The Sentimental Agent

Last updated

The Sentimental Agent
SentimentalAgent.jpg
Created byLeslie Harris
Starring Carlos Thompson
John Turner
Burt Kwouk
Clemence Bettany
Theme music composer Ivor Slaney
ComposersIvor Slaney
Edwin Astley
Country of originUnited Kingdom
Original languageEnglish
No. of series1
No. of episodes13 (list of episodes)
Production
Executive producerLeslie Harris
ProducerHarry Fine
Cinematography Brendan J. Stafford
Running time49 mins
Production company ATV
Original release
Network ITV
Release28 September (1963-09-28) 
21 December 1963 (1963-12-21)
Related
Man of the World

The Sentimental Agent is a television drama series spin-off from Man of the World. It was produced in the United Kingdom in 1963 by Associated Television and distributed by ITC Entertainment.

Contents

The series ran for 13 one-hour monochrome episodes. Some of the episodes were edited into the feature film Our Man in the Caribbean (1962). [1]

Plot

The series stars Carlos Thompson as Argentinian Carlos Varela, a successful import-export agent based in London.

Now based in London, Varela's company takes him into unusual and sometimes dangerous situations. Impeccably dressed, cigar smoking and using his wit, ingenuity, and charm, which would often involve a damsel in distress. Assisted by Chin, a resourceful Chinese manservant, and Miss Carter, an ultra-efficient secretary. [2]

Later episodes introduced Bill Randall, a businessman, who became the boyfriend of Miss Carter and then an employee of Varela.

Cast and characters

John Turner, Clemence Bettany, Carlos Thompson, and Burt Kwouk Sentimental Agent cast.JPG
John Turner, Clemence Bettany, Carlos Thompson, and Burt Kwouk

Carlos Thompson did not appear in production episodes 110, 111, 112, and only briefly at the beginning and end of 113.

Guest stars included: Warren Mitchell, Diana Rigg, Imogen Hassall, Patrick Troughton, Ann Bell, Carol Cleveland, Annette Andre, and Donald Sutherland.

Episode list

Filmed on location and at Shepperton Studios

Airdate is for ATV London. ITV [4] regions varied date and order.

Production number is of the Network DVD order.

