Sunday, July 24, 2022

Wake Up, Spy (1982)

French title: Espion, lève-toi
dir. Yves Boisset

While adapting George Markstein’s novel Chance Awakening, the French filmmakers transposed the action from London and New York City to Zurich and Munich. The result was a rather muddled and confusing spy thriller which deviates significantly from the original novel. Nevertheless, it serves as a good showcase for various Zurich locations.
Many thanks to Lois for letting me borrow her Munich pictures.


Zimmer (Kurt Bigger) leaving his office – Theaterstrasse 14, Zurich, Switzerland.

Zimmer waiting for a tram – Bellevue, Zurich, Switzerland.

The tram ride – Limmatquai near Rudolf-Brun-Brücke, Zurich, Switzerland.

Terrorists attack the tram – Rudolf-Brun-Brücke, Zurich, Switzerland. There are no longer tram tracks on the bridge.

Sébastien Grenier’s (Lino Ventura) office – Bahnhofstrasse 30, Zurich, Switzerland. Built in 1913 for Credit Suisse in the Gothic Revival style, the six-storey Peterhof is also known as the Grieder Haus. Though predominantly an office building, it’s also home to some luxury retail shops at street level. It was sold by Credit Suisse to the watch company Swatch in 2014.

A courier picks up a parcel for Grenier – Forchstrasse 8, Zurich, Switzerland. The old post office has been replaced by a new building.

Grenier meets Jean-Paul Chance (Michel Piccoli) – Bürkliplatz, Zurich, Switzerland.

Grenier and Chance having lunch – Bauschänzli, Stadthausquai 2, Zurich, Switzerland. The restaurant is located on a miniature artificial island on the Limmat river. The stone structure was built around 1660 as part of the city fortifications and is one of the last surviving remains.

Grenier places an ad in the paper – Tages Anzeiger Office, Werdstrasse 21, Zurich, Switzerland. The modern building of the Museum of FC Zürich now obstructs the view of the entrance.

Grenier meeting with his girlfriend Anna (Krystyna Janda) at the university – Eidgenössische Technische Hochschule Zürich, Rämistrasse 101, Zurich, Switzerland. Only the interior was used.

Henri Marchand’s (Bernard Fresson) arrival – Hauptbahnhof, Bahnhofplatz, Zurich, Switzerland.


Marchand meets with Grenier – Zürichhorn, Zurich, Switzerland. It’s a popular recreational area on the eastern shore of Lake Zurich. The sculpture behind Marchand when he parks the car is called “Heureka” by Jean Tinguely.

Thursday, October 1 – Paradeplatz, Zurich, Switzerland. The Credit Suisse building is in the center, and the Grieder Haus is visible on the right of the frame.

Grenier leaving for Munich – Zurich Airport, Kloten, Switzerland.

Grenier arriving in Munich – Munich-Riem Airport, Trudering-Riem, Germany. It was closed down in 1992 when the new Munich Airport commenced operations. The Munich-Riem Airport also appeared in Michelangelo Antonioni's The Passenger and Dario Argento’s Suspiria.

Grenier going to see Meyer (Heinz Bennent) – Max-Joseph Platz, Munich, Germany. The columned building is the Nationaltheater München. The library entrance is actually the Königsbau of the Residenz, the former royal palace of the kings of Bavaria.

Residenz courtyard

Neues Rathaus, Marienplatz 8, Munich, Germany

Grenier’s hotel – Bayerischer Hof, Promenadeplatz 2-6, Munich, Germany.

Grenier’s house – Ottikerstrasse 14, Zurich, Switzerland.

Grenier receives a mysterious phone call – Turnerstrasse at Volkmarstrasse, Zurich, Switzerland.

Ramos (Marc Mazza) spying on Grenier – Polybahn, Zurich, Switzerland. The lower terminus is located on Niederdorfstrasse at Limmatquai.

Grenier meeting with Richard (Bruno Cremer) – Musée des Arts et Métiers, 60 Rue Réaumur, Paris, France. Only the interior was filmed there. When Grenier exits the museum, the exterior is Zeughaus Keller, In Gassen, Zurich, Switzerland. It's actually a restaurant that serves Swiss food, and is very popular with tourists.

Terrorists attack a visiting dignitary – University of Zurich, Künstlergasse, Zurich, Switzerland.

Grenier and Chance visiting a police official – Stadthaus, Stadthausquai 17, Zurich, Switzerland.

Grenier is being followed and almost gets run over by a car – Strehlgasse at Glockengasse, Zurich, Switzerland.

Anna’s kidnapping – Seestrasse at Tessinerplatz, Zurich, Switzerland. Engi-Mart is no longer there, replaced by the FIFA Museum. Grenier walks past the colonnade of the Bahnhof Enge.

Richard looking for Grenier – Lindenhofstrasse above Uraniastrasse, Zurich, Switzerland.

Grenier leaving the police headquarters – Stadthaus, Stadthausquai 17, Zurich, Switzerland.

Richard accosts Grenier in the street – Lindenhofstrasse near Giacometti-Halle, Zurich, Switzerland.

Anna’s body is found – Clausiusstrasse at Kengottweg, Zurich, Switzerland.

Searching for Ramos – Still searching for this location.

Grenier waiting at the Polybahn terminus to find out who his enemy is – Niederdorfstrasse at Limmatquai, Zurich, Switzerland.

Anna’s funeral – Friedhof Uetliberg, Borrweg 253, Zurich, Switzerland.

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