The Baron

[J. R.'s Piece]

I only have a few left unseen but no telling when they'll be on again.

There are some episodes on youtube

 

[J. R.'s Piece]

 

[J. R.'s Piece]

Hindsight gives that a certain irony. Roger Moore might have been upset at the "borrowing" of scenes from The Saint but I wonder of he was aware that the title of his later series had been used by The Baron.

Because The Baron went into production in colour and had a partial US network sale, this helped to cause 47 episodes of The Saint to be ordered for US network transmission in colour. The Saint reuses footage shot for The Baron in the episodes The Queen's Ransom and The Counterfeit Countess. The Saint reuses b/w car crash footage shot for Gideon's Way (the result of Mike Pratt trying to murder Donald Houston) in a colour Saint episode.

 

[Seaviewer]

"And Suddenly You're Dead"

A fairly typical mid-60s spy story. I always did think that the idea of an antiques dealer was somewhat limiting in it's scope and in this one it's almost dispensed with altogether, with only the tenuous connection of a missing gold pen which had previously caught Mannering's eye during a chance meeting with a CIA agent acquaintance of Cordelia's.

 

[Seaviewer]

"The Memory of Evil"

As well as being at the height of the Cold War, the sixties were still close enough to World War II for the Nazis to make credible villains too and this is what we get here. The plot revolving around plundered art treasures is more relevant than the one in the previous episode and German-accented Robert Hardy does a nice turn as a suitably icy antagonist.

Coincidently, this week's Major Crimes (directed by Patrick Duffy!) concerned a Neo-Nazi group, showing that the ideology remains today even if fears of a literal resurgence of the Reich have receded.

 

[J. R.'s Piece]

"The Memory of Evil"

As well as being at the height of the Cold War, the sixties were still close enough to World War II for the Nazis to make credible villains too and this is what we get here.

ITC's The Champions did that a few times in 'The Survivors', 'The Mission' and The Final Countdown'.

German-accented Robert Hardy does a nice turn as a suitably icy antagonist.

He runs over his assistant played by Jon Rollason. Jon Rollason had played Steed's partner, Dr Martin King, in three episodes of The Avengers made in 1962, following the departure of Ian Hendry. He got murdered in Danger Man too.

"And Suddenly You're Dead"

A fairly typical mid-60s spy story. I always did think that the idea of an antiques dealer was somewhat limiting in it's scope and in this one it's almost dispensed with altogether, with only the tenuous connection of a missing gold pen which had previously caught Mannering's eye during a chance meeting with a CIA agent acquaintance of Cordelia's.

ITC's The Champions did that a few times in 'The Survivors', 'The Mission' and The Final Countdown'. The 1968-73 children's tv show, Freewheelers had a Nazi villain in the early seasons, until they sold the show to West Germany.

A fairly typical mid-60s spy story. I always did think that the idea of an antiques dealer was somewhat limiting in it's scope.

I dunno. ITC had previously done Man of the World, a show about a photojournalist (Craig Stevens as Michael Strait) who gets into all sorts of adventure and occasionally gets mixed up with spies. That show could be like an anthology show, shifting it's style, storytelling approach and location (with location shooting in Paris, Scotland and Spain) each week. Colin Gordon guested in that show. Spinning off from that was The Sentimental Agent, a show about a bit of a rogue who is an imports/exports agent (Carlos Thompson as Carlos Barella/Borella/Varela) who gets into all sorts of adventure (including getting mixed up with spies) with his light and sometimes downright dangerous approach. Sue Lloyd got her first tv leading lady part in that show, although Carlos Thompson wasn't in that episode. And ITC had Danger Man, featuring a lead who in the later episodes appears to be a travel agent but is really an agent who travels and frequently gets mixed up with other spies. And they did The Saint, about rogue Simon Templar doing his detection and occasionally crossing paths with spies. Sue Lloyd appeared twice. When The Baron was nearing completion, they started doing Man in a Suitcase, featuring a discredited spy getting involved in detective work, undercover work and crossing paths with spies. They later did The Adventurer featuring a lead character who was a famous actor, an undercover agent and businessman.

 

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gets into all sorts of adventure and occasionally gets mixed up with spies.

What I meant was that keeping the plots strictly connected with his antique business could be limiting. A lot of shows are about adventurers with no official authority who just happen upon a situation and in this episode the Baron seemed to do just that. Happens to Jessica Fletcher all the time.

 

[J. R.'s Piece]

With The Sentimental Agent, the later episodes in production order concentrated on his business activities (mostly with the show's star absent) and aren't anywhere near as fun as the earlier plots, where he would just happen upon a situation. Although the last great episode of that show (after which the show's star vanishes with four episodes left to go) introduced an actress called Diana Rigg and had a small part for someone called Donald Sutherland. It was written by Brian Clemens, who gets credited as Tony O'Grady on two episodes of The Baron. I often wonder what happened to them.

 

[Seaviewer]

"Roundabout"

...in which the ever-stoic John Mannering gets involved with the drug trade. The relationships between the players - cheating husband, wronged wife, other woman - lift it above the run of the mill for this type of story. No Cordelia - or David, for that matter - in this one. Instead, Annette Andre plays essentially the same role, jus a bit more flirty.

