HomePosts tagged 'itc'

Man in a Suitcase – Brainwash

March 25, 2016March 26, 2016 archivetvmusings ITV Drama - 1960's itc, man in a suitcase, richard bradford

McGill is lured into a trap by Colonel Davies (Howard Marion-Crawford) and his associate John (Colin Blakely). Davies was, until 1958, the white leader of an African nation called Iquala. Following a coup he was ousted and remains a bitter man. He knows that McGill, at the time working for American intelligence, was present in Iquala and wants him to sign a confession confirming that the coup was organised by American and British intelligence. McGill proves to be a tough nut to crack though ……

Brainwash features a character that wasn’t an uncommon one for ITC adventure series of the time. Variations of Colonel Davies can be found in series such as Danger Man and The Saint – men who don’t realise that their time has passed and that the days of the British empire are long over. When Davies asks McGill what he believes Iquala now stands for, he’s far from impressed by the American’s reply of “democracy”.

Whether McGill was involved in an American plot to oust Davies is irrelevant – we know that McGill will never betray his people by signing the confession (even though they abandoned him) and it’s also plain that Davies is little more than a tired (and sick) man.

John’s motivations remain nebulous for a while. Although nominally subservient, he clearly sees himself as the power behind the throne. He also enjoys his work – John is a sadist and delights in attempting to push McGill over the edge by whatever means necessary (drugs, sleep deprivation, etc). At one point he discusses how, back in the old days, his methods of gaining information were much cruder but just as effective. He then provides us with the statement used so often during the decades – he was only ever obeying Davies’ orders.

The other main character is Judy (Suzan Farmer). Initially presented as little more than a maid, it’s later revealed that she’s Davies’ daughter. She clearly loves her father, but is conflicted when she sees how McGill is suffering. As for McGill, he regards her as a possible way out and threatens to kill her. In a key scene, he strangles her whilst John looks on, amused, from a hidden observation point. This poses several questions – would McGill really have killed her or was John right when he later told Davies that Judy was never in danger? It’s very possible to believe that John would have been happy to sit and watch McGill murder the girl. And it’s also notable that few other ITC stars would have acted in such a brutal manner.

As for McGill, he’s put through the wringer as the episode proceeds and Bradford is typically good at showing McGill’s gradual disintegration (as he becomes unkempt, sweaty, bruised and blooded). The eventual revelation – that the dying Davies wants to be murdered by McGill and become a martyr – is a decent twist which confirms just how deluded the former leader of Iquala has become. And for McGill there’s no particular victory, he’s just content to stagger away still alive.

Richard Bradford (1934 – 2016)

March 25, 2016March 25, 2016 archivetvmusings Obituaries itc, man in a suitcase, richard bradford

2016 has been a wretched year so far for losing people from the era of television that I love and the death of Richard Bradford (1934-2016) is yet another sad passing.

Probably best known for Man in a Suitcase, Bradford’s American method acting might not always have won him friends amongst some of his fellow crewmembers, but it certainly helped to elevate what would otherwise have been a rather standard ITC adventure series.

But thanks to Bradford’s insistence of throwing punches for real and looking like he was actually suffering, the series stood apart from its contemporaries.

So time to dig out the DVD to spin an episode in tribute. RIP.

Return of the Saint – The Debt Collectors

October 4, 2015October 4, 2015 archivetvmusings ITV Drama - 1970's diane keen, ian ogilvy, itc, mary tamm, return of the saint

After Simon comes to the aid of a runaway horse ridden by Jeri Hanson (Mary Tamm), he finds himself embroiled in the murky world of espionage. Jeri’s sister Christine (Diane Keen) was convicted of passing military secrets and is six years into a prison sentence. But just one day before she’s due to be released on parole she escapes.

This was engineered by Sir Charles Medley (Geoffrey Keen) of the Ministry of Defence. Jeri tells Simon she’s convinced her sister is innocent and it appears that Sir Charles arranged Christine’s prison-break in order to flush out a traitor in MI5. But who can be trusted? In the world of intelligence, things are not always as they appear to be …..

The Debt Collectors was written by George Markstein. Given his background (script-editor/writer on series such as The Prisoner, Callan and Mr Palfrey of Westminster) it’s no surprise that he delivered a dense story set in the world of British Intelligence.

And after finding some of the previous episodes to be rather linear and straightforward, it’s a pleasure to have one where people’s motivations aren’t immediately obvious. Things appear to open normally enough, with Simon coming to the rescue of an attractive young woman. But she’s under surveillance and when Simon is later told not to speak to her again this only strengthens his interest.

By the time this aired, in December 1978, Mary Tamm was already more than half-way through her single season as Romana in Doctor Who. Here, she seems to be the archetypal ROTS heroine – her function in the plot being little more than providing a decorative presence and also the excuse for the Saint to become involved in the story – but there’s a twist in the tale later.

Of more immediate interest is Diane Keen as Christine. An actress who hardly seemed to be off the television screens in the 1970’s and early 1980’s, her first scene (behind prison bars) sees her playing a hard-bitten old lag. This is rather a stretch for Keen and it’s no surprise that once she goes over the wall Christine becomes much more of a vulnerable character.

