Background
By early 1959 Danziger Productions were in their fourth year of Saber of London / The Vise at their own newly-built studios at Elstree. [3]
The studio had begun developing an Interpol-themed follow-up in spring 1958. Kinematograph Weekly reported in April 1958 that "A New Danziger television series called Interpol started shooting at New Elstree last week with Denis Shaw in the lead," but noted complications as Julian Windle and Leslie Parkyn had "already acquired the world exclusive rights from Interpol to make a television series based on Interpol's activities, with scripts written around actual cases in the files at the organisation's Paris headquarters." [4]
By October 1958 the series was shooting as Caesar Smith—Interpol Agent at New Elstree. Variety reported a "three-cornered legal tussle... over the use of 'Interpol' in the title," with Warwick Productions – the company helmed by Irving Allen and Albert R. Broccoli – instituting legal action against Danziger Productions and urging the Rank Organisation to drop its own project Interpol Calling. Warwick claimed copyright due to a feature film of that title still in commercial release. The Danziger Bros. had "already completed the first two in their series" at that point. [5]
The order was for a batch of 39 half-hours called Caesar Smith-Interpol Agent. [3] One early entry was released theatrically in the UK as a supporting feature, The Great Van Robbery (6,350 ft, U.A., 16 February 1959). The trade synopsis described "Caesar Smith, an Interpol detective from Scotland Yard" investigating a £150,000 Royal Mint van robbery, with Denis Shaw as "the shrewd and courageous Smith," produced by Edward J. and Harry Lee Danziger, directed by Max Varnel, story by Brian Clemens and Eldon Howard, and photography by Nick Roeg. [6]
In June 1959 the project was re-launched as The Man from Interpol. Variety noted that Malcolm Arnold, who had written the theme for The Bridge on the River Kwai , had been signed to scoreThe Man From Interpol vidpic series now in production at the new Elstree studios, with Richard Wyler, the American star, in the lead." The series was described as "an expansion of the idea from their Interpol Calling series which has now suspended production at Pinewood after the completion of the first 14 half-hours," the latter a Rank and Jack Wrather partnership. The Danziger version had already been sold to Associated-Rediffusion for the ITV network but not yet offered to U.S. TV, while the "Mark Saber series [was] due to start its sixth year with Donald Gray continuing as the private eye." The Danzigers also had lined up The Cheaters and a colour series The Adventures of Ali Baba for UA-TV to follow. [7]
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