History Film / Telefon

* ContractOnTheHitman: Charles Bronson plays a KGB agent sent to stop a RenegadeRussian who has stolen a list of {{Manchurian Agent}}s that could be used to start WorldWarThree. In order to ensure that word won't get out about this cock-up, his superiors order a female American DoubleAgent to kill Bronson once his mission is complete. [[spoiler:Fortunately she's smart enough to realise that she'll also get the chop for [[HeKnowsTooMuch knowing too much]], and the two run off together at the end of the movie.]]

* ManchurianAgent: The KGB plant 51 such agents with fake identities in the United States, programmed to commit acts of sabotage on receiving a TriggerPhrase. Unfortunately a fanatical Stalinist opposed to détente steals the list of agents, and the Soviets have to send Charles Bronson to stop him.

* PhotographicMemory: Major Grigori Bortsov has this ability, which comes in handy for memorising a top-secret list (only two copies exist) of {{Manchurian Agent}}s. Unfortunately this makes Bronson the ''third'' book, and so his superiors give orders that he should be killed as soon as his mission is over.

** The technique is demonstrated for Bortsov using the phrase "Cleopatra says there will be snow from the west." This is the scene being spoofed in the first ''Film/TheNakedGun'' movie (where the beeping of a watch was the trigger) when Vincent Ludwig's secretary tries to shoot Pahpshmir with an empty gun.

During the UsefulNotes/ColdWar, the KGB has planted covert operatives inside of the United States, to cripple American infrastructure in the event of a war. The agents underwent intense brainwashing procedures which erased their old identities and give them new ones as ostensible U.S. citizens until they can be activated. Despite the new period of detenté erasing the need for the plot, KGB clerk Nikolai Dalchimsky (Pleasence) goes rogue to activate the agents against his superior's orders. Major Grigori Bortsov (Bronson) is sent to the States to stop Dalchimsky.

During the UsefulNotes/ColdWar, the KGB has planted covert operatives inside the United States to cripple American infrastructure in the event of a war. The agents underwent intense brainwashing procedures which erased their old identities and give them new ones as ostensible U.S. citizens until they can be activated. Despite the new period of detenté erasing the need for the plot, KGB clerk Nikolai Dalchimsky (Pleasence) goes rogue to activate the agents against his superior's orders. Major Grigori Bortsov (Bronson) is sent to the States to stop Dalchimsky.

''Telefon'' is a 1977 thriller in the spy genre [[TheFilmOfTheBook based on]] the novel by Walter Wager, directed by Creator/DonSiegel, and starring Creator/CharlesBronson, Creator/LeeRemick, and Creator/DonaldPleasence.

[[quoteright:300:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/16446a6cb9e8af905d274df4accab517.jpg]]

''Telefon'' is a 1977 thriller in the spy genre, [[TheFilmOfTheBook based on a 1975 novel]]. Directed by Creator/DonSiegel, it stars Creator/CharlesBronson, Creator/LeeRemick, and Creator/DonaldPleasence.

''Telefon'' is a 1977 thriller in the spy genre, [[TheFilmOfTheBook based on a 1975 novel]]. Directed by Creator/DonSiegel, it starred Creator/CharlesBronson, Creator/LeeRemick, and Creator/DonaldPleasence.

* FakeRussian: Averted as this is one of the few movies where Charles Buchinsky...sorry, Bronson...played someone from behind the Iron Curtain ('Bronson' is of Lithuanian descent).

* WhenHarryMetSvetlana: Downplayed, [[spoiler:as Bortsov doesn't know that his American partner is CIA, but it's clear he knows at the end when she warns off her own superiors with the threat of activating the other agents if anyone comes after them.]]

* DeepCoverAgent: Both the movie and book have this as the primary plot driver. Communists wanted to cause havoc in America immediately prior to an invasion, so they took a few dozen people, hypnotized them extensively so they actually became average American citizens, living perfectly normal lives, until they heard the code phrase which activated them to go destroy some defense facility. The only problem was that they had been forgotten about for a while, so all of the defense facilities were obsolete and/or not being used, which confused the heck out of the American agencies who were wondering why perfectly normal Americans attacked things of absolutely no strategic or military value.

During the UsefulNotes/ColdWar, the KGB has planted covert operatives inside the United States to cripple American infrastructure in the even of a war. The agents underwent intense brainwashing procedures which erased their old identities and give them new ones as ostensible U.S. citizens until they can be activated. Despite the new period of detenté erasing the need for the plot, KGB clerk Nikolai Dalchimsky (Pleasence) goes rogue to activate the agents against his superior's orders. Major Grigori Bortsov (Bronson) is sent to the States to stop Dalchimsky.

* FameThroughInfamy: [[TheUnsolvedMystery While Dalchimsky never provides an explanation about why is he doing what he's doing]], one of the InUniverse theories tossed about why he stole the Telefon list and is activating the agents is that he's looking to become famous through the knowledge that he ordered the attacks.

* BlueAndOrangeMorality: When ordered by Bortsov to kill an unconscious hospitalized priest, Barbara initially balks. When Bortsov reminds her that she's killed before, she replies that she will only kill when there's a good reason for doing so, leading Bortsov to explain that the priest is an undercover KGB agent; if the agent wakes and starts talking, it may start WWIII, and Bortsov's not willing to take that chance. Barbara disguises herself as a nurse and does the deed.

* SickbedSlaying: A priest who's been [[ManchurianAgent brainwashed to commit sabotage]] is captured alive. A female KGB agent purchases a nurses' uniform from an on-site outfitters shop, while Bortsov (posing as a doctor) rings up the duty nurse and tells her that another nurse will be replacing her, as she's to report somewhere else. The false nurse then injects air into the IV tube of the patient.

** The technique is demonstrated for Borston using the phrase "Cleopatra says there will be snow from the west." This is the scene being spoofed in the first ''Film/TheNakedGun'' movie (where the beeping of a watch was the trigger) when Vincent Ludwig's secretary tries to shoot Pahpshmir with an empty gun.
* WeNeedADistraction: Charles Bronson plays a KGB agent sent to kill a RenegadeRussian, whom he finally corners in a Texan bar. Because there are witnesses (including two police officers) Bronson can't just shoot him, so the woman he's working with knocks over a glass container holding a pet rattlesnake. While everyone is screaming and the police are blasting away at the snake, Bronson bursts into the phone booth the renegade is using and throttles him to death.

-->"The woods are lovely, dark, and deep, but I have promises to keep. And miles to go before I sleep. Remember miles to go before you sleep."

''Telefon'' is a 1977 thriller in the spy genre, [[TheFilmOfTheBook based on a 1975 novel]]. Directed by Creator/DonSiegel, it starred Creator/CharlesBronson, Creator/LeeRemick, and Creator/DonaldPleasance.

During the UsefulNotes/ColdWar, the KGB has planted covert operatives inside the United States to cripple American infrastructure in the even of a war. The agents underwent intense brainwashing procedures which erased their old identities and give them new ones as ostensible U.S. citizens until they can be activated. Despite the new period of detenté erasing the need for the plot, KGB clerk Nikolai Dalchimsky (Pleasance) goes rogue to activate the agents against his superior's orders. Major Grigori Bortsov (Bronson) is sent to the States to stop Dalchimsky.