With the revelation that there could be a traitor in MI5, several possibilities present themselves. There’s Sir Charles and also Simon’s MI5 contact Geoffrey Connaught (Anton Rodgers). Geoffrey Keen, best known today for playing the Minster in the James Bond films, is perfect casting and Rodgers, later to carve a niche as a sit-com performer, shares some decent scenes with Ogilvy.

The story does have a few niggling plot-holes. Why was Christine stuck in prison for six years before Sir Charles elected to use her to flush out the mole? And since she was due to be released the following day why engineer a prison break? If she’s on the run then presumably that makes her more of a target for the mole. But since she doesn’t know his identity, Christine is ultimately something of a red-herring.

Whilst the looseness of the plot (which is a little surprising given Markstein’s background as a script-editor) is a slight irritation, there’s more than enough happening to negate these quibbles. Apart from the already mentioned performers, the likes of Neil McCarthy (a familiar television face) and Bob Shearman (best-known for his regular role in The Sandbaggers) help to bolster an already impressive cast.

The Debt Collectors is a cut above the average ROTS script and rates four halos out of five.

Return of the Saint – Tower Bridge is Falling Down

October 3, 2015October 3, 2015 archivetvmusings ITV Drama - 1970's ian ogilvy, itc, john woodvine, return of the saint

Jenny Stewart (Fiona Curzon) is concerned about her father Charlie (Sam Kydd), so she turns to the Saint for help. Charlie has been having disagreements with his business partner Ray Dennis (John Woodvine). The two of them built up a thriving building firm but Charlie is convinced that Dennis has conned him out of a substantial sum of money.

Dennis is a highly amoral figure and after a brief fight with Charlie he has no compunction in leaving him in a building scheduled for demolition. And when Charlie’s lifeless body is recovered from the rubble Simon vows to exact the maximum amount of revenge on Dennis. So he puts his plan into action – an elaborate con involving transporting Tower Bridge to America ……

Written by the creator of Minder, Leon Griffiths, Tower Bridge is Falling Down was his sole contribution to the series. It’s basically Hustle, thirty years early, and it sees Simon posing as Sir Malcom Street, a top government official. In order to hook Dennis effectively, first Simon contrives to lose ten thousand pounds to him at a rigged poker game.

And when the man he believes to be Sir Malcolm proves unable to settle his debt Dennis is slowly reeled into the con. This involves his company being awarded the contract to demolish Tower Bridge (provided he can sweeten the deal by paying Sir Malcolm off).

All the familiar tricks from a normal episode of Hustle are present and correct. For example, Sir Malcolm is a real person and the Saint brazenly takes over his office in order to meet with Dennis. And as so often happens, the real Sir Malcolm returns just as the Saint is leaving (the two pass each other in the corridor). Dennis is easy to con because, as seen in Hustle every week, he’s a greedy man. Had he been honest then he wouldn’t have fallen for Simon’s ploy, but he sees the chance to make a quick and illegal profit and jumps at it.

It’s a pity that Leon Griffiths didn’t contribute any further scripts (although he would have been busy at the time setting up Minder). John Woodvine is excellent as Ray Dennis. Dennis’ lack of morality is clear right from the pre-credits sequence when he casually disposes of Charlie Stewart and although he isn’t the most complex of characters, Woodvine still manages to dominate proceedings whenever he’s on the screen. A chilling moment occurs when he threatens to permanently disfigure Jenny if she doesn’t reveal Simon’s whereabouts. It’s obvious from the parameters of the series that this is a threat which won’t be carried out, but Woodvine is intense enough to make you believe for just a few seconds that it might.

Alfie Bass, as Sammy, has a nice role as a con-man who works with Simon to rope Dennis in (he’s the sort of character that could easily have cropped up in Minder or indeed Hustle). And although Simon’s involvement is down to Jenny, for once this is a very male-dominated episode and she only takes a minor role in proceedings.

It”s a pity that the con doesn’t play out to the end, since Dennis learns about Simon’s true identity. This means there’s a more traditional conclusion (a punch up) followed by Ray Dennis’ arrest for murder. Whether his confession about Charlie’s murder (secretly taped by Simon) would actually have stood up in court is a moot point, so it would have been more dramatically satisfying for him to have been conned.

Even allowing for this, thanks to John Woodvine and the unusual plot, Tower Bridge is Falling Down rates four halos out of five.

Return of the Saint – The Roman Touch

October 2, 2015October 2, 2015 archivetvmusings ITV Drama - 1970's ian ogilvy, itc, return of the saint

Michelle (Kim Goody) is deeply unhappy. She may be an international singing star, with a string of hit records to her name, but she’s also worn out thanks to a grinding schedule of tours and recording sessions. Michelle doesn’t even have the satisfaction of having made any money, due to the repressive contract she signed with her manager Bruno (Laurence Luckinbill).

Simon’s known her since she was a teenager and is anxious to help. So he kidnaps her …..

The Roman Touch sees the return of the old-style Saint. Although he kidnaps her with the best of intentions (he demands a ransom from Bruno of a million dollars, which is enough to pay Michelle the money she’s owed and also cover his expenses) it’s still an example of him operating on the wrong side of the law. This is something of a rarity in ROTS, where he tended to be allied with the authorities more often than not.

Kim Goody, an actress with some musical talent, is perfect casting as Michelle. Whilst her career in the music business is painted with broad brushstrokes (complete with a grasping manager) she still manages to give some solidity to her character. Linda Thorson plays Diamond, her personal assistant. At first she seems to be yet another person who is interested only in exploiting Michelle, but over time it becomes clear that she has her best interests at heart.

