My favourite 'Man In A Suitcase' episode ( sorry, Rodney Marshall, but it is. Hard luck! ),
Oceanographer 'Brian Dalby' ( Vincent Ball ) walks away from his job - missing an important board meeting - and taking with him a confidential report into the viability of commercial deep-sea farming in the Adriatic. He flies to Greece where he tries to sell the report to foreign powers. McGill is sent by 'Sir Eric Coulsdon' ( the late Basil Dignam ) to persuade him to return. Along with American agent 'Packard' ( Rex Everhart ), Dalby is making mysterious trips into the Adriatic in a power boat. When McGill looks round the vessel, he is attacked and thrown overboard, nearly drowning. He is saved by Dalby. His theft of the report was a cover for a much bigger operation. The Chinese want to build a secret submarine base in the Adriatic, and an scientist named 'Leros' ( Howard Goorney ) has obtained the plans, and passes them on to Packard. Dalby is there to verify the information's authenticity. But the men have underestimated the scale of the opposition - lurking in the area is sinister Albanian agent 'Rudnik' ( the late Peter Arne )...
Wilfred Greatorex's script has a 'Danger Man' feel to it in that it effectively removes the glamour from espionage. There are no women in this episode ( apart from Dalby's secretary, seen fleetingly at the start ). Everyone's motives are suspect and no-one can be trusted. Even McGill is never quite sure what is going on, and the best he can do is to stay alive.
Vincent Ball is an Australian actor who lived in Britain in the '60's, appearing in amongst other things 'Carry On Cruising'. Peter Arne was a familiar British supporting actor, who made headlines when he was murdered in 1982. Ed Bishop, later to star as 'Commander Ed Straker' in Gerry Anderson's 'U. F. O.', has a small role as an American agent.
Don Chaffey directed more 'Danger Man' episodes than anyone else, and also worked on 'The Prisoner'. This was his only 'Suitcase' outing.
It is the ending which gives the episode much of its impact. Mac escapes from Greece with the plans, and, back in London, asks a C. I. A. Agent what he intends doing about Packard and Dalby ( both were captured and shipped to Albania to stand trial ). "Plainly, McGill, we never heard of them!", he snaps. The callous abandonment of these men by their own side leads one to conclude that being forced out of American Intelligence was in fact a blessing in disguise for McGill.
Oceanographer 'Brian Dalby' ( Vincent Ball ) walks away from his job - missing an important board meeting - and taking with him a confidential report into the viability of commercial deep-sea farming in the Adriatic. He flies to Greece where he tries to sell the report to foreign powers. McGill is sent by 'Sir Eric Coulsdon' ( the late Basil Dignam ) to persuade him to return. Along with American agent 'Packard' ( Rex Everhart ), Dalby is making mysterious trips into the Adriatic in a power boat. When McGill looks round the vessel, he is attacked and thrown overboard, nearly drowning. He is saved by Dalby. His theft of the report was a cover for a much bigger operation. The Chinese want to build a secret submarine base in the Adriatic, and an scientist named 'Leros' ( Howard Goorney ) has obtained the plans, and passes them on to Packard. Dalby is there to verify the information's authenticity. But the men have underestimated the scale of the opposition - lurking in the area is sinister Albanian agent 'Rudnik' ( the late Peter Arne )...
Wilfred Greatorex's script has a 'Danger Man' feel to it in that it effectively removes the glamour from espionage. There are no women in this episode ( apart from Dalby's secretary, seen fleetingly at the start ). Everyone's motives are suspect and no-one can be trusted. Even McGill is never quite sure what is going on, and the best he can do is to stay alive.
Vincent Ball is an Australian actor who lived in Britain in the '60's, appearing in amongst other things 'Carry On Cruising'. Peter Arne was a familiar British supporting actor, who made headlines when he was murdered in 1982. Ed Bishop, later to star as 'Commander Ed Straker' in Gerry Anderson's 'U. F. O.', has a small role as an American agent.
Don Chaffey directed more 'Danger Man' episodes than anyone else, and also worked on 'The Prisoner'. This was his only 'Suitcase' outing.
It is the ending which gives the episode much of its impact. Mac escapes from Greece with the plans, and, back in London, asks a C. I. A. Agent what he intends doing about Packard and Dalby ( both were captured and shipped to Albania to stand trial ). "Plainly, McGill, we never heard of them!", he snaps. The callous abandonment of these men by their own side leads one to conclude that being forced out of American Intelligence was in fact a blessing in disguise for McGill.