Ring of Spies

A British spy thriller; A story about a British navy clerk assigned to a top secret research facility where he is blackmailed into stealing vital secrets in exchange for cash. A film set during the height of the Cold War and based on true events of the Portland Spy Ring, where daily duels play out between Soviet intelligence and British counter-espionage. Tension is undermined by a docudrama style, though the playout of the espionage activities is absorbing. Bernard Lee performs well, but his character is not sympathetic, and his cohort, played by Margaret Tyzack, is also drawn to things venal without much struggle, so it ends up being a drawn-out morality tale.

Based on the true story of the Portland Spy Ring. Bernard Lee takes time off as M to play hard drinking loose cannon Harry Houghton. Sacked as an embassy attaché in Warsaw. He bids a drunken farewell to his girlfriend who works for the Russians.

Harry is posted at a secret a Royal Navy equipment testing facility at Portland. He is soon approached by secret Soviet intelligence to hand over documents to them with the veiled threat of blackmail. After all he used to drunkenly tell secrets to his girlfriend back in Warsaw.

Harry realises that to take the documents from the safe. He needs to seduce work colleague Elizabeth Gee as she has the keys. She nervously and reluctantly agrees.

Once they get used to the money paid by his handler Gordon Lonsdale (William Sylvester.) They enjoy the good life, not realising that they have attracted the attention of the authorities suspicious of traitors in their midst.

Lee plays Harry as a bluff chancer. A cynical drunk and not too bright. Margaret Tyzack makes more of an impression as Gee, seduced by the good life and greed.

The movie has a documentary setting but plays it too safe and straight.

Based on true facts, the plot narrates without many embellishments, frills and thrills the downfall of Henry Houghton an alcoholic Navy Clerk.

After having been sent back to England in disgrace, from his post at the British Embassy in Warsaw, Houghton decides to take revenge and sell military secrets to Lonsdale, a man he believes to be an American agent.

Lonsdale is actually a Russian spy, connected with a couple of minor key players also located in London. The last member of the ring is Elizabeth Gee, a spinster secretary convinced by Houghton to collaborate with him in exchange for substantial payments that afford some luxuries to the couple.

It is exactly the more affluent lifestyle to raise suspicions and get the Houghton/Gee couple under surveillance. Way more believable than any James Bond story.

This film is well worth watching as it illustrates perfectly how the poorly paid British in secret organisations were and probably still are susceptible to turning spies for a few hundred pounds.

The two spies had combined wages of about £30 which was not much above poverty level.

Street and car scenes are very nicely done and show how basic UK cars were and how everything was still dirty and sooty from all the steam trains and inefficient engines.

Old Bernard Lee is poorly cast as a romantic lead.

No need to repeat the background to the actual case that inspired this excellent spy thriller. Compared to the ludicrous heroics and wild SFX of Bond, Bourne or Mission Impossible, Ring Of Spies seems like a different planet. But this was an era when the West faced a different sort of opponent (even if the the three threat was exaggerated to one degree or another). Security breaches had occurred before Portland, and would feature again afterwards, but never had the shadow of the enemy spy felt so close to suburbia and the Home Counties. Although long forgotten now, perhaps only Profumo overtook Portland in terms of (the then) public conscious.

The cast are uniformly good, a real effort is made to dig out (but not condone) Bernard Lee's cash strapped wheeler dealer clerk, and his infatuated spinster girlfriend. William Slyvester excels as the smooth talking professional operating under a Soviet 'legend'. The action takes place in rustic pubs, cafes, drab offices and snack bars - there's no glamour or gadgets in this slow burner, Cold War thriller.