The Persuaders! Take 50

To celebrate 50 years of this much-loved cult ITC series in style, Network have just released this wonderful 5-disc Blu-ray set containing eight ‘movies’ starring Tony Curtis and Roger Moore in action, plus lots of other surprises including interviews, trailers and a brand-new 140-page book.

With its sure-fire formula of action, adventure, comedy and exotic locations (plus John Barry’s instantly recognisable theme music) plus the explosive on-screen chemistry between Roger Moore and Tony Curtis (apparently even more explosive off-screen…) the series, which ran from 1971 to 1972 and boasts 24 episodes in total, was bound to be a winner from the outset. That said, it became more successful in France, Spain, Germany and even Australia than in the UK and the USA. Another inspired move by the producers was the idea to cast Roger Moore in the part of aristocratic millionaire playboy Lord Brett Sinclair – a well-polished English toff – with Tony Curtis as self-styled American millionaire playboy Danny Wilde, a rather unpolished gem originally from New York’s Bronx who, after enlisting in the US Navy to escape a life in the slums, advanced to millionaire status in the oil business with fortunes made and lost on Wall Street. The fact that Curtis himself grew up in the tough environment of the Bronx made his character Danny Wilde all the more believable, in addition, his brash and in-your-face American demeanour more often than not stands in total contrast with Lord Sinclair’s impeccable manners, leading to constant bickering and a never-ending source of amusement for the viewer. However, despite their differences both men enjoy a globetrotting millionaire lifestyle with pretty women on each arm and as much champagne as us mere mortals might consume tea or coffee.

The eight ‘movies’ included in this set were put together around 1974 though it should be pointed out that despite their individual titles these are not made-for TV movies in a strict sense, in fact, each movie is comprised of two episodes with no coherent plot. In other words, the stories are separate ones and the only ‘seamless’ aspect is the fact that the first episodes don’t have any end credits whereas the second episodes don’t have any opening credits! Why it was done like that, god knows – as far as the ‘movie’ aspect is concerned it doesn’t really work but if you can see beyond this bizarre decision than these films offer plenty of entertainment nonetheless! With eight ‘movies’ (speak: 16 episodes) it isn’t possible to go into every single detail so let’s concentrate on just a few.

Disc 1 offers two ‘movies’ titled THE PERSUADERS! and MISSION: MONTE CARLO and consists of the episodes ‘Overture’ and ‘Five Miles to Midnight’. ‘Overture’ is aptly titled as it was indeed the opening episode which introduced the characters of Lord Brett Sinclair and Danny Wilde to the viewers by means of Judge Fulton (Laurence Naismith) who wishes to ‘recruit’ two very special individuals clever and witty enough to take on the baddies of this world, especially those which Fulton had unsuccessfully tried to convict of their crimes. This first episode takes place among the jet set in Monte Carlo and Brett and Danny are busy demolishing a hotel bar after a heated argument as to whether the cocktail ‘Creole Scream’ should have one or two olives as garnish. When the police van arrives to take them to the local prison they arrive at a private mansion instead – inhabited by the aforementioned Judge Fulton who, after some research, came to the conclusion that Brett and Danny combined make a very potent combination akin to Nitro and Glycerin! When confronted with the option of either 90 days in prison or accepting their first case the two playboys opt for the latter though Judge Fulton still lectures them pointing out how these two debonair gentlemen are leading a wasted and vacuous existence when they could be putting their combined talents to a better use… The ensuing first case brings them into contact with an exotic beauty who is the link to a crime syndicate although old fox Fulton really just wants to see how Brett and Danny fare in their first outing as ‘crime fighters’ before we find ourselves in Rome for the second episode ‘Five Miles to Midnight’. Totally different plot, totally different actors and no connection to ‘Overture’ whatsoever – this formula repeats itself in the other films. Female star Joan Collins remembers the friction on set for ‘Five Minutes to Midnight’ not just because Curtis and Moore didn’t always see eye to eye but Curtis was apparently stoned out of his skull most of the time whilst calling Collins a ‘c**t’. Who needs a coherent plotline with all these fascinating anecdotes!
MISSION: MONTE CARLO is comprised of the episodes 'Powerswitch' and 'The Gold Napoleon' starring Susan George as the niece of a jeweller marked for death upon discovering something that brings her in mortal danger.