Simon’s attempts to help Michelle are hindered by the local Mafia, headed by Capo (Danielle Vargas). The script is obviously written to present them as the villains of the piece – which is negated when Capo reveals that Michelle is his daughter and he’s been secretly keeping watch over her. This is quite a neat reversal – as is the fact the somebody kidnaps Michelle again (with Simon unable to stop them).

Another foreign episode, the sunny visuals help the episode no end (had it taken place in rainy London it may not have been so effective). But the basic problem is that there’s no particular tension since it’s obvious that Simon will rescue Michelle. The question isn’t if he’ll do it, but how. For a formula series like ROTS, predictability of events can be an issue and after an interesting setup things plays out pretty much as you might expect.

Nothing earth-shattering then, but solid enough. The Roman Touch rates three halos out of five.

Return of the Saint – Signal Stop

October 1, 2015June 4, 2016 archivetvmusings ITV Drama - 1970's ian ogilvy, itc, return of the saint

Simon Templar and Janie Lennox (Ciaran Madden) are both passengers on a train bound for London. When the train stops at a signal, Janie sees what she believes to be a murder taking place in a nearby warehouse. Simon, who moments earlier was wishing that something would happen to break the monotony, is naturally intrigued.

The next day, Simon, Janie and the police travel to the building – but the body that Simon and Janie found earlier in the day is no longer there. Inspector Grant (Frederick Jaeger) later tells Simon that since Janie has a history of psychiatric illness it’s probable her story was nothing more than a delusion.

Following on from the picture-postcard stylings of The Imprudent Professor, Signal Stop has a very different feel. Most of the story takes place in dirty or run-down locations – an abandoned warehouse, a scrap-yard, etc which gives it something of a Sweeney/Professionals feel.

Just as The Arrangement owed more than a little to the novel Strangers on a Train, Signal Stop also seems to have been inspired by a crime classic. In 4:50 From Paddington by Agatha Christie, a character witness a murder from her vantage point on a train – but with no body she finds it impossible to convince the authorities and only her friend Miss Marple takes her seriously.

The notion of observing a murder from a train (and therefore being helpless to intervene) is a decent one – although it’s fair to say that this story is a little flawed. The major problem is that it’s baffling why the body was simply not taken away before Simon and Janie turned up the next day to find it. No body = no crime.

Instead, the murdered man is left on site for them to find. Simon then drives Janie all the way back to his house before phoning the police and driving back. Naturally enough, by the time he returns the body has vanished. Since he has a phone in his car, why didn’t he call the police and wait for them at the warehouse?

But despite these rather serious plotholes, there’s still a very decent, and unusual, story here. Ciaran Madden impresses as the vulnerable Janie. Unlike most of the other Saint heroines, she’s a flawed and damaged individual – although Simon’s faith in her never wavers. It’s possible to argue that the script missed a trick by allowing the viewer to see the attack take place though. Had this not happened, and we only had Janie’s word, it would have allowed the viewers to wonder if it maybe was just a figment of her imagination.

Ian Cullen is hardly stretched as one of the police officers, especially since he’d had a been a regular in Z Cars and could presumably have played this sort of part in his sleep. Brian Glover, George Sweeney, Ralph Arliss, Heather Wright and Sabina Franklyn help to round out the cast. Franklyn has a blink-and-you’ll-miss-it role as a uniformed police officer who Simon effortlessly charms whilst Arliss makes a brief appearance as a hells-angel sort of biker. Although as so often with ROTS, the biker gang never really exudes any sort of menace.

Frederick Jaeger’s rather good as Inspector Grant. It’s the sort of part that seems at first to be fairly routine but by the conclusion of the episode he’s moved more into the forefront of the action.

Despite some flaws, Signal Stop rates a healthy three halos out of five.

Return of the Saint – The Imprudent Professor

September 30, 2015September 30, 2015 archivetvmusings ITV Drama - 1970's ian ogilvy, itc, return of the saint

Professor Edmund Bartlett (Bill Simpson) is a philanthropic scientist who wishes to share his new invention (synthetic petrol) with the world. But his daughter Emma (Susan Penhaligon) is concerned for his safety. She’s well aware that certain countries and interest groups would be very interested in her father’s discovery and could be inclined to use force to extract the information from him.

Emma hires Simon to keep an eye on him, much to the disgust of Boothroyd (Anthony Steel), the local representative of the British government. Posing as a disgruntled ex-colleague of the Professor, Simon strikes up a friendship with the alluring, but deadly, Samantha (Catherine Schell). Samantha works for Genius Inc, an organisation who sells geniuses to the highest bidders.

When the Professor disappears, Simon faces a race against the time before Bartlett is spirited out of the country and lost forever.

After a couple of London-based episodes, The Imprudent Professor is literally a breath of fresh air. Filmed in and around Nice, it certainly uses the location to its maximum advantage. And as well as the gorgeous visuals, there’s a sparkle about Terence Feeley’s teleplay that means it’s a definite cut above the norm.

Unlike Feeley’s previous script, The Armageddon Alternative, there’s an intriguing hook in the pre-credits sequence. Simon interrupts a speech from the Professor by claiming that Bartlett is a fraud and he – Simon – is the true inventor of the synthetic petrol. Since ROTS normally has fairly straightforward narratives, this is something of a jolt.

