How many Harry Palmer movies are there?

In 1965, Michael Caine starred in the British spy movie, The Ipcress File. The movie – directed by Sidney J. Furie – followed the story of ex-army sergeant turned Ministry of Defence operative Harry Palmer.

The Ipcress File was based on the book of the same name by Len Deighton. In the book (and Deighton’s other spy novels), the lead protagonist was unnamed. He was given the name Harry Palmer for the film.

Due to the popularity of The Ipcress File movie adaptation, it was soon followed by a collection of sequels, some of which were also based on Deighton’s novels. Although Palmer’s name did not feature in the title, or any of its sequels, the movies became collectively known as the ‘Harry Palmer’ films.

But how many Harry Palmer movies are there? For all the details, keep reading.

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The Harry Palmer movies in order

To date there are five Harry Palmer movies. The films are as follows: 

• The Ipcress File (1965)
• Funeral in Berlin (1966)
• Billion Dollar Brain (1967)
• Bullet to Beijing (1995)
• Midnight in Saint Petersburg (1996)

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Are all of the movies part of the same series?

All five Harry Palmer movies are part of the same series. The Ipcress File (1965), Funeral in Berlin (1966) and Billion Dollar Brain (1967) are based on books by Len Deighton, while Bullet to Beijing (1995) and Midnight in Saint Petersburg (1996) are not directly based on Deighton’s books.

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Did any of Deighton’s other spy novels get adapted into a movie?

In addition to the above, Deighton’s 1974 novel Spy Story was adapted into a movie in 1976. In this film the unnamed protagonist from the book is named Patrick Armstrong (not Harry Palmer) and is played by Michael Petrovitch.

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Who are the cast of the Harry Palmer movies?

Notable actors in the Harry Palmer movies include Michael Caine, Guy Doleman, Sue Lloyd, Paul Hubschmid, Karl Malden, Ed Begley, Oskar Homolka, Jason Connery, Michael Gambon, and Burt Kwouk.

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Thank you for stopping by It’s A Stampede! to read this post about the Harry Palmer movie series. For more movie posts, be sure to check out the recommended reads below.