How did he get wind of the expression, "tinker tailor?"
I know Esterhase got it from Haydon. I had a little trouble
with the English accent.
"Many troubled things have been in my life, a few actually happened."
---Mark Twain
Haydon got it from Karla, who had extracted it from Jim during interrogation.
Thanks a lot. I was thinking just last night the same thing. Thanks for
your time and reply.
"Many troubled things have been in my life, a few actually happened."
---Mark Twain
colin firth was more convincing than ian richardson imo
firth is handsome
richardson is too evil looking
Maybe - but Richardson looks just like a travesty of English Upper Class.
All his manners and little eccentrics match what at least non-Bristish people see as 'typically English Upper Class'. Perfect!
I think Richardson is leagues ahead of Firth in the role (and I like Firth a lot as an actor, find him quite good in most things); he perfectly captures the 'bi-sexual charm' sort of thing which makes you understand better just why Haydon is so magnetic and charismatic to his fellow spies (male) and women (Ann and who knows who else). Firth, in the film, just came across more as the conventionally good-looking ladykiller type, and missed putting across what his attraction could've been to Prideaux and the others. There's no sexual subtlety to Firth's Haydon at all, while Richardson's simply radiated it.
And Ian Richardson may not be the conventionally movie-idol handsome sort that Colin Firth is, but he's dead sexy all the same; and he's wonderful at that kind of upper-class British type that benth04 describes. (His Francis Urquhart in House of Cards is a perfect example of this.)
I wouldn't kick Firth out of bed for spilling crumbs. Richardson is repulsive.
shareTo each his own, and taste is subjective. Firth is a pretty boy; Richardson is intriguing.
shareHow so?
shareHis voice, his eyes, the way he carries himself,--everything. He's a very subtle actor. He seldom does anything 'large', and never seems to be engaging in any actor's tricks to hold your attention, but he's always a commanding presence, and he's brilliant at making you focus your attention on him just to see what he'll do next.
I like Colin Firth a lot and think he's a great actor. But, if you read TTSS, there's very little physical description of Haydon, and what there is isn't particularly geared towards envisioning him as so handsome. I think that's why Richardson's portrayal was so good--he suggests the unspoken charisma of Haydon that isn't manifested in surface good looks.
And actually, I do find Ian quite attractive--not in the stereotypical 'beefcake' mold, but in a wonderfully understated but sexy sort of way. Maybe I just like those patrician types, lol.
Richardson was camp.
shareGee, thanks for the insightful response. I'm thinking Ignore might be the best place to consign you to.
shareAmyGhost, I suppose what you and I might recognize as 'sardonic' might be above the comprehension level of average viewers.😉
Ian Richardson was only about 25x better than Colin Firth as an actor. Firth's range is limited to say the least. 
Speaking of limited ranges, I imagine the connoisseurs of British acting are familiar with Richardson's portrayal as the deliciously diabolical Francis Uruquat in the 1990s miniseries "House of Cards".
I saw the Brit original House of Cards series before Kev Spacey heard about it. The original is superior in every way to the American adaptation which reasons for popularity elude me.
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Ian Richardson was only about 25x better than Colin Firth as an actor. Firth's range is limited to say the least. 
Speaking of limited ranges, I imagine the connoisseurs of British acting are familiar with Richardson's portrayal as the deliciously diabolical Francis Uruquat in the 1990s miniseries "House of Cards".
I saw the Brit original House of Cards series before Kev Spacey heard about it. The original is superior in every way to the American adaptation which reasons for popularity elude me.
I totally agree, the Firth version misses the homo/bi-sexual aspect of Haydon's character which is a metaphor for the fact that he will get into bed with anyone if it suits him, ideologically speaking. There is a genial seductiveness to Richardson's Haydon. I like both actors but Richardson was the definitive Haydon IMHO.
shareI totally agree, the Firth version misses the homo/bi-sexual aspect of Haydon's character which is a metaphor for the fact that he will get into bed with anyone if it suits him, ideologically speaking.