The Assassination Bureau Limited. Sonya Winter (Diana Rigg). Copyright: Paramount
The Assassination Bureau Limited

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.

  • Repeated Friday 5th April at 2am on TPTV
  • JustWatch Streaming rank this week: 3,819
The Assassination Bureau Limited. Image shows from L to R: Sonya Winter (Diana Rigg), Ivan Dragomiloff (Oliver Reed). Copyright: Paramount

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.

Stream and download

Additional details

UK certificate
A
Duration
109 minutes
Produced
1968
Distributors

Paramount Pictures

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

Next repeats
  1. Friday 5th April at 2am on TPTV
Most recent repeats
  • Tuesday 9th January 2024 at 2:50pm on TPTV
  • Sunday 31st December 2023 at 3:15am on TPTV
  • Wednesday 21st June 2023 at 5:40pm on TPTV

Recording details

  • Cliveden and Black Park - Locations
  • Pinewood Studios

Share this page