And that's it - thirty episodes out of thirty - albeit in a somewhat haphazard order. Thanks @J. R.'s Piece for all the background information and the running "commentary track". It's been most interesting.

 

[J. R.'s Piece]

Annette Andre was flatmates with Sue Lloyd for a time. Actually Sue Lloyd appeared in a Randall and Hopkirk Deceased episode that only featured Annette Andre in the pre-credit sequence. They both guested in The Saint, Gideon's Way and The Persuaders!. In 1963, Sue Lloyd got an introducing credit on The Sentimental Agent and Annette Andre got an introducing credit on the very next episode in production order. Neither episode featured The Sentimental Agent himself. Annette had previously worked for ITC, having filmed some episodes of ITC's Whiplash in Australia with Peter Graves. This episode of The Baron reunites June Ritchie with Annette Andre. They had played sisters in the movie, This Is My Street. That also starred Ian Hendry and also featured Annette's future Randall and Hopkirk Deceased co-star, Mike Pratt. Annette Andre and Ian Hendry later appeared in the same episode of Return of the Saint, Yesterday's Hero.

Edwin Richfield had previously been a regular on the ITC series, The Buccaneers (starring Robert Shaw) and Interpol Calling and had written for Interpol Calling. He also guested in lots of the other ITC series. Lisa Daniely had been a regular on both series of ITC's H.G. Wells' Invisible Man, playing the Invisible Man's sister. Playing her daughter in that was future Doctor Who actress, Deborah Watling, who passed away fifteen days ago. Lisa and Deborah were reunited to provide DVD commentaries for that show. Lisa Daniely also worked with Edwin Richfield in The Danger Man episode, Not So Jolly Roger in 1966. Roger Moore's regular stunt double Les Crawford appears and tries to give The Baron a rather dangerous haircut.

 

[J. R.'s Piece]

 

[J. R.'s Piece]

A lot of the music cues for The Baron can be heard on the Gideons Way soundtrack double CD because they were composed for Gideon’s Way and then reused on The Baron.

 

[Seaviewer]

A lot of the music cues for The Baron can be heard on the Gideons Way soundtrack double CD because they were composed for Gideon’s Way and then reused on The Baron.

Interesting. I did watch Gideon's Way a little before watching The Baron but I can't say I noticed that.

 

[J. R.'s Piece]

Interesting. I did watch Gideon's Way a little before watching The Baron but I can't say I noticed that.

Well, Gideon’s Way had original music cues by Edwin Astley, including the titles and commercial break sting and cues for library purposes (to be used when needed) nd diegetic music (used in clubs or bar scenes) Episodes that had specific scores were The ‘V’ Men, The Tin God, The Rhyme and the Reason and State Visit (partial score). All were among the first six episodes to be filmed. Other episodes retracked existing cues. About 110 incidental music cues for specific scenes. Plus another 40 miscellaneous cues. Library recordings from Danger Man, The Saint, H. G. Wells’ Invisible Man and other Astley cues were also used. The Baron had about 90 incidental music cues composed for specific sequences but around 30 (composed for Samurai West, the first episode filmed) are not known to exist. Samurai West, Diplomatic Immunity, and Portrait of Louisa had cues specifically recorded. Additionally another 25 miscellaneous cues were recorded. Plus a movie theme tune variation. And the show used more library cues of Astley’s, including from Gideon’s Way. Gideon’s Way completed filming on Friday May 28th 1965 and The Baron began filming on Monday 12th July 1965.

Press info for The Baron stated that Steve Forrest was going to direct two episodes. That didn’t happen. Other reported press info that didn’t happen included the theme being written by Sammy Cahn and Jimmy Van Heusen, that The Rolling Stones and Cilla Black were to guest star and Steve Forrest guesting on Sunday Night at the London Palladium. Steve Forrest was also said to have signed to record four LPs while in London.

 

[J. R.'s Piece]

 

[Seaviewer]

The Rolling Stones and Cilla Black were to guest star

Is that something that was likely to happen or just hype? Did any of them do other TV appearances at the time?

 

[J. R.'s Piece]

Is that something that was likely to happen or just hype? Did any of them do other TV appearances at the time?

ITC was a subsidiary film-making arm of ATV. Cilla Black and Mick Jagger had both worked for ATV. Cilla later starred in a short lived ATV comedy series in the 1970s. Singer Gary Miller acted in Gideon’s Way. And again in The Saint but sadly died from a heart attack halfway through the two-week shoot.

ATV did make some unusual pairings happen.

 

[J. R.'s Piece]

ITC also wanted comedian Dave Allen for the role of Jeff Randall in Randall and Hopkirk Deceased. That show first went out 50 years ago last weekend. They wanted Kenneth More for the part of novelist Roger Comingford in Department S, a part that eventually became Peter Wyngarde’s Jason King. Kenneth More later starred as ATV’s Father Brown and Mike Pratt (Jeff Randall in Randall and Hopkirk Deceased) appeared in an episode as a white-haired American colonel.

 

[Seaviewer]

Mick Jagger infamously came to Australia to star in Ned Kelly in 1970. Otherwise I'm not familiar with his acting credits.