Smiley's People (1982)

Anthony Bate: Oliver Lacon

Quotes 

• Oliver Lacon : Funny about children. Beggars keep you awake when they're there, and when they're not you can't sleep.

• Oliver Lacon : God, how I hate autumn.

  George Smiley : How's...?

  Oliver Lacon : Abandoned me, dammit. Ran off with her pesky riding instructor, blast it. Left me with the children. Oh, the girls are all farmed out to boarding school, thank God!

  George Smiley : I'm sorry.

  Oliver Lacon : I don't see why should you be? Not your wife.

• Oliver Lacon : George, do you think we set our women up too high? Is that where we English middle-class chaps go wrong?

  George Smiley : It may be, Oliver, yes.

  Oliver Lacon : Well, if it isn't, then why does Val always fall for shits? We were always taught that women were to be cherished. That if we didn't make them feel loved every moment of the day, they'd go off the rails! This chap Val's with, she annoys him, speaks out of turn...

  [Lacon makes a punching motion] 

  Oliver Lacon : It's mad that he hasn't given her a black eye! You and I never do that.

• George Smiley : What do you want me to do?

  Oliver Lacon : I want you to bury him, in both senses. I want you to pour oil on the waters, not muddy them.

  George Smiley : [deliberately]  Tell me what you want me to do, Oliver.

  Oliver Lacon : It's what I don't want you to do. He was a man with an obsession. So were you once. You know who his buddies are, who he hunted with. Speak to them. If there's any milk been spilt, I trust you to get it back into the bottle. You're his executor, George. Tidy him up. Keep us out of it. And don't wander.