Actor Oskar Homolka (1898)

Billion Dollar Brain (1967), a British spy film helmed by Ken Russell, is based on Len Deighton’s novel of the same name published in 1966. The protagonist, Harry Palmer, has recently left MI5 to take up work as a private detective. He receives a call from an artificial voice instructing him to deliver a package to Helsinki. Inside are six virus-infected eggs which have been stolen from a top-secret research facility in Porton Down. In Helsinki, he is greeted by Anya who then introduces him to Leo Newbigen, an old friend of Harry’s and Anya’s handler. ...

Funeral in Berlin (1966), a British spy film directed by Guy Hamilton, is based on the novel of the same name by Len Deighton. It follows British secret agent Harry Palmer, who is sent to Berlin by his superior Colonel Ross to facilitate the defection of Colonel Stok, a prominent Soviet intelligence officer. To aid him in his mission, Palmer reconnects with an old friend and former criminal associate Johnny Vulkan, who now works for British intelligence in Berlin. Despite his initial skepticism, Palmer finds Stok to be eccentric and likeable when they meet in the Soviet ...

The American science fiction comedy film, The Invisible Woman (1940), was directed by A. Edward Sutherland. It follows wealthy lawyer Richard Russell as he funds Professor Gibbs, a dotty old inventor, in creating an invisibility device. The first person to test the machine is Kitty Carroll, a former department store model who had been fired from her job. With the successful use of the device, Kitty seeks revenge on her cruel ex-boss, Mr. Growley. Meanwhile, as the Professor and invisible Kitty visit Russell’s lodge, gangster Blackie Cole enlists his dim-witted henchmen–including ‘Hammerhead’ ...

The British espionage thriller film Sabotage (1936) follows a group of terrorists planning attacks in London. In one incident, sand is used to stop an electrical generator, causing a power outage at Karl Verloc’s cinema. When customers request their money back, Verloc sneaks into his living quarters and washes the sand from his hands before pretending to be asleep. He orders his wife to refund the money and mentions that he has other funds coming in. Just as refunds are about to be issued, the lights come back on. The following day, Verloc meets with his contact from an unnamed European country to discuss their plan for future attacks in London. The exact motive ...