spy among friends. Masterspy kim philby s secret life is far stronger than any spy fiction. Kim philby, spies, and the dangers of paranoia the new yorker. The 1971 bbc television drama traitor starred john le mesurier as adrian harris, a character loosely based on kim philby. Anthony bate, derek jacobi, and michael culver star in director gordon flemyngs docudrama detailing the russian spy scandal that rocked great britain at the absolute height of the cold war. Master storyteller ben macintyres most ambitious work to date brings to life the twentieth centurys greatest spy story.
The story of kim philby, one of the famous cambridge spies, who was a double agent for the kgb while working in a position of trust for the british secret service. In the three decades after college buddies kim philby, guy burgess, and donald maclean were recruited to work as russian spies, each of the men maintained highlevel government security posts. The bbc, who produced this miniseries, have a bbc history website, which states. Ben macintyre, the author of a spy among friends 2014, points out that by 1952 aileen philby was convinced that her husband was a soviet spy.
Kim philby the englishman, the masterspy a revolutionary a. A spy with such an expression would not have lasted a. Events in the life of the character magnus pym are partly based upon the life and career of kim philby. Born in 1946, dudley tommy philby is the third of kims five children with his second of four. Jul 27, 2014 what made double agent kim philby a great spy. He became an agent based in beirut under cover of being a newspaper journalist. Even in death, the spy kim philby serves the kremlins purposes a new portrait of the british double agent kim philby, second from right, at a state art gallery in moscow. Kim philby, lecturing in east berlin in 81, bragged of. Ben macintyres latest nonfiction thriller, a spy among friends, is about kim philby, the highlevel british spymaster who turned out to be a russian mole. Its simply annoying and even more so when most of the film is showing him with his stiff gaze into the camera, either drinking, sitting, standing or walking in.
Harold adrian russell philby, known to his muscovite companions as comrade kim, defected to the soviet union in 1963, working as a british affairs consultant until his. May 19, 2002 anger has greeted plans for a new film that will portray kim philby, one of britains most notorious and damaging traitors, as a romantic husband motivated by idealism. Kim philby 19121988 laughed as he watched seventeen moments of spring, a 12part tv series about a soviet spy operating in nazi germany. The third man is essentially greenes movie and its permeated with the art of catholic beliefs, his feeling for immanent good and evil, his fascination with storytelling, with men in flight. Apr 04, 2016 rare film emerges of doubleagent kim philby speaking after defection. Kim philby 19121988 kim philby was born on january 1, 1912 in ambala, punjab, british india as harold adrian russell philby.
The reallife spies of tinker tailor soldier spy film. Sep, 2010 le carre betrayed by bad lot spy kim philby. Kim philby was the most notorious british defector and soviet mole in history. Rare film emerges of doubleagent kim philby speaking. This book details the blunt, burgess, philby, maclean and cairncross ussr spy ring inside the british intelligence services. In 1955, british spy kim philby denied working for the soviet union. Harold adrian russell kim philby 1 january 1912 11 may 1988 was a british intelligence. His most intimate betrayal tv miniseries 2014 imdb. John le carre david cornwell depicts philby as an upperclass traitor in the character bill haydon in the 1974 novel tinker tailor soldier spy. Kim philby, soviet super spy stars the movie has a runtime of about 1 hr 15 min, and received a score of out of 100 on metacritic, which put. A socialist, he served as an nkvd and kgb operative. Documentary on kim philbys career as an mi6 agent who spied for the soviet union throughout wwii and afterward, and his subsequent exile in the moscow. How mi5 missed chance to expose russian spy kim philby.
Along with kim philby, anthony blunt and a fifth man, thought by many to have been john cairncross, the cambridge five. Kim philby was born on january 1, 1912 in ambala, punjab, british india as harold adrian russell. Spy kim philby died disillusioned with communism russia. The story, considerably expanded and updated, appeared in the miniseries cambridge spies in 2003, but this version was a powerful piece of television with plenty of drama and fine performances from derek jacobi as the flamboyant guy burgess, anthony bate as the closemouthed kim philby and. The 2005 film a different loyalty is an unattributed account taken from eleanor philby s book, kim philby. Angleton, a precociously literate 26 year old yale graduate, had been spotted as a.
Kim philby appears as one of the central antagonists in william f. John le carre depicts a philbylike upperclass traitor in the 1974 novel tinker tailor soldier spy. Bbc four storyville, the spy who went into the cold. Those closest to himlike his fellow mi6 officer and best friend since childhood, nicholas elliot, and the cias head of counterintelligence, james jesus angletonknew him as a loyal confidant and an. A quarter of a century since kim philby s death, his enigma still haunts scores of people who have struggled to understand whether philby was a. The novel has been adapted as a 1979 tv miniseries, a 2011 film, and radio dramatisations in 1988 and 2009. British double agent kim philby one of the infamous cambridge five spy ring is the subject of a new exhibition in moscow. Publication date 1968 topics philby, kim, 19121988 publisher new york, grove press. The person he betrayed more than anybody else was his close friend and superior in the british secret service, nicholas elliott. The spy who went into the cold soviet spy documentary. Kim philby, british intelligence officer until 1951 and the most successful soviet double agent of the cold war period. Le carre betrayed by bad lot spy kim philby channel 4 news.
