Portugal Locations (Part Three) - 'Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy
POSTED BY CONTROL
Welcome to part three of our exploration of the Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy filming locations in Portugal. My colleague, Chris, has been meticulously tracking Ricki Tarr's progress, and you will find part one and part two of this series by clicking on the highlighted links.
We knew from the start that there were a lot of unanswered questions about some of the Portuguese locations that appeared towards the end of Ricki's story. For example, we were aware that Irina told Ricki the greatest secret of all at the Prazeres Cemetery, but it is a big place and there is no online interactive guide. Likewise, for the Arrábida Convent, there was no virtual way to pin down all the places where the production team had filmed.
For the sake of these articles and our loyal readers, clearly, we had to act. We needed a presence on the cobbled streets of Alfama for this one. As many of the locations were romantic meeting places, might it be appropriate for a couple to go on this occasion? Unfortunately, our options were rather limited as the covers for Mr and Mrs Poole and Colonel and Mrs Lawrence were already blown. “Are you sure you wouldn't rather go with one of your 'Smiley' friends?", Mrs Control enquired.
With elements of the Thirteenth Directorate possibly hot on our heels, my wife and I flew to Lisbon for a mini-break. Let’s begin with a bit of business left over from the previous chapter…
Towards the end of his last article, Chris revealed that Bar Procópio was the location of Tarr and Irina's first clandestine meeting. We have found no production paperwork to confirm this. If the bar had not posted about it on Facebook a year or so ago, we would still be looking for the location, so we are very lucky not to have a gap in our knowledge here.
Bar Procópio opened in 1972 and is hidden away in the centre of Lisbon - and it really is hard to find! It is set back from the road, up some steps and there is no sign outside to identify the bar! A kind local eventually pointed us in the right direction, as we had been going round in circles.
In the photo above, the entrance to the bar is the red door at the top of these steps on Alto de S. Francisco, which is just off Rua João Penha. You can see the entrance clearly in the photo below.
There is a slightly wider shot of Tarr as he leans back in his seat, and we can see the beautiful wooden frame of the mirror behind him...
As you can see in the photo below, forty-eight years after these scenes were filmed, this location looks exactly the same!
I can't think of a better preserved interior from the series. Visiting Bar Procópio is like stepping back in time and onto the set of Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy. The bar opens late from 7 or 8pm - 2am and has a very bohemian feel - it is the perfect location for a late-night, after-dinner drink. It is exactly the sort of 'out of the way' place that Tarr and Irina would have met.
The photo below matches where Susan Kodicek was sitting...
The lamp is no longer in the same place, but we will come to that in a moment. On the mantlepiece behind, we can match the ornate base of a figurine, which appears to be in exactly the same position today...
The lamp that was behind Irina has travelled a few feet to the table behind where Ricki Tarr was sat...
Let's have another look at the earlier screen capture of Tarr...
Notice the music on the piano stand in the reflection behind him - incredibly, it is still on the piano in the recent photo below!
If you get the chance, I would urge you to visit this wonderful little bar - it is worth the effort. We combined a meal at La Fiorentina (where Ricki Tarr observes Boris) with an after-dinner drink at Bar Procópio. This was a nice combination, as they are about a mile apart (see the map below) and the walk between them was comfortable late in the day.
If you click on the map below (or any of the images in this article), you can view a higher-quality version which will be easier to read.
The scene at Bar Procópio closes with Irina making clear to Tarr that she knows he is an English spy. We then cut to a beautiful vista, clearly miles from the centre of Lisbon...
Here is the scene today…
We have travelled 30 miles out of Lisbon and down to the Arrábida Convent on the coast.
The Convent of Our Lady of Arrábida is a 16th-century Franciscan monastery tucked into the hills of Arrábida Natural Park near Setúbal. Founded in 1542, it features tiny hermit cells carved into limestone rocks and stunning views over the Atlantic Ocean.
Arrábida means 'a place of reflection or prayer' in the original Arabic. In 1963, to escape the huge spotlight on her, a grieving Jackie Kennedy came to the region. 'On the days in which her mood was most reflective, she would walk to this immaculate white village that stands out against the verdant hillside.'
