It was Bond producer Harry Saltzman who cast Michael Caine in The Ipcress File. The East End actor was riding high on the success of Zulu in 1965 when the project came about, but it was this "gritty" spy drama directed by Sidney Furie that would forever define him as the bespectacled cockney. Forty years later, it returns to DVD with added kitsch value to counterbalance its dour setting.

Get Palmer

In a brand-new 20-minute interview, Michael Caine shows his usual flair for telling showbiz anecdotes. He recalls having lunch with "my best friend Terry Stamp" when Saltzman sent a note with the waiter to ask for a meeting - and then there he was, "eating caviar with Harry" and spitballing an adaptation of Len Deighton's book! Later on, he talks about the trademark, black-rimmed glasses as a way of accessing the character of Harry Palmer, although Furie initially hated the idea. Furthermore, early screenings sparked criticism of Palmer's culinary flair, which apparently made him "look like a fag"...

There are more smirk-inducing tales and shameless namedropping in a 1969 documentary Candid Cane. It's described as a "self-portrait" with the star (mutton-chops and all!) reflecting on the craft of acting and dealing with fame. He shows us he's just a regular guy who plays monopoly and eats fish and chips and with a straight face remarks, "I'm honest with people - I regard that as one of my greatest conceits..."

In a separate interview, production designer Ken Adam gets us back on the subject of The Ipcress File. He reveals that Saltzman had little feeling for the material, saying, "He thought of it as a poor man's Bond, but we all attacked him on that." He goes on to talk about the challenges of shooting 90 per cent of the film on location - very unusual for the time - and achieving that sobering quality to the visuals.

To lighten things up, comedian Phil Cornwell offers a five-minute featurette, reprising his cheeky Caine impersonation from BBC TWO's Stella Street. "Quite a lot of people know that," etc.

The Furie Of Filmmaking

For the only in-depth insight into the making of the film, check out the breathless audio commentary by director Sidney Furie and editor Peter Hunt on disc one. The men are obviously fast friends which is no surprise when Furie reveals that Hunt saved his job; apparently Saltzman was appalled by "all the funny camera angles" and asked Hunt to back him up on getting rid of Furie. Of course Hunt did the opposite and calmed Saltzman down. As the director himself puts it, this turns out to be a rather "anti-Harry" commentary, but they acknowledge that what he lacked in film sense he made up for with business savvy.

In all, it's a modest selection of extras, but they do provide a neat context to the film and Caine is always entertaining to listen to. Fans of the cockney legend and British cinema will find this File is well worth dipping into.

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