![The Assassination Bureau Limited. Sonya Winter (Diana Rigg). Copyright: Paramount The Assassination Bureau Limited. Sonya Winter (Diana Rigg). Copyright: Paramount](https://cdn.comedy.co.uk/images/library/comedies/300x200/t/the_assassination_bureau_limited.jpg)
The Assassination Bureau Limited
- 1969 film
Period adventure comedy about a group of assassins for hire who are contracted to kill their own boss. Stars Oliver Reed, Diana Rigg, Telly Savalas, Curd Jürgens, Philippe Noiret and more.
![The Assassination Bureau Limited. Image shows from L to R: Sonya Winter (Diana Rigg), Ivan Dragomiloff (Oliver Reed). Copyright: Paramount The Assassination Bureau Limited. Image shows from L to R: Sonya Winter (Diana Rigg), Ivan Dragomiloff (Oliver Reed). Copyright: Paramount](https://cdn.comedy.co.uk/images/library/comedies/900x450/t/the_assassination_bureau_limited.jpg)
Key details
- Genre
- Film
- Released
- 1969
- Creators
- Jack London and Robert Fish
- Stars
- Oliver Reed, Diana Rigg, Telly Savalas, Curd Jürgens, Philippe Noiret, Warren Mitchell, Beryl Reid, Clive Revill and more
- Writers
- Michael Relph and Wolf Mankowitz
- Director
- Basil Dearden
- Producers
- Michael Relph and Charles Orme
- Company
The late Queen Victoria may have been the longest-reigning of any British monarch to date, but in early 20th Century Britain there are still a great many avenues firmly closed to women. For Sonya Winter, her burning passion - and one such closed door - is journalism. A systemic boys' club, any female hoping to break down its walls needs her wits about her and the luck of a lifetime.
Sonya, however, believes she has just the thing.
Having noticed a pattern in a number of high-profile deaths and disasters, Miss Winter believes she has uncovered the existence of a top-secret international agency offering killers for hire. Seeking out Lord Charles Bostwick, the American-born proprietor of the most respected newspaper in the land, she sets about convincing him to commit to her story - and when he accepts the proposal, immediately sets about securing a most fascinating tale.
Through a blind street-hawker and a genteel Mayfair milliner, Sonya soon finds herself in the presence of the suave Ivan Dragomiloff, chairman of The Assassination Bureau (Limited), and international association of ruthless - but apparently principled - killers: they will take on any case as long as a sound moral argument can be made against the target.
A man of charm and effortless cunning, Dragomiloff is never the less taken aback to discover the victim Miss Winter has in mind: himself! Quickly deducing the commission would be an excellent task to challenge and trial his company's various international players, he accepts the job - and so begins a cat-and-mouse chase that leads both Ivan and Sonya across Britain and continental Europe.
In the process they unveil a horrifying scheme to bring about an unimaginably destructive war that will have every country of the civilised world fighting with each other. If Ivan can ensure Sonya's co-operation to first save himself, they may also be able to save Europe, and the rest of the planet.
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Additional details
- UK certificate
- A
- Duration
- 109 minutes
- Produced
- 1968
- Distributors
- Also known as
-
- The Assassination Bureau
- Production
- Studio
- Camera set-up
- Single camera
- Picture
- Colour
- Soundtrack
- Music composed by Ron Grainer with lyrics by Hal Shaper.
Website links
Broadcast details
- Most recent repeats
-
- Tuesday 2nd July 2024 at 8:35am on TPTV
- Friday 5th April 2024 at 2:00am on TPTV
- Tuesday 9th January 2024 at 2:50pm on TPTV
Recording details
- Cliveden and Black Park - Locations
- Pinewood Studios