Curiosidades

Filming shut down when the production ran out of money. Enough money was eventually raised to finish the movie, but on a reduced scale.

The night scene by the river was filmed in Strand-On-The-Green, Chiswick, West London, outside the house of Donald Pleasence (Bull's Cottage).

The film went straight to video 2 years after the film was completed This made British movie history in 2 counts as not only this was the first time that a film with Michael Caine and Sir Laurence Olivier wasn't released for showing in UK cinemas. The British public were only able to see the film from Autumn 1985 when it was released on video through Thorn EMI with a 15 Certificate and therefore one of the first films in the UK to have a video release since the 1984 Video Recordings Act which required films released on video in the UK to have a BBFC certificate became law .

Philip Kimberley (Sir Michael Caine) was based on the double agent Kim Philby. When this was first announced in 1976 with Mike Hodges directing, Philby was aghast at the casting of Caine, and wanted to be portrayed by Trevor Howard.

Another version of the Burgess, Philby, and McLean story was planned between 1977-1978 with Sir Alan Bates, Robert Shaw, and Vanessa Redgrave starring. Shaw's death, and financing issues, killed the project.