Why were Poorman & Beggarman not referred in the movie title?
There are 5 codes used in the movie for Russian moles in British Intelligence: "Tinker" for Alleline, "Tailor" for Haydon, "Soldier" for Bland, "Poorman" for Esterhase, and "Beggarman" for Smiley. Why were the latter two not referenced in the title?
Best Answer
The title isn't a reference to the characters' codenames, but rather a play on words of an old rhyme (from which the codenames are also derived).
The most common adaptation of this rhyme comes from A. A. Milne [the chap most well-known for writing Winnie the Pooh] in "Now we are Six"
That version starts…
Tinker, tailor, soldier, sailor, rich man, poor man, beggar man, thief
The original novel, by John le Carré, 1974, and the movie, simply make a play on words of the first four characters.
Sailor is replaced by spy, rich man and thief are also absent from the title.
Pictures about "Why were Poorman & Beggarman not referred in the movie title?"
Why is the movie called Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy?
In the novel, the character of Bill Haydon, with his easy charm and strong social connections, bears a close resemblance to Philby. The title alludes to the nursery rhyme and counting game Tinker Tailor.Did Prideaux know Haydon was the mole?
Smiley learns that Prideaux informed Haydon of Testify before departing; Prideaux had independently surmised that Haydon was the mole, and wanted to warn him about the potential his cover might be blown.Why did Prideaux shoots and kills Haydon?
Prideaux does not kill Haydon because he was a traitor to his country, he kills him because he was a traitor to him personally, not just by giving him up to the Russians in Budapest, but because he refused to respond to Prideaux's homosexual feelings towards him and forced Prideaux to suppress his authentic self.Are Prideaux and Haydon lovers?
Prideaux and Haydon were close friends from their university days. They remained close while working for the Circus. There are even hints of a homerotic connection between them (and we know that Haydon was bisexual).Clinton Fearon Richman Poorman
Sources: Stack Exchange - This article follows the attribution requirements of Stack Exchange and is licensed under CC BY-SA 3.0.
Images: Donald Tong, Pietro Jeng, Terje Sollie, Andrea Piacquadio