Disc 2 offers the movies LONDON CONSPIRACY and SPORTING CHANCE. The first film contains the episodes ‘Greensleeves’ and ‘A Home of One’s Own’. In the first adventure Brett must pose as a downtrodden out-of-work actor in order to impersonate… himself when, unbeknownst to him, ancestor Lord Sinclair’s old and deserted manor is suddenly restored, but why? Add Danny posing as a Hungarian butler and you know the humour is going to be as thick as the intrigue! In ‘A Home of One’s Own’ Danny has no idea what he is letting himself in for when he decides to buy and renovate an old ramshackle cottage in the countryside which, unbeknownst to him, is being used by forgers posing as Satanists. Meanwhile, Special Detective Lucy Scott (Hannah Gordon, the second Mrs. Bellamy in UPSTAIRS, DOWNSTAIRS) intrigues Brett who would like to find out why she continues observe the cottage without letting on as to why…
The second movie is SPORTING CHANCE comprised of the episodes ‘Someone Waiting’ (featuring Lois ‘Miss Moneypenny’ Maxwell who doesn’t have a scene with Moore) and ‘Anyone Can Play’.

This brings us to Disc 3 and the movies THE SWITCH and THE LAST APPOINTMENT. The Switch contains the two episodes ‘Angie, Angie’ and ‘The Ozerov Inheritance’. In ‘Angie, Angie’ Danny bumps into an old childhood friend from his poor days back in the Bronx, unaware that his former best buddy is now a hitman! In the second episode, impoverished Grand Duchess Ozerov (Gladys Cooper) asks the good Lord Sinclair to help her save some precious family jewels, not an easy task given the fact the Duchess’ scheming nephew Sergei (Gary Raymond) has his own agenda in getting his own hands on the bling.
THE LAST APPOINTMENT features the two episodes ‘The Man in the Middle’ and ‘To the Death, Baby’. In the first adventure it’s Brett’s bumbling cousin Archie (Terry-Thomas) who must come to the rescue when Brett and Danny get on the wrong side of MI5 agent Kay (Suzy Kendall) and in the second adventure heiress Shirley Masterton (Jennie Linden) appears to be the target of conman Carl Foster (Terence Morgan) but things are not as they seem…

Last but not least, Disc 4 offers the movies DEATH BECOMES ME and THE MASQUERADERS, with the first film split into two episodes ‘Someone Like Me’ and ‘A Death in the Family’ and the second film also split into two episodes ‘Element of Risk’ and ‘That’s Me Over There’. ‘Someone Like Me’ is particularly exciting and sees Brett abducted with an operation planned to create his ‘double’… a double who assassinates upon command. Of course, Roger Moore had played a doppelgänger before in the excellent 1970 mystery thriller THE MAN WHO HAUNTED HIMSELF. And in ‘Element of Risk’ Danny is mistaken for a criminal mastermind whose confederate Mitchell (the late Peter Bowles) is planning an elaborate gold heist. Can Danny foil the plan without putting his own life at risk?
With its string of high profile guest stars (Patrick Throughton, Denholm Elliott, Kate O’Mara and Sinéad Cusack to name but a few) and its top notch directors such as Basil Dearden, Roy Ward Baker, Leslie Norman and Sidney Hayers (Roger Moore himself actually directed two episodes during the series run) THE PERSUADERS! remains one of the best-loved series from the golden age of TV.

If you still crave for more than don’t worry: Disc 5 will take you back to the 40th Anniversary Event featuring a Q&A with R. Moore and Barry Norman, plus trailers, a candid interview with Tony Curtis from 2006, the 1971 episodes ‘Overture’ and ‘Greensleeves’ complete with commercial breaks, plus a 140-page booklet.
A very potent combination indeed!