On the map below, you can see where the convent is in relation to Lisbon.
We are fortunate that quite a number of behind-the-scenes photos were taken at this location. Many appear here courtesy of Tony Pierce-Roberts. Let's start with a location that we do not actually see on-screen. Here are two charming photos of Camera Assistant, Barbara Franc, at the Arrábida Convent.
In the background, we can see one of the buses the production team used to travel to the location...
I didn't see these photos until after I'd visited the convent, but I immediately recognised where Barbara was. The image below shows Barbara's location and also where the establishing shot of the convent was taken from.
You have to book a tour to visit the convent, and our wonderful tour guide, Andreia, knew I was coming to see the Tinker Tailor filming locations. In advance of my visit, she had taken the trouble to watch the scenes in episode two and pointed each of them out to me as we walked around.
There are three distinct filming locations at the convent, and we will look at them in the order in which they appear on screen...
Irina and Tarr walk together in a small courtyard. The scene concludes with Tarr lifting Irina up to sit on a ledge.
The contemporary photo above on the left shows where the scene starts. Tarr and Irina then walk alongside the wall shown in the photo on the right before crossing the courtyard. By turning the camera around at this point, you can see where the end of the scene played out below...
Next, the couple walk up a slope, through an archway, and continue up some steps.
As you can see below, the location has changed very little - if anything, it looks a lot cleaner now than it did on screen.
Irina and Ricki actually walk past a really beautiful part of the convent, which is glimpsed only very briefly behind them in this scene...
If you think this area looks familiar, you would be right. A well-circulated publicity photo of Bennett and Kodicek was taken right here...
We are also fortunate to have some great behind-the-scenes photos at the same spot...
In the above image, we can see Bennett and Kodicek in discussion with Director John Irvin in the background. Production Assistant Peter Grimwade and Director’s Assistant Frances Alcock (with her hood up) are towards the front on the left-hand side. Tony Pierce-Roberts is looking down the camera; Sound Recordist, Malcolm Webberley is standing behind him to his right, and the Camera Grip Jimmy Monks is on the far right-hand side.
One other thing to notice in the photo above is that the camera is mounted on a mini jib. A mini jib is a small, portable mechanical arm used to mount a camera on one end and a counter-weight on the other. In principle, it operates like a see-saw and it is used to great effect very shortly.
In the above image, we are looking down the slope towards the same scene.
There is one final filming location at the convent - the steps by the tower. I love the way the camera slowly pushes through the doorway towards Irina and Tarr here.
I have written previously that episode two belongs to Hywel Bennett, but it would be remiss not to mention Susan Kodicek's touching performance as the troubled Irina. The Czech actress was appearing in her first English-speaking role. She told the Daily Mirror on the 25th August 1979 that she fled Czechoslovakia with her husband and son at the time of the Russian invasion. She used to be a puppeteer with the famous Black Theatre of Prague and she continued to perform as a puppeteer after she left the country.
Kodicek captures Irina’s melancholy perfectly. It is fun to watch her toy with Ricki, having immediately seen through his Australian cover. Her gentle presence, Geoffrey Burgon's wistful theme, and Tony Pierce-Roberts cinematography, create an almost dream-like feel for these important scenes.
The contemporary photo below shows where Ricki and Irina sat on the wall...
...and we can compare this with the poignant empty frame below, which eventually closes these scenes in Portugal.
Ricki and Irina stand up and make their way down the steps before walking down the path on the left.
To accomplish this shot, the camera is mounted on the mini-jib, which is positioned on a scaffold tower or rostrum. As the camera ascends, it tilts down to show Tarr and Irina walking away. It then tilts back up and pans across over the rooftop to capture the coast below...
I was able to match most of the elements we see on-screen in this contemporary photo...
I couldn't match the shot over the roof, but I was able to capture a view down to the coast from a nearby vantage point.