It doesn’t take long before the truth emerges though. Simon’s decided that the best way to keep the Professor safe is to act as a judas goat and lure any people interested in his invention out into the open. His tactics don’t meet with whole-hearted approval by everyone though, especially the Professor – who’s incredibly stubborn and unwilling to believe he’s in any danger. Bill Simpson, best known for Dr Finlay’s Casebook, is (as might be expected) very Scottish. He’s also quite an imposing figure and certainly makes an impression, even with his limited screen-time.

Susan Penhaligon (not even remotely Scottish) is suitably winsome as his daughter Emma. Like many of the female roles in the series she’s only lightly sketched – but whenever she and Samantha meet there’s a nice tension between the pair of them. This is because she clearly believes Samantha has designs on Simon (you can feel the waves of jealousy emanating from her!)

Ian Ogilvy looks like he’s having great fun and is certainly given plenty of good material. When acting the part of the Professor’s disgruntled ex-employee he affects a Scottish accent (badly!) and wears a pair of glasses (obviously he thinks they make him look much more studious). It’s also a nice touch that he uses the alias of Sebastian Tombs (a favourite of the literary Saint).

Simon gets to tangle with Samantha (some lovely comic moments between Ogilvy and Schell) and also crosses swords with Boothroyd of DI6. His initial meeting with Boothroyd (the always classy Anthony Steel) is pure James Bond – we see Boothroyd relaxing by the poolside of a impressive looking house surrounded by a bevvy of gorgeous girls in bikinis.

Simon quips his way out the situation and at the same time is easily able to outwit some of DI6’s less able operatives, like Cartwright as played by Peter Childs. If there was ever an episode of ROTS that could have been designed to showcase Ogilvy as a potential James Bond, then this was the one.

The plot may be a little routine (there’s a slight twist, although it’s not difficult to guess), but the location-work, guest-cast and the sheer spirit of the production help to make this one of the most enjoyable episodes of the series. Four and a half halos out of five.

Return of the Saint – The Poppy Chain

June 5, 2015July 13, 2017 archivetvmusings ITV Drama - 1970's ian ogilvy, itc, return of the saint

The episode opens with Simon Templar and Sandy Platt (Jenny Hanley) desperately racing across London to try and reach Sandy’s sister, Jane. But they’re too late – when they get to her flat she’s dead (killed by an impure batch of heroin).

Sandy is naturally distraught, but her father, General Platt (Laurence Naismith), is even more so. An old-school, but now retired, soldier, he vows to find and kill the pushers. But he only serves to drive them underground. So it falls to the Saint to risk his life by travelling to to Carmague region of France as he attempts to destroy the business at its source.

The Poppy Chain certainly has an arresting opening as Simon and Sandy discover Jane’s lifeless body. It gives the episode a harder-edged feel than many of the others in the series. Laurence Naismith’s pig-headed General Platt drives the action in the first half or so of the episode (with Simon trailing behind somewhat). This plotline has the advantage of enabling the General to do all the spadework, but then allowing Simon to step in when things get really dangerous.

Along the way, the General tracks down the pusher who sold the drugs to his daughter. A well-spoken, well-dressed man known as the Gent (Christopher Timothy). He doesn’t get to kill him though, as the Gent’s wife intervenes (with a heavy object which knocks the General out). It’s possibly just as well, since Simon tells the recuperating General that the pusher was just small fry – if you’re going to bring down the operation, then you need to aim for the head.

The Saint does this by posing as a member of the London connection, Rickman, and travels to France to meet the men responsible for supplying the raw drugs. A change of location helps to keep the interest up and the different locale is quite interesting, as it’s probably not what might have been expected. Scorbesi (Gregoire Anslan) and his son Dominic (Jonathan Burn) run the operation, but Scorbesi is an apparently friendly, gregarious chap and the patriarch of a village that appears to be happy and prosperous. The fact that their idyllic lifestyle is founded on drug money is, no doubt intentionally, jarring.

Scorbesi’s realisation that he knew the General back in WW2, when Scorbesi was a Partisan, is a coincidence that’s possibly a little hard to take – especially since this revelation doesn’t really further the plot in any way. Notwithstanding this, Anslan is good as the cheerful Scorbesi, although Burn is less impressive as his son. I’m not quite sure why, it’s just a slightly off-key performance.

The best part of the second half of the episode is Simon’s infiltration of Scorbesi’s setup – although it’s rather bizarre that he takes no backup with him. So it’s lucky that when the General learns about Simon’s efforts he makes the trip over and comes to the rescue. It’s hard to believe that the Saint didn’t think that drafting in some younger assistance might have been a good idea, but this moment does allow the General a chance to prove that he’s not entirely over the hill.

I also like Ogilvy’s cockney accent when he’s pretending to be Rickman. He makes a very effective criminal!

It’s a solid episode and rates three and a half halos out of five.

Return of the Saint – Yesterday’s Hero

June 3, 2015June 3, 2015 archivetvmusings ITV Drama - 1970's ian hendry, ian ogilvy, itc, return of the saint

Several years ago, Simon Templar, Roy Gates (Ian Hendry) and Diskett (Tony Vogel) were part of an unofficial mission in Aden. Mid-way through the mission something went wrong and Gates was captured by the Yemenis. Simon and Diskett weren’t aware of this though – they thought he was dead.

