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Harry Palmer was a gritty, down-to-earth alternative to the super-spy image of the ’60s. And, although the Bond craze was in full swing when the Ipcress File premiered, audiences found Palmer appealing.

Michael Caine says,”Maybe because Harry represents us, all of us. He’s not like some giant superman…like James Bond. What he was, was a government guy who went out into danger where we would never dare to go. But he was ordinary, like us, and also seemed like a loser, but he wins. So I think when you’re in the audience, you do identify with him tremendously, which makes for great suspense, because you’re worried about what’s going to happen to him.”