Ben macintyre is a historian and documentary presenter. He died on may 11, 1988 in moscow, russian sfsr, ussr. Comrade philby kgb spy documentary timeline youtube. The writer, who has just landed a book deal with harper collins for her debut novel, the most difficult thing, has grown up with the legacy of kim philby s betrayal and defection to the soviet. In 1963, at the height of the cold war, a welleducated englishman called kim philby boarded a russian freighter in beirut and defected to moscow under the nose of british intelligence. Kim philby and jim angleton first met at bletchley park, in early 1944. Kim philby, who would later be revealed as a soviet agent, was greenes supervisor and friend at mi6. New york times bestseller the true story of kim philby, the cold wars most infamous spy, from the master espionage writer and author of the spy and the traitor. Saint john philby, british explorer and arabist, the first european to cross the rub. The cambridge five were a ring of spies, recruited in part by soviet scout arnold deutsch in the united kingdom, who passed information to the soviet union during world war ii and at least into the early 1950s.
Im surprised there are no other comments about this tv movie even though it was made 30 years ago. Maclean, burgess, philby and blunt were british members of a kgb spy ring that penetrated the intelligence system of the uk and passed vital information to the soviets during world war two and the early stages of the cold war. Father, husband, traitor, spy kim philby, britains fabled third man, fled to the soviet union 50 years ago. This books main theme is trying to tell the story of one of the 5 spies as the leader of the whole enterprise kim philby. Philby was educated at trinity college, cambridge, and joined the indian civil service in 1907. Rare film emerges of doubleagent kim philby speaking after. Kim philby, british double agent, reveals all in secret video. The daughter of kim philby, the mi6 agent who spied for the soviet union, has broken her silence to describe the admiration she feels for her father, 50 years since he defected to moscow in one of. Mar 31, 2011 kim philby, the most successful of the cambridge spies, tried to drink himself to death in moscow because he was disillusioned with communism and tortured by his own failings, his last wife has.
Previously unseen footage shows double agent kim philby telling east german agents he was able to evade detection because he was born into the british governing class. This video is an rt documentary and i would like to share it on you tube with strictly educational intention and in no way i claim any money or rights over this video. Philby was one of the 20th centurys most legendary spies. Kim philby, the most successful of the cambridge spies, tried to drink himself to death in moscow because he was disillusioned with communism and tortured by his own failings, his last wife has. Jul 07, 2014 image caption the men had been graduates of trinity college, cambridge. Ben macintyres a spy among friends the new york times. Anger has greeted plans for a new film that will portray kim philby, one of britains most notorious and damaging traitors, as a romantic husband motivated by idealism. War, a welleducated englishman called kim philby boarded a russian. Philby was the inspiration for the character of british intelligence officer archibald arch cummings in the 2005 film the good shepherd.
Of all soviet spies during the cold war, harold kim philby is the one authors seem to most like writing about. This film, shot in beirut, london and moscow, sets out to find the. The twoway it is a very, very dirty story, the notorious spy says in an archived film reel from 1981 that the bbc. Jul 27, 2014 ben macintyres latest nonfiction thriller, a spy among friends, is about kim philby, the highlevel british spymaster who turned out to be a russian mole. Even in death, the spy kim philby serves the kremlins. Aileen knew that her husband had lied to her, consistently and coldly, from the moment they.
Kim philby was born on january 1, 1912 in ambala, punjab, british india as harold adrian russell philby. John philby, the eldest son of soviet spy kim philby, who was a double agent and the notorious third man. For 30 years he had been spying for the soviet union while holding senior jobs in the intelligence agency, mi6. I led 3 lives also known as i led three lives is an american drama series syndicated by ziv television programs from october 1, 1953, to january 1, 1956. Sep 28, 2017 british double agent kim philby one of the infamous cambridge five spy ring is the subject of a new exhibition in moscow. Did traitor kim philby have a gay affair with former. Philbys son, widow, speak on 50th anniversary of his. Recruited by the soviet kgb at cambridge in the 1930s, he made his way into the british secret intelligence service where he became head of its antisoviet section, then liaison officer in washington with the cia and fbirevealing everything he learned to his moscow bosses. The show was a companion piece of sorts to the radio drama i was a communist for the fbi, which dealt with a similar subject and was also syndicated by ziv from 1952 to 1954. With ben macintyre, david oakes, william beck, mark elliott. A series of mi6 blunders allowed kim philby to eradicate the greatest threat to his secret life as a russian agent and missed a chance to expose him, newly released secret papers reveal. Oct 09, 2014 there is a bbc tv series about philby and the others in his spy ring, called the cambridge spies, another tv series, that focuses on fictional characters, but with philby as a major character, is the company. Kim philby, guy burgess, donald maclean and anthony blunt all met at the university of cambridge, where blunt was an academic and the other three were undergraduates.
The first documentary movie on ccp virus, tracking down the origin of the wuhan. Kim philby seen in stasi footage newly uncovered video taken by the east german intelligence service in 1981 shows the british double agent kim philby sharing his experiences with agents. The plot of charles cummings 2011 novel, the trinity six, is built on the premise that there was a sixth spy and that his existence is being covered up by mi6. Spy kim philby died disillusioned with communism world. Dennis potter s television play traitor 1971 is a spy drama television film that features a central character called adrian harris john le mesurier being.
Cambridge five spy ring members hopeless drunks bbc news. Kim philby, lecturing in east berlin in 81, bragged of how. In russia, an old spy story comes in from the cold cnn. Jan 24, 20 on the 50 th anniversary of philbys defection to moscow, british newspaper the daily telegraph carried an article with excerpts of interviews with one of philbys sons, dudley thomas philby, and his russian widow, rufina pukhova philby. He was apparently responsible for the deaths of many western agents whose activities he betrayed to the soviets during the 1940s and early 50s. He was married to rufina ivanovna pukhova, eleanor brewer, aileen furse and litzi friedmann. Spy who went into the cold 20 1h 12m documentaries learn the true story of kim philby, a senior official at mi6 whose 1963 defection to moscow exposed his 30year career as a spy for the soviet union. Kim philby and the great betrayal crown is the latest in ben macintyres series on twentiethcentury espionage including the bestselling operation mincemeat.