180 years ago today, Scotland Yard opened for spy business in London. Technically called the Metropolitan Police Service, it’s essentially the headquarters for the police force that oversees Greater London (as opposed to inner city London, whose surveillance falls to the City of London Police). Of course, the force is now housed at New Scotland Yard, which is nowhere near the original. Maybe that explains why most of Film’s 11 Best Scotland Yard Agents appeared before the move to the new headquarters.

Superintendent (Patrick Cargill) in Help! (1965)

Not exactly the most competent detective or impersonator, but plenty charming.

Nikolai (Viggo Mortensen) in Eastern Promises (2007)

The undercover agent makes a pretty convincing Russian goon, although his charm almost gives him away as a British spy.

Professor Edward C. Burke (Lon Chaney) in London After Midnight (1927)

Though the last remaining copy of the film was lost in a fire at MGM in the 60s, it remains one of the great silent horror films, with Chaney (above, at right) playing both the murderer and the detective.

Superintendent Newhouse (Lawrence Olivier) in Bunny Lake is Missing (1965)

Olivier plays, as usual, a suave and rational man of the law–watch for his first appearance around the 8 minute mark in the above clip.

Detective Frank Webber (John Longden) in Blackmail (1929)

He’s not really a good cop, nor is he a good person, really, but as far as famous British agents in film he’s definitely one of the best.

Chief Inspector Hubbard (John Williams) in Dial M for Murder (1954)

He doesn’t get much screen time (not surprising given his co-stars), but he’s pretty much the perfect British inspector, with mustache, sweater vest and bow-tie.

Inspector George Gideon (Jack Hawkins) in Gideon’s Day (1958)

In this forgotten John Ford crime saga, we follow the inspector through an especially long and difficult day.

Inspector Harris (Edmund Purdom) in Don’t Open ‘Til Christmas (1984)

The only man to solve a wave of Santa killings.

Dick Barton (Don Stannard) in Dick Barton Strikes Back (1949)

Special Agent Barton takes down a ring a psychopathic terrorists in this installment of the radio serial adaptation.

Inspector Bill Elford (Heinz Drache) in Der Zinker (1963)

One of many Edgar Wallace crime novel adaptations filmed in London for German audiences, we’re not sure what’s going on here, but inspector Elford looks damn tough (and the noir style looks damn good, don’t it?).

Inspector Artie Doyle (Tom Fisher) in Shanghai Knights (2003)

Why not just call him Inspector Arthur Conan Doyle while you’re at it? He’s already a parody of the British agent archetype anyways (see for yourself at 5:15 in the clip above.)

Disclaimer: James Bond was a member of MI6 or Secret Intelligence Service, a national security force, not Scotland Yard, and Sherlock Holmes was more of a freelancer, whose relationship to the traditional agents of the law was always tenuous at best.