But Gates was alive and, having lost an arm during the fighting, languished in an Arab prison until he was bought by the Bader-Meinhoff gang of terrorists (who wanted his expertise to train their people). Gates was initially reluctant, but he finally realised that any life was better than the life he currently had.

Eventually he was caught by the Germans and ended up in prison there. He’s shortly due to be released and Simon pays him a visit to caution him not to directly approach his young son Michael (Matthew Ryan) before his ex-wife Sandy (Annette Andre) has had a chance to talk to him (as Michael has grown up believing that his father is dead).

But Gates is a bitter and vengeful man and once released he’ll be set on a course of revenge. Which will inevitably bring him into direct conflict with the Saint …..

This is a bleak and atypical Return of the Saint story. The usual humour and byplay is pretty much absent and it’s also notable that there’s few “good” characters featured. Gates does have his compassionate side (especially when we see him spend time with his son) but it’s obvious that his various imprisonments have warped his judgement.

Normally, you’d expect the character of the ex-wife to be written in a sympathetic way, but that’s not the case here. Simon tells her that “in your own way, you’re as crippled and bitter as Roy is. And that’s a pity.”

It eventually becomes clear that Gates is targeting Cleaver (Gerald Flood) who ran the Aden operation and betrayed Gates. Cleaver (now an arms dealer) is yet another unsympathetic character (which robs his death of some of its impact). Prior to this, we see him demonstrating some weapons to the military – although the stock footage is so grainy it’s not terribly convincing,

At the centre of the episode is Ian Hendry. In another unusual move, he dominates the action whilst the Saint has to react to events and remains, until the end, a few steps behind. There’s an undeniable sense of melancholy hanging over the whole episode – partly because of the script, but it’s also down to Hendry’s performance (and the reading that anybody familiar with his personal life will bring to the viewing).

Yesterday’s Hero is an uncomfortable summation of Ian Hendry’s life and career. In the early sixties, as the star of The Avengers, he seemed to have a glittering career ahead of him, but various factors (most notably a dependance on alcohol) ensured that whilst he remained a familiar presence in films and television, he never attained the heights he should have done (and he also died rather prematurely, aged just 53 in 1984).

The following comments from Annette Andre (as quoted in the book Send in the Clowns: The Yo-Yo Life of Ian Hendry by Gabriel Hershman) about her work with Hendry on this episode tend to bear these observations out.

I didn’t have many scenes with him. In the morning he was fine. Then we broke for lunch and Ian went off on his own to the pub for lunch. When we went to get him later to take him to the location for filming he was falling down drunk. We managed to get him into the car and into the make-up room and then he walked out and did it.

There was an unhappiness to him. I never really experienced Ian being unpleasant – I was fine with him and he really liked me – but I could see that when I was trying to get him out of the pub that he could get difficult. He didn’t want to eat. I sensed a deep hurt, a sense of dissatisfaction that affected his whole career. He looked older than his age, he’d lost his hair and was on a downhill spin.

This real-life unhappiness is very much mirrored in his portrayal of Roy Gates, which means that the lines between fantasy and reality become somewhat blurred. There’s a point later in the episode where Gates breaks into Simon’s flat and is clearly drunk – it’s an uncomfortable thought that there may not have been any acting involved.

But although this knowledge does make Yesterday’s Hero a rather hard watch at times, Hendry is always solid and professional – so whatever turmoil he felt off-screen, he still commands the frame when the camera is rolling. Thanks to his performance, this rates four halos out of five.

Return of the Saint – Assault Force

June 2, 2015June 2, 2015 archivetvmusings ITV Drama - 1970's ian ogilvy, itc, kate o'mara, return of the saint

Catching the bus at Heathrow, Simon notices that one of his fellow passengers is receiving unwelcome attention from several men. And since the passenger is female and attractive, the Saint simply has to step in – he can never resist helping a damsel in distress.

Jeanette (Kate O’Mara) has information about Nodiam Mataya, the new strong-man of South-East Asia. She plans to take it to the newspapers and expose Mataya’s appalling record of human rights (which include a group of nuns held captive and awaiting imminent execution). Simon’s foreign office contact, Randolph Smith (Neil Stacey) is polite, but noncommittal. He tells them that the British government is continuing to explore all diplomatic avenues, but that’s all they can do.

The Saint, however, is keen for more direct action. A key member of Mataya’s government, Surinit, is due to land in the UK shortly. Simon suggests to Jeanette that they kidnap him and offer to exchange him for the nuns. Jeanette agrees and Simon assembles a crack force to carry out the plan. But when Surinit disappears after the kidnap is successfully carried out, Simon bitterly realises that he’s been used …..

Assault Force sees the Saint team up with a group of mercenaries and it’s a departure from the episodes we’ve seen so far (where Simon is either operating on his own, or with limited help). Here, he’s the leader of a well-drilled gang who abduct Surinit with military precision. It’s the planning and the actual raid which forms the heart of the episode, and the realisation that Surinit is actually a good guy (and the one man who can expose Mataya’s crimes) drives the story onwards to its conclusion.