No.TitleDirected byWritten byOriginal air dateProd.
code
1"All That Jazz" Charles Frend Julian Bond28 September 1963 (1963-09-28)101
Carlos Varela takes responsibility for a jazz group, The Arthur Rogers Jaz Quintet, that his company has been transporting around Europe on tour when Major Harold Nelson of MI.5 informs him that the group are sending information to spies and he wants to know how. Stars Anthony Bushell, Peter Arne and Anneke Wills.
2"The Beneficiary" John Paddy Carstairs Julian Bond5 October 1963 (1963-10-05)102
A Korean wartime colleague of Varela sends him a prearranged distress signal from Lisbon that spells danger. The friend is murdered and Varela goes to Lisbon and finds he is the beneficiary of a supposed key to a safe deposit box containing secret research papers into the perfecting of a new laser beam, but there is no key and interested parties are prepared to kill to obtain the papers. Stars Michael Godfrey, Derek Francis, Lubna Aziz, Aubrey Morris, Bill Mitchell, Robert Rietti and David Graham.
3"Express Delivery" Charles Frend Lindsay Hardy12 October 1963 (1963-10-12)103
When on business in Poland, Varela finds he is being harassed by the police and decides to take the express train back to Vienna. He is befriended by a young girl, Katrina who wants to escape the iron curtain using Varela as cover but is she a spy and for which side? And who are their fellow passengers? Stars Ann Bell, Patrick Magee and Donald Morley.
4"Never Play Cards with Strangers" John Paddy Carstairs Julian Bond19 October 1963 (1963-10-19)104
Varela hears that passengers who booked a cruise from his agency have been fleeced of their savings playing bridge and decides to board the ship in Marseilles to give the cardsharps a taste of their own medicine. He takes the daughter whose parents were victims but the trouble is he cannot play bridge. Help is at hand from Chin. Stars Suzanna Leigh, Donald Stewart, Bessie Love, Hugh McDermott, and Jack Melford.
5"May the Saints Preserve Us" Charles Frend Patrick Campbell 26 October 1963 (1963-10-26)105
Varela has the unusual job of shipping an ancient Irish border castle to Texas. The local illegal potcheen makers do not like the idea but the castle's secret blocked passageway between the Republic of Ireland and Northern Ireland is a way to smuggle back a deported Irish writer, befriended by Varela, back into Britain. Stars Brian Phelan, Carol Cleveland, Godfrey Quigley and Kevin Flood.
6"Meet My Son, Henry [5] " John Paddy Carstairs Lindsay Hardy 2 November 1963 (1963-11-02)108
Henry, the son of one of Verela's clients, is a boy genius. When he buys an obscure book that has stolen top secret flight plans concealed within it, the thieves want the book and follow Henry on his way to Switzerland escorted by Miss Carter and Bill Randall who is employed by the boy's father. Stars John Turner, John Phillips, Glynn Edwards, Derren Nesbitt and Vladek Sheybal.
7"A Little Sweetness and Light [6] " Harold French Tudor Gates 9 November 1963 (1963-11-09)107
Informed that his business agent on a Greek island has been killed in a motoring accident, Varela investigates the man's death and the loss of business, and discovers the island and its bandit leader have come under the influence of gangster deported from Chicago. Stars Patrick Allen, Zena Marshall, Patrick Newell, Martin Miller and Eileen Way.
8"The Height of Fashion" Charles Frend Peter and Betty Lambda16 November 1963 (1963-11-16)110
Varela is abroad when Miss Carter is left with the problem of 30,000 unwanted horse blankets. Bill Randall visiting her for a dinner date takes over and with the help of a top model enters the cutthroat world of fashion and the forthcoming wedding of a royal princess. Stars Sue Lloyd, Dennis Price, Warren Mitchell and Anton Rodgers.
9"A Very Desirable Plot" Harry Booth Brian Clemens 23 November 1963 (1963-11-23)109
When a conman is selling worthless plots of land in the Bahamas for which Mercury International is supplying prefabricated houses, the victims complain and Varela heads to the Bahamas to sort out the problem. Stars William Mervyn, Paul Maxwell, Diana Rigg, David Healy and Donald Sutherland.
10"Finishing School"Harry FinePeter and Betty Lambda30 November 1963 (1963-11-30)111
Valera is in New York when a young girl goes missing from an exclusive ladies' finishing school where he is a school governor. Bill Randall, staying at Valera's London office, steps in to investigate at the headmistress's request. Stars Annette Andre, Susan Clark, Helen Cherry, and Andrew Ray.
11"The Scroll of Islam" John Paddy Carstairs Jack Davies7 December 1963 (1963-12-07)106
Varela is intrigued when two professors approach him to obtain photographs of a relic contained within a priceless casket, which could prove more important than the Dead Sea scrolls. It means entering a small sheikdom with the help of the sheik's son, who has expensive tastes. Stars William Sylvester, Patrick Troughton, Frank Thornton, Alan Gifford, Clifford Elkin and Terence Brook.
12"Not Quite Fully Covered" Charles Frend Leslie Harris and Roger East14 December 1963 (1963-12-14)112
Valera is away and Bill Randall, now employed by Mercury International, goes to Beirut to escort a girl back to London but she has a priceless collection of French antiques and furniture she had smuggled from her homeland. To transport the goods requires a large insurance premium that the girl does not have. Randall agrees for Mercury International to pay the premium but the cargo is lost at sea. Stars Keith Baxter, Imogen Hassall, Reginald Beckwith, Cyril Shaps and Charles Lloyd-Pack.
13"A Box of Tricks" Harold French Ian Stuart Black 21 December 1963 (1963-12-21)113
An £11 million gift, dollars for Europe, for the poor of Palabria is refused unless the five man committee each receive an expected bribe but a government inspector is investigating corruption. Varela is on a cruise so Bill Randall and Chin go to Palabria to pay the bribes under the inspector's nose. Stars Ferdy Mayne, Gary Raymond, Walter Gotell, George Pastell, Zena Marshall and Robert Rietti.

