defection a joint Anglo-American operation, Cuthbertson has no choice but to call in Charlie to handle the affair. Charlie meets with Kalenin in Moscow without the CIA finding out, and Ruttgers' aide Braley (Rimmer), a good-hearted but docile sideshow official, is assigned to accompany Muffin first to casinos in various cities in order to "launder" the $500,000 Kalenin is demanding as the price of his defection and later to Prague to liaise with Kalenin on the final details. Meanwhile, Cuthbertson, who is still wary of Charlie (who keeps insisting that Kalenin's defection is false and a trap), arranges with his secretary-receptionist that she spy on Charlie during their liaisons together. After the arrangements have been made, Charlie, Braley, Cuthbertson and Ruttgers meet in a safehouse in Vienna. Charlie and Braley meet Kalenin at an obscure border-crossing post and escort him to the safehouse. Charlie leaves to hide the car, while Cuthbertson and Ruttgers jubilantly welcome Kalenin. However, their joy is short-lived when Kalenin reveals that his "defection" was merely the bait in an elaborate trap to capture the heads of both MI5 and the CIA in order to exchange them for an important Russian agent imprisoned in England, and that his men are now in complete control of the safehouse. Cuthbertson and Ruttgers realize too late that Kalenin's plan couldn't have succeeded without inside help...from Charlie, who has escaped with the money intended for Kalenin. The Russian agent is released and flies home to Moscow, while Cuthbertson and Ruttgers are presumably disgraced and dismissed from their positions, and Charlie and Edith, now in hiding in Brighton, celebrate their freedom with the money. Cast External links New York Times mini-review of the film TV: A Glimpse of Richardson in British Thriller—The New York Times 1979 films 1970s spy films 1970s thriller films British spy films British thriller television films Cold War spy films Films based on British novels Films based on thriller novels Films directed by Jack Gold Films scored by Christopher Gunning Films set in East Germany 1970s British films