Peter Diamond - Peter-Spotting Card #37


Peter-Spotting Card #37
	______________________________ ______________________________	1966 DANGER MAN: TWO BIRDS WITH ONE BULLET ITC / 50 min episode directed by Peter Yates starring Patrick McGoohan, Paul Curran, Geoffrey Keen, Lelia Goldoni _______________________________________ Patrick McGoohan is secret agent John Drake, the erstwhile danger man, covert defender of national and global security... In his first series(1960-1962), Drake worked covertly for NATO. But he was quietly moved to a new organization, M9 in London, for series two, three and four (1964-1968). This episode is identified as being episode 80 or Series 3, episode 19. It first aired on 10th March 1966. A daring plot is afoot in a British colony. A fanatical political party is going to assassinate its own candidate in order to discredit the Brits. So M9 send in Drake to protect the man and expose the would-be perpetrators. Peter has two contracts for this particular episode. Firstly, he was hired as the stunt double for Paul Curren (Dr Shargis). The contract ran for three days, days, starting 29th December 1965. Peter's doubling for Shargis in the passenger seat of Drake's runaway car 16mins in to the episode. Look for him in the long shots and reverse angles. There's really no mistaking him on the right of the screen in some of those interior shots! As for Peter's second contract, well, that was a bit more "in your face"... _______________________________________ "Dr Shargis, as always, you are an inspiration to our young men!" Peter plays a rather fantatical TRAINEE. He was contracted for one day's work, on 3rd January 1966. He first appears around 12.5mins in to the episode. If you look closely, you'll glimpse him sparring in the background as Drake and Chargris converse. Keep watching, anyway, and we build to his big reveal at the 13.5mins mark... "You shall see the art of swift political retaliation against an enemy of my people!" Dr Shargis makes his declarataion and a revolving dummy is set in motion... Aldo checks his watch... And now here's Peter, ducking behind some packing crates, with a knife in his hand. He pulls a menacing sneer... And charges, screaming, at the camera! At the last moment, we switch to reveal him savagely attacking the dummy. He stabs it two or three times before rushing off and scaling a gym obstacle in the background, in double-quick time. Aldo stops his watch. Peter's ferocious assault has only taken six seconds. It's a brief scene, for sure, but that screaming charge towards the camera is quite unforgettable! _______________________________________ Did you know? • Patrick McGoohan became The Prisoner, two years later, and Peter joined him in The Village (card #17) • Aldo is played by Richard O'Sullivan He went on to star as Dick Turpin, and Peter supervised all of the action on the first series.