Memories of Le Carr and the Tailor of Panama

Reports from Venice about the new movie version of the John Le Carré classic Tinker, Tailor, Soldier, Spy, brought back memories of another of his works with multiple local connections:  the Tailor of Panama.

Le Carré spent time in Panama researching the original story published in 1996. It was made into a movie in 2001 filmed in Panama and starred Pierce Brosnan, Jamie Lee Curtis and Geoffrey Rush.

While here, Brosnan and others from the cast headed to La Fortuna on Via Espana to have bespoke suits made. That’s where the real tailor of Panama, Jose Abadi  presided. Hed got closer to more  Panamian presidents over six decades than any other man as they went to get measured for suits and answer the traditional question “left or right”. If you’re a man and don’t know what that means, then you have never owned an upscale “made to measure”.

Until shortly before his death aged 82, in 2008, Jose still reigned at the store,  watching his staff and son at work and occasionally chipping in with some seasoned advice.

Entering the store was to step back in time  to the days when every well dressed “gentleman”  had at least one fitted suit. Walking to the rear was to discover the  world of bespoke tailoring … shelves reaching to the ceiling  stuffed with bolts of fine quality cloths from around the world, light fabrics from Spain and Italy, cashmere from England.

Nearby a table with books of sample cloths and design catalogues to suit all tastes, double or single breasted; two, three or four buttons; one vent, two vents or none, the latest fashion or more conservative. Further back a  room filled with workers  whose skills had been guided by Jose, diligently and with care, assembling suits to grace and flatter the frames of those in the know, an in power.

And close to the incongruously  modern modem where Jose occasionally  played  computer games, sat a  well thumbed copy of El Sastre de Panama (The Tailor of Panama). Jose, the real tailor was the about whom  Omar Torrijos quipped: “The only man I’d ever drop my pants for”.

While in the city doing research for the book, Le Carré   used to frequent the  Pavo Real for fish ‘n chips. The British style pub, started by a former employee of the British embassy used to sit opposite where Roma Antica now attracts lovers of fine Italian food.

The  movie version on the Tailor of Panama did not set the world alight, and from most critics got a two star rating.

Not so the new verison of Tinker, Tailor, Soldier, Spy, directed by Swede Tomas Alfredson. It  has become the favorite for the Golden Lion at the Venice Film Festival after opening to strong reviews. The film stars Gary Oldman in the role of spy-catcher George Smiley made famous on TV 30 years ago by Alec Guinness.

For a Guiness fan like me it’s going to be hard to visualize Smiley played by anyone else, but I will be looking forward to the films arrival in Panama. With luck it will be included in the Panama International Film Festival next April. It would be exciting to see Smiley in the flesh.