Music

The series' theme music, "Carlos' Theme", was written by Ivor Slaney who was also the director of incidental music using some musical cues of Edwin Astley. [7]

Slaney released "Carlos' Theme" as a single in September 1963 [8] on the HMV record label, as did Johnny Keating in January 1964 [9] on the Piccadilly label, but neither version reached the charts.

DVD release

Network released the 13 episodes on DVD in April 2010. [10]

Related Research Articles

<i>Danger Man</i> British TV drama series (1960–1962, 1964–1968)

Danger Man is a British television series that was broadcast between 1960 and 1962, and again between 1964 and 1968. The series featured Patrick McGoohan as secret agent John Drake. Ralph Smart created the programme and wrote many of the scripts. Danger Man was financed by Lew Grade's ITC Entertainment.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Burt Kwouk</span> British actor (1930–2016)

Herbert Tsangtse Kwouk was a British actor. He is perhaps best known for his role as Cato in the Pink Panther films. He made appearances in many television programmes, including a portrayal of Imperial Japanese Army Major Yamauchi in the British drama series Tenko and as Entwistle in Last of the Summer Wine.

Edwin Thomas "Ted" Astley was a British composer. His best known works are British television themes and scores, most notably the main themes for The Saint, Danger Man and The Baron. He also successfully diversified into symphonic pop and the arrangement of his theme to The Saint, as re-recorded by Orbital, reached number three in the UK singles chart.

<i>The Darling Buds of May</i> (TV series) British television comedy drama series (1991–1993)

The Darling Buds of May is a British comedy drama television series, produced by Yorkshire Television for the ITV network, first broadcast between 7 April 1991 and 4 April 1993. The first six episodes of Series 1 and the first two of Series 2 are adaptations of the 1958 novel of the same name, and three of its four sequels, by H. E. Bates. The remaining episodes are original storylines based on the same format.

<i>Randall and Hopkirk (Deceased)</i> British television series (1969–1970)

Randall and Hopkirk (Deceased) is a British private detective television series, starring Mike Pratt and Kenneth Cope respectively as the private detectives Jeff Randall and Marty Hopkirk. The series was created by Dennis Spooner and produced by Monty Berman, and was first broadcast in 1969 and 1970. In the United States, it was given the title My Partner the Ghost.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Kenneth Cope</span> British actor (1931–2024)

Kenneth Charles Cope was an English actor and scriptwriter. He was best known for his roles as Marty Hopkirk in Randall and Hopkirk (Deceased), Jed Stone in Coronation Street, Ray Hilton in Brookside, Sid in The Damned and as a minor member of the Carry On team.

<i>The Champions</i> British TV thriller series (1968–1969)

The Champions is a British espionage thriller/science fiction/occult detective fiction adventure television series. It was produced by Lew Grade's ITC Entertainment production company, and consists of 30 episodes broadcast in the UK on ITV during 1968–1969. The series was broadcast in the US on NBC, starting in summer 1968.

<i>Return of the Saint</i> British TV action series (1978–1979)

Return of the Saint is a British action-adventure television series that aired for one series in 1978 and 1979 in Britain on ITV, and was also broadcast on CBS in the United States. It was co-produced by ITC Entertainment and the Italian broadcaster RAI and ran for 24 episodes.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Carlos Varela (singer-songwriter)</span> Cuban singer-songwriter

Carlos Victoriano Varela Cerezo is a renowned Cuban singer-songwriter of Nueva Trova, a musical genre characterized by poetic and political themes. Emerging as a response to the unjust conditions that led to the Cuban Revolution in 1959, Nueva Trova emphasizes social commentary and activism. Varela joined the Nueva Trova movement in the 1980s, during his 20s. He has earned the nickname of "Nomo" (Gnome), due to his distinctive style of dressing.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Dennis Spooner</span> British writer (1932–1986)

Dennis Spooner was an English television writer and script editor, known primarily for his programmes about fictional spies and his work in children's television in the 1960s. He had long-lasting professional working relationships with a number of other British screenwriters and producers, notably Brian Clemens, Terry Nation, Monty Berman and Richard Harris, with whom he developed several programmes. Though he was a contributor to BBC programmes, his work made him one of the most prolific writers of televised output from ITC Entertainment.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">ITC Entertainment</span> UK-based TV and movie production and distribution company

The Incorporated Television Company (ITC), or ITC Entertainment as it was referred to in the United States, was a British company involved in production and distribution of television programmes.