Kate O’Mara is suitably histrionic as the damsel in distress, whilst Carolle Rousseau (as Colonel Dibha) is rather alluring as a woman who appears to be on the side of the angels but turns out to be working for Mataya. Although to be honest, this probably isn’t a great shock since she does give off a rather “evil” vibe in all of her scenes!

Elsewhere, we see the Saint recruit some colourful characters, such as O’Hara (Bryan Marshall) and Morgan (Norman Bird). Marshall sports a broad Irish accent which occasionally crosses over into parody, but he’s still convincing as a resourceful mercenary. Bird provides some welcome comic relief as the bookish Morgan.

Although everything is resolved in the end quite neatly (too neatly, you may say) there’s still a slightly discordant note struck which implies that the new status quo may not last forever. Simon rescues Surinit, who returns to his country as leader after Mataya’s downfall. Colonel Dibha seems unconcerned though, as she tells Simon that Surinit is a weak man (who clearly won’t last long in the bitter and dangerous world of South-East Asian politics)

The plot is driven by coincidences which means that it’s probably best not to examine it too deeply (although that’s not going to stop me!) Surinit arrives in the UK to testify at a Human Rights Commission in order to expose Mataya’s crimes. It seems obvious that Mataya’s people would try and silence him (but they don’t seem to have had any plans to do so). Instead, rather fortunately they were able to learn of Simon’s plan to kidnap him and took advantage of this. But had Simon not run into Jeannete at the airport by chance then nothing would have happened. If Mataya’s men simply needed to silence Surinit why didn’t they, say, put a bomb on the plane?

Minor plot quibbles apart, the “caper” feel of the episode makes it a break from the norm and earns it three and a half halos out of five.

Return of the Saint – The Village That Sold Its Soul

June 1, 2015April 27, 2018 archivetvmusings ITV Drama - 1970's ian ogilvy, itc, return of the saint

Simon is travelling through a remote area of Italy when he witnesses a murder – he sees a woman thrown off a cliff by two men. When Simon reaches her, she’s mortally injured but manages to tell him to “warn Vincenzo” before she dies.

Father Vincenzo (Tony Calvin) is the priest of the local village, Santa Maria. When Simon makes his way there, he discovers that Father Vincenzo is away and that nobody else is interested in offering assistance (including the police). There’s a sinister menace that seems to hang over the town. What is the secret that binds everybody together and how is it connected to the patrone of the village, Prince Lorenzo Castracano (Maurice Denham)?

As with Duel in Venice, part of the success of the The Village that Sold Its Soul is down to the location. Filming took place mostly in Sermoneta, a hill town in the province of Latina. Thanks to its twisting streets, it was a location that offered director Leslie Norman plenty of scope for interesting and atmospheric shots.

It’s also an unusual episode since Simon has to mostly operate on his own. Often, he’s paired up with an attractive female and can also count on official or semi-official help from his friends in high places. But as Santa Maria is an isolated village there’s no help for him to call on. There is an attractive female, Sophia Castracano (Katia Christine), but she’s a relatively minor character.

It’s a solid production, although there are a few mis-steps. The body thrown off the cliff in the pre-credits sequence is clearly a dummy and later we see Simon desperately running away from an out-of-control cart. But even if it had hit him, it’s difficult to imagine it causing him much of an injury!

The concept of a whole village that’s complicit in a series of murders is an intriguing one (although it maybe owes something to The Avengers episode Murdersville). Maurice Denham adds a touch of class as the Prince and it eventually becomes clear that he holds the key to the mystery.

Because of the location and Maurice Denham, as well as a solid script from John Goldsmith, The Village That Sold Its Soul rates four halos out of five.

Return of the Saint – One Black September

May 31, 2015September 23, 2015 archivetvmusings ITV Drama - 1970's ian ogilvy, itc, return of the saint

Abdul Hakim (Garrick Hagon) is a leading member of the Black September terrorist group. It’s rumoured that he’s in London and is being pursed by his own people. The Israelis are also desperate to pick him up and interrogate him (Hakim knows the names of all the top operatives in the organisation).

Simon Templar, due to his knowledge of London, is regarded by the Israelis as the ideal man to partner their leading counter-terrorist officer in a race against time to track Hakim down before his former friends find him. Simon is initially reluctant, but when he learns that the officer is an attractive young woman (Prunella Gee playing Captain Leila Sabin) he becomes much more interested …..

One Black September is a slightly uneasy mix of real world politics and the usual escapist fare of an ITC adventure series. For a modern audience, their name might not be instantly recognisable, but in 1978 they would have been very familiar. Just six years earlier, Black September killed eleven Israeli athletes and a German police officer during the Munich Olympics. During the early to mid seventies they also carried out numerous other attacks (and copycat activities were also attributed to them) which ensured that their name often featured in the headlines.

It’s the decision to use a real terrorist organisation that ensures One Black September has a slightly off-key feel, which is reflected in the attitudes of Simon and Leila. Simon is his usual relaxed, flippant self whereas Leila is humourless and completely focused on the mission.

Matters come to a head later on, when Simon tells her she’s forgotten that she’s a woman (mainly because she seems to have no interest in sleeping with him!) Leila counters this by telling Simon that her entire family were murdered by terrorists, so until Hakim is captured she cannot afford to let her concentration slip for even a moment. Immediately prior to this, both Simon and the camera spend a little time ogling her shapely bottom as she bends over a map of London. Both this, and Simon’s unsubtle efforts to romance her, mean that this is very much of product of its time.

