Telefon

During the height of Cold War tension, a rogue KGB operative named Nicolai Dalchimski steals a notebook that lists undercover sleepers planted in the United States during the 1950s. These agents were trained to forget their missions until a specific line from a Robert Frost poem is spoken, at which moment they spring into violent action. Dalchimski begins dialing the sleepers and awakening them to carry out sabotage against military targets. The pursuit expands across cities and continents as investigators race to trace his calls and intercept the agents, preventing a cascade of covert attacks worldwide. In this tense standoff, a wary American contact partners with a relentless Soviet officer to uncover who orchestrates the conspiracy behind the scenes.

Released in 1977, Telefon was directed by Don Siegel from Walter Wager's novel and adapted by Peter Hyams and Stirling Silliphant. It pairs Bronson with Lee Remick in a globe trotting Cold War thriller worldwide that drew strong notices initially.

Reception acknowledged the film's taut pacing and Cold War paranoia, blending espionage with a personal stake. Bronson contributes a restrained, authoritative presence, while Remick gives a wary, human counterpoint that keeps the plot grounded amid the high stakes. Some critics noted moral gray areas and tense action that feel grounded.

Telefon has a niche legacy for its sleeper agent premise driven by a Frost poem trigger, a concept that surfaces in later thriller plots. While not a major cultural touchstone, it remains a curious artifact of 1970s espionage cinema. The premise still pops up in discussions of Cold War thrillers today.

Box office data for Telefon is not widely publicized; reliable worldwide figures are not readily available. The movie played in theaters in 1977 and has since remained a mid range entry in Bronson's filmography and a small cult following today.