<i>Department S</i> (TV series) British spy-fi TV series (1969–1970)

Department S is a British spy-fi adventure series, produced by ITC Entertainment. It consists of 28 episodes which originally aired in 1969 and 1970. It stars Peter Wyngarde as author Jason King, Joel Fabiani as Stewart Sullivan, and Rosemary Nicols as computer expert Annabelle Hurst. These three are agents for a fictional special department of Interpol. The head of Department S is Sir Curtis Seretse.

<i>The Baron</i> (TV series) British television series (1965–1966)

The Baron is a British television series made in 1965 and 1966, based on the book series by John Creasey and produced by ITC Entertainment. Thirty colour episodes were produced, and the show was exported to the American ABC network.

<i>Gideons Way</i> British TV crime series (1964–1966)

Gideon's Way is a British television crime series that was made by ITC Entertainment and broadcast by ITV in 1964–1966. It is based on novels by John Creasey. The series was made at Elstree Studios in twin production with The Saint television series, which was likewise produced by Robert S. Baker and Monty Berman.

<i>Man of the World</i> (TV series) British TV drama series (1962–1963)

Man of the World was an ATV drama series, distributed by ITC Entertainment. The show ran in the United Kingdom in 1962 and 1963 for 20 one-hour episodes in monochrome.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Carlos Thompson</span> Argentine actor (1923–1990)

Juan Carlos Mundin-Schaffter, known as Carlos Thompson, was an Argentine actor.

John Turner is a British television and film actor.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Ivor Dean</span> British actor (1917–1974)

Ivor Donald Dean was a British stage, film and television actor.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Ivor Slaney</span> British composer and conductor

Ivor Ernst Slaney was a British composer and conductor, notable for his work in film, television and radio.

A Sentimental Journey (<i>Randall and Hopkirk (Deceased)</i>) 19th episode of the 1st season of Randall and Hopkirk

"A Sentimental Journey" is the nineteenth episode of the 1969 ITC British television series Randall and Hopkirk (Deceased) starring Mike Pratt and Kenneth Cope. The episode was first broadcast on 23 January 1970 on the ITV. It was directed by Leslie Norman. In this episode Marty learns to search every hotel room in London quickly and is able to blow an entire small aircraft across the runway. Annette Andre does not appear in this episode. The absence of Jeannie Hopkirk, as with her lack of appearance in "When the Spirit Moves You", is not explained in this episode. Also as with "When the Spirit Moves You", Andre still receives a credit at the end of this episode, despite her lack of appearance.

References

  1. p.118 Lisanti, Tom Paul, Louis & O'Neill, Eileen Film Fatales: Women in Espionage Films and Television 2002 McFarland
  2. The ITV Encyclopedia of Adventure ISBN   1-85283-217-7
  3. History of ITV
  4. "Meet My Son Henry (colorized)". The Sentimental Agent. 2 November 1963. Retrieved 18 July 2023. s01e06
  5. "A Little Sweetness and Light". The Sentimental Agent. archive.org. Retrieved 18 July 2023. S 01 E 07
  6. "Ted Astley" (PDF). danger-man.co.uk. ITC. Archived from the original (PDF) on 6 March 2016. Retrieved 18 July 2023. January 20, 2009 Edwin Thomas "Ted" Astley
  7. www.45cat.com, Ivor Slaney
  8. Johnny Keating 45cat.com,
  9. The Sentimental Agent review, ladydontfallbackwards, Wordpress, 14 May 2010