Dodgy politics (both political and sexual) aside, this is a decent run-around. Hakim’s former colleagues are led by Masrouf (Stephen Grief) and Rahaman (Nadim Sawalha). Like everybody else, they’re lightly sketched characters, so the actors have to put the meat onto the bones (Grief is particularly effective with this).

Eventually Simon is able to pick Hakim up – but Leila is captured by Masrouf and the others. Masrouf suggests a trade, which the Israelis strongly resist, but Simon gets his way. In real life, of course, it’s impossible to imagine they would have acceded so readily to Simon’s request (he threatens to expose their illegal capture of Hakim, but it’s doubtful whether that would have really worried them).

Naturally, the Saint is able to extract Leila and keep Hakim – and in exchange for a plane ticket out of the UK Hakim gives the Israelis the names they need. Leila bemoans that fact that a man like Hakim, responsible for countless murders, is simply going to get away. But Simon has seen Rahaman in the airport terminal and makes no attempt to raise the alarm.

It’s another example of the Saint’s ruthless nature, which comes to the fore occasionally. He knows that Black September will execute Hakim and is content to stand by and let it happen. It’s a powerful moment and would have worked very well as the final scene (alas, a more conventional tag scene is added – with Simon and Leila heading off on holiday).

Although it’s not perfect, One Black September still rates three halos out of five.

Return of the Saint – Duel in Venice

May 30, 2015June 16, 2018 archivetvmusings ITV Drama - 1970's ian ogilvy, itc, maurice colbourne, return of the saint

When the daughter of one of his oldest friends is kidnapped in Venice, the Saint faces a desperate race against time. Linda (Cathryn Harrison) has been abducted by Jed Blackett (Maurice Colbourne). Blackett and Simon have crossed paths before – five years ago in Mozambique.

Ever since, Blackett has been waiting for the opportunity to exact his revenge and Linda finds herself the unfortunate bait in his trap. Simon has just six hours to find the girl, but luckily for him he has assistance from an attractive gondolier called Claudia (Carole Andre) …

Ian Ogilvy’s favourite episode, it’s clear that the star of Duel in Venice is the city itself. Had it been set in London it would have been a decent runaround but nothing special. The gorgeous sights and sounds of Venice make all the difference.

It’s a pity that the storyline bears some similarities with the previously transmitted episode The Nightmare Man (an adversary from the Saint’s past is out for revenge) but that’s down to the vagaries of scheduling I guess. And the problem of dubbing raises its head again – everybody (especially Maurice Colbourne) sounds like they’re dubbed for large parts of the episode.

Colbourne has a nice line in hysterical giggling and portrays Blackett as a completely deranged character. It’s by no means a subtle performance, but since his screen time is quite limited (he mainly just pops up every now and again to taunt Simon) it’s not really a problem. Cathryn Harrison has little to do except react to Blackett’s villainy with wide-eyed fear – such as when he fits her with an acoustic necklace (any loud sound would cause it to instantly tighten, killing her instantly).

So the bulk of the story is a two-hander with Simon and Claudia. Carole Andre gives a lovely performance as the headstrong, argumentative Claudia and it’s her local knowledge which helps the Saint to eventually track Blackett down.

We never find out exactly how Simon and Blackett originally met. Since Blackett is a mercenary and he claims that Simon left him for dead, the inference is that they were both fighting on the same side in some war. It seems an uncharacteristic thing for the Saint to have done, but there’s another moment in the story which does hint at a darker side to Simon Templar.

Early on, Simon approaches Guido (Enzo Fiermonte) for assistance. He’s a man of great knowledge and power (presumably a local gangster) but is initially reluctant to help, until Simon (with the aid of a gun) persuades him. When the Saint threatens to put a hole in his head, it’s possible to believe that he’s bluffing – but he might not be.

It’s easy to believe that Leslie Charteris’ Saint would have been prepared to shoot, since the literary Saint was a much more amoral, violent character (when transferred to television, the Saint was greatly watered down). This (and the reference to Mozambique) helps to imply that the relaxed, affable playboy that Simon Templar appears to be may not the whole picture.

Helped by the location, Duel in Venice scores four halos out of five.

Return of the Saint – The Nightmare Man

May 29, 2015August 2, 2020 archivetvmusings ITV Drama - 1970's ian ogilvy, itc, return of the saint

Simon, together with the beautiful Gayle (Kathryn Lee Scott), is enjoying a weekend in Paris. On the way back to their hotel room, he’s distracted by a series of screams from a nearby room. The occupant is an Italian woman who tells Simon that she’s had a nightmare which foretold her husband’s death.

In her dream, they’re both riding in an open-top carriage in London (by her description, it’s clear that they’re travelling through Parliament Square). She then hysterically tells Simon that during the journey her husband is shot dead. Amongst the details she remembers is that the assassin has very blonde, almost white, hair. When Simon learns that her husband is Dr Bernardo de Vallesi, Italy’s new ambassador to Britain (who is due to travel to the UK shortly) it appears that there may be some truth in her strange story.

