- The Sentimental Agent
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The Sentimental Agent 
Format Action Drama Created by Leslie Harris Starring Carlos Thompson
John Turner
Burt Kwouk
Clemence BettanyTheme music composer Ivor Slaney Composer(s) Ivor Slaney
Edwin AstleyCountry of origin UK Language(s) English No. of series 1 No. of episodes 13 (List of episodes) Production Executive producer(s) Leslie Harris Producer(s) Harry Fine Cinematography Brendan J. Stafford Running time 49 mins Production company(s) ATV Distributor ITC Entertainment Broadcast Original channel ITV Picture format Film 4:3 35mm B/W Audio format Mono Original run 28 September 1963 – 21 December 1963 Chronology Preceded by Man of the World The Sentimental Agent is a television drama series spin-off from Man of the World. It was produced in the UK in 1963 by Associated TeleVision and distributed by ITC Entertainment. It stars Carlos Thompson as Argentinian Carlos Varela, a successful import-export agent based in London.
The series ran for 13 one-hour monochrome episodes. Some of the episodes were edited into a 1962 feature film Our Man in the Caribbean.[1]
Contents
Plot
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
- Carlos Thompson as Carlos Varela
- Burt Kwouk as Chin Sung
- John Turner as William (Bill) J. Randall
- Clemence Bettany as Miss Suzy Carter
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, 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[3] regions varied date and order.
Production number is of the Network DVD order.
Episode# Prod # Title Directed by Written by Original airdate 1 101 "All That Jazz" Charles Frend Julian Bond 28 September 1963 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, Anneke Wills Dora Reisser. 2 102 "The Beneficiary" John Paddy Carstairs Julian Bond 5 October 1963 A Korean wartime colleague of Varela sends him a prearranged distress signal from Lisbon that spell 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, and David Graham. 3 103 "Express Delivery" Charles Frend Lindsay Hardy 12 October 1963 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. 4 104 "Never Play Cards with Strangers" John Paddy Carstairs Julian Bond 19 October 1963 Varela hearing that passengers who booked a cruise from his agency have been fleeced of their savings playing Bridge decides to board the ship in Marseilles to give the cardsharps a taste of their own medicine. He takes the daughter who's parents were victims but the trouble is he cannot play Bridge. Help is at hand from Chin. Stars Suzanna Leigh, Donald Stewart[disambiguation needed 
], Bessie Love, Hugh McDermott, and Jack Melford. 5 105 "May the Saints Preserve Us" Charles Frend Patrick Campbell 26 October 1963 Varela has the unusual job of shipping an ancient Irish border castle to Texas but 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. 6 108 "Meet My Son, Henry" John Paddy Carstairs Lindsay Hardy 2 November 1963 Henry, the son of one of Verela's clients, is a boy genius and when he buys an obscure book that has stolen top secret flight plans concealed within 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 boys's father. Stars John Turner, John Phillips, Glyn Edwards, Derren Nesbitt, and Vladek Sheybal. 7 107 "A Little Sweetness and Light" Harold French Tudor Gates 9 November 1963 Informed that his business agent on a Greek island has been killed in a motoring accident, Varela investigates his agents death and the loss of business and discovers the island and it's bandit leader have come under the influence of gangster deported from Chicago. Stars Patrick Allen, Zena Marshall, Patrick Newell and Eileen Way. 8 110 "The Height of Fashion" Charles Frend Peter and Betty Lambda 16 November 1963 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 cut throat world of fashion and the forthcoming wedding of a royal princess. Stars Sue Lloyd, Dennis Price, Warren Mitchell, and Anton Rodgers. 9 109 "A Very Desirable Plot" Harry Booth Brian Clemens 23 November 1963 When a conman is selling worthless plots of land in the Bahamas that Mercury International is supplying prefabricated house for, 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. 10 111 "Finishing School" Harry Fine Peter and Betty Lambda 30 November 1963 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. 11 106 "The Scroll of Islam" John Paddy Carstairs Jack Davies 7 December 1963 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 with expensive tastes. Stars William Sylvester, Patrick Troughton, Frank Thornton. 12 112 "Not Quite Fully Covered" Charles Frend Leslie Harris and Roger East 14 December 1963 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 girls 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 Beckworth, and Charles Lloyd Pack. 13 113 "A Box of Tricks" Harold French Ian Stuart Black 21 December 1963 An £11 million gift, dollars for Europe, for the poor of Palabria is refused unless the five man commitee 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 inspectors nose. Stars Ferdy Mayne, Gary Raymond, Walter Gotell. 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.[4]
DVD release
Network DVD released in April 2010 the 13 episodes plus a 17 minute interview with Burt Kwouk With this Face.[5]
References
- ^ p.118 Lisanti, Tom Paul, Louis & O'Neill, Eileen Film Fatales: Women in Espionage Films and Television 2002 McFarland
- ^ The ITV Encyclopedia of Adventure ISBN 1-85283-217-7
- ^ History of ITV
- ^ http://www.danger-man.co.uk/docs/publicity/Publicity_Music.pdf
- ^ http://www.networkdvd.net/product_info.php?cPath=28&products_id=1139
External links
Categories:- Crime television series
- British drama television series
- ITC Distributions
- ITV television programmes
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