We can now see where all three of the scenes at the convent were actually filmed:
Our tour of the convent took about an hour and a half and there was much more to see beyond these three locations. We enjoyed our visit very much.
Filming continued at the village below by the sea. Portinho da Arrábida translates in English as 'little port of Arrábida'. It is a historic coastal cove and a former fishing village.
It is a sixteen-minute drive from the convent down to Portinho da Arrábida, but there are restrictions on local roads between June and September. If you are thinking of visiting these locations, you will find more information in our travel tips at the end of this article.
The shot below from the hotel bedroom window is all we can really see of Portinho. Make a mental note of that small island in the distance - it is called Pedra da Anixa and it measures about 40 metres long. It is only about 250 metres off the coast.
As the camera pans across the room, we can see another smaller window next to the large one...
...and eventually, we see the slope of the roof in the loft room where Ricki and Irina are in bed.
All of which suggests that filming took place in the upper room of the building to the left in the photo below...
This photo was kindly shared with us by a correspondent who would prefer to remain anonymous. We featured their contributions in this article a few years ago. I don't have a date for the above image, but the building was still clearly operating as a boarding house or guesthouse at the time. The layout of the windows in the loft room in the above photo matches what we see on screen. The building has now been converted into private apartments and looks like this today...
We can make one further check to confirm the location. The Street View image below shows the view from the road, just behind the roof of the building where we believe filming took place.
The position of Pedra da Anixa, in relation to the coastline, is a close match to the screenshot, which means we can be confident these scenes were shot under the roof to the left.
We have one additional behind-the-scenes photo to share from Portinho. In the image below you can see Elizabeth Rowell doing Hywel Bennett's make-up.
The steps on Hywel Bennett's right can be clearly seen on the right-hand side of the contemporary photo below...
TRAVEL TIPS
I want to close part three by sharing some travel tips for those contemplating a visit to the Arrábida Convent and Portinho. These suggestions assume you may be travelling from Lisbon for the day.
Firstly, the Arrábida Convent is generally open Wednesdays, Saturdays and Sundays. I would recommend contacting the convent well in advance to secure your place on a tour. Click here to visit the official website and you can email the convent at arrabida@foriente.pt. The cost of a visit is €8, or €5 if you are over 65.
Although Portinho is only a short drive from the convent, the Arrábida 'no cars' programme is in effect from June-September. When we visited in early June, all the roads surrounding Portinho were closed to any traffic that was not local or deemed a tourism vehicle. Many people parked at the side of the nearest main road and walked to the village but I'd guess that walk is 1-1.5 miles down a fairly steep hill - the walk back up looked like hard work in the heat.
Public transport to these locations is not an option and I would not recommend Uber or Bolt, as mobile phone coverage is patchy. Of course, you can pre-book journeys, but if the driver has any problem finding you, communication may be difficult. Hiring a car is a good option, as long as you are comfortable with the walk down to Portinho and back.
Because these locations are relatively remote and our time was limited, we booked a private hire car with a driver for the day through our hotel. This meant we could spend as long as we wanted at the convent and, because the car was deemed a tourism vehicle, they were allowed to drive us all the way down to Portinho and park while we had an enjoyable meal on the seafront. The cost of this for the day was €250 - a not insignificant sum. We felt it was good value for a stress free and enjoyable day trip out of Lisbon to see these beautiful locations.
There were several nice-looking restaurants on the front at Portinho and we enjoyed a lovely meal at Restaurante Farol. All the restaurants were busy, so it is probably worth booking a table in advance, particularly if you wish to sit on the seafront.
In part four of this series of articles, Mrs Control and I visit the amazing Prazeres Cemetery and cover the remaining Lisbon locations. We even manage to somehow squeeze in a quick trip to Brno...by tram!
Screenshots from Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy (c) BBC 1979
Contemporary photos taken by the author
Black and white photos courtesy of Tony Pierce-Roberts, where indicated
Street View images, maps and satellite photos by Apple and Google
My thanks to Chris and John Rundle for their invaluable contributions to this article.
Comments
Post a Comment