The Nightmare Man is an odd one. At first it seems that Mrs de Vallesi’s nightmare is simply a clumsy way of ensuring that the Saint takes an interest in the story. But when Simon meets Dr de Vallesi, he’s introduced to his wife (who isn’t the woman from the hotel room) so the plot thickens. But the main problem with the story is that all the action takes part in the last ten minutes or so and it’s a long slog to get there.

The real reason for the presence of the assassin is frankly bonkers and makes no sense at all. It’s been organised by Colonel Ramon Perez (John Bennett). He’s a bitter and vengeful man who lives for one reason only – to make the man responsible for his downfall pay. That man, of course, is Simon Templar (but why he chose this plan is anybody’s guess).

Another problem with the story is the choice of Joss Ackland as the assassin, Gunther. Ackland is an actor of many qualities, but this part doesn’t play to his strengths. Gunther’s a cruel and psychotic man, but there’s never any sense of menace from Ackland. The tone is set from his opening appearance – it’s hard to fear a man with such an obvious wig and flapping flared trousers!

There’s some other unlikely casting too – the diminutive Welsh actor Roy Evans as a supplier of guns and Stanley Lebor as a mercenary. Although in Lebor’s case, this may be because now he’s probably best known for the Richard Briers sitcom Ever Decreasing Circles (back in the seventies he did play his fair share of heavies).

His encounter with the Saint is rather amusing. He’s holding court in what’s supposed to be a rather rough pub (in which Simon is obviously meant to stand out). In fact, it doesn’t really look too threatening at all – social realism was never a strong point of Return of the Saint.

Some nice location shooting in London apart, there’s not much to recommend in this one. Two and a half halos out of five.

Return of the Saint – The Judas Game

May 28, 2015May 28, 2015 archivetvmusings ITV Drama - 1970's ian ogilvy, itc, return of the saint

When I was a child, I was always disappointed that the animated stick-figure who appeared in the opening credits wasn’t the one who had the adventures (Ian Ogilvy was obviously a rather poor substitute!) Time is a great healer though and I’m now reconciled to the fact that Ogilvy is the star of the show, rather than the stick-man.

ROTS was the last gasp for the ITC adventure series. It follows their other 1970’s shows such as The Persuaders! and The Zoo Gang in having the luxury of foreign location shooting (something their 1960’s counterparts had to do without) and it’s easily the strongest series in this genre since The Persuaders! Although it’s rather variable in quality (like many of the ITC series) at best it’s a cracking little show that’s still very enjoyable today. I’m going to take a look at the early episodes and blog a brief, capsule review of each – as well as awarding them a mark out of five.

Simon Templar’s holiday in Italy is brought to an abrupt end, courtesy of MI6. Led by Dame Edith (Mona Bruce), they want Simon to undertake a dangerous rescue mission. They seem sure he’ll agree, since the kidnapped woman is an old flame of Simon’s – Sarah Morell (Judy Geeson).

Sarah has been kidnapped by a group of revolutionaries who wish to use her knowledge of counter-intelligence to train their terrorists to operate even more effectively. Simon reluctantly agrees and with the aid of Vlora (Olga Karlatos) manage to infiltrate the heavily guarded fortress. But a surprise awaits the Saint …..

The Judas Game has a slightly stodgy opening. Rather obvious dubbing (a trait of many ITC series) is a little distracting in the early scenes (it’s very obvious with Mona Bruce, for example). But once Simon snorkels his way to the island, things pick up – especially when he runs into the lovely Vlora. Whist Judy Geeson might be the nominal female lead, Olga Karlatos has more screen time and she and Ian Ogilvy make a very effective team. She’s remarkably easy on the eye too, especially when dressed in uniform!

If bad dubbing is always an intermittent problem with ITC series, then day-for-night filming is the other regular irritant. It’s bizarre that even a series like ROTS, which enjoyed extensive overseas shooting, couldn’t afford to film at night. Instead, a filter is placed over the camera to give the impression that it’s night-time, although the blazing sky is a dead-giveaway. Alas, this rather saps the tension out of Simon and Vlora’s escape from the beach.

Happily, they infiltrate the fortress during the day-time and Simon is easily able to rescue Sarah. Suspension of disbelief is required here – as he single-handedly has to make his way past numerous guards and then has to carry the unconscious Sarah back to Vlora and the van. Why is Sarah unconscious? When they meet, she tells him that she wasn’t kidnapped – she defected.

At this point, there’s an interesting edit. We cut away from them and what appears to be a punch is heard. When we cut back, Sarah is unconscious and the clear inference is that Simon’s knocked her out. It’s a slightly clumsy edit, so it might be that after the scene was shot it was felt it wasn’t a good idea to show Simon hitting a woman (even though it’s obvious what’s happened). I also love the way they make their escape, with Simon blowing up the fortress gate with a rocket launcher! It’s pure James Bond.

Sarah and Vlora don’t get on, mainly because Vlora regards her as a traitor and wants to shoot her. When the guards catch up with them, Simon seems to be of the same opinion. “It’s quite simple Major, she’s insane. Now why don’t you just treat her as a mad dog and put a bullet through her head?”

There’s a further twist to the tale though (as well as the reveal that one of the MI6 agents is a traitor). Overall, this is a strong episode and it’s easy to see why it was chosen as the first to air in the UK. It’s got action, foreign filming and two attractive female co-stars for Ian Ogilvy to tangle with. The bad-guys don’t make much of an impression, but all in all this rates four halos out of five.