Customer Reviews

Secret Agent AKA Danger Man: Set 5 (Full Screen) [2 Discs]

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Having purchased the four previous sets, it with pleasure that I
could view again eight of the famous episodes with Patrick McGoohan
on the two DVD's of set 5 in crisp black and white pictures. Although in 4 by 3 format I expanded my big screen tv to the wide screen theater mode, and no details are missed. The storylines are not complicated and easy to follow and the opening theme with Johnny Rivers reminds me of my adolescence years. Nice way to spend an evening.

Patrick McGoohan is back as John Drake, the stylish no-nonsense good guy. Sets 4 and 5 of this clever spy show contain some of the best Danger Man episodes of all. Drake himself is a shade more cynical than in the earlier sets, and he is more reluctant than ever to blindly obey his upper-class superiors. Sometimes he seems tired of his job which forces him to live without wife and family and one can feel he is on the brink of resigning. As he is shown to be a chivalrous man, he is genuinely upset when his missions force him to inflict emotional distress on a lady.

The quotation above is from the delightful comedy "Have A Glass Of Wine" from set 3, but there are few as lighthearted episodes in sets 4 and 5. Most of the stories here are serious dramas, with lots of memorable scenes and sometimes tragic endings.

In "To Our Best Friend" Drake has to investigate one of his oldest friends who is suspected of being a double agent. Drake has to find the real traitor and at the same time save his friend from being executed by his own department.
In "The Man On The Beach" Drake's own loyalty is being questioned. The arrogance and cynicism he displays in this episode do not help him in that difficult situation. The episode has two spectacular and brutal fight sequences and memorable scenes with Patrick McGoohan and three leading ladies. Watch out for Drake's powerful scenes with Lady Kilrush and the dramatic ending.
The atmosphere of "The Man Who Wouldn't Talk" is particularly oppressive. Much of the story is set in a hotel room in Sofia - with the Bulgarian secret police closing in on Drake and a colleague of his who has to be rescued from imprisonment and torture.
In "Sting In The Tail" Derren Nesbitt almost steals the acting honours as psychopathic assassin Nourredine. In a chilling, film-noir like scene, two of Nourredine's thugs prepare to beat Drake up with the murderer cynically commenting on the procedure and a record playing Chopin's Nocturnes in the background.
"Someone Is Liable To Get Hurt" shows Drake in a very "Number-Sixish" mood. Part of the episode is set in a spacious villa where Drake is being held captive by a beautiful femme fatale. The situation makes him furious and we can watch him pacing up and down like a caged panther, constantly snapping his fingers and barely able to contain his rage. Patrick McGoohan is always great in scenes like these.

One of my all-time favourite episodes is "Are You Going To Be More Permanent?" which is a companion piece to "You Are Not In Any Trouble, Aren't You?" In both stories Drake obviously breaks his no-romance rule and both have the lovely Susan Hampshire as leading lady. She and Mr. McGoohan have several terrific scenes together and there are moments of intense sensuality between them. In the final scenes, which include some of the finest acting moments in the whole series, Drake's loneliness and disappointment are almost tangible.

"Danger Man" is a unique show. It has clever plots, beautiful filming, haunting music and a charismatic leading man. What further adds to its attraction is the way it captures the political climate of the Sixties which was so different from ours today. Britain still had parts of her empire, some of the episodes show the problems of newly independent countries and the British people left behind in their former colonies and in the Middle Eastern episodes the spirit of the Great Game of the 19th century can still be felt. This spirit of adventure makes the show still highly enjoyable and interesting to watch.

I am struck watching these shows at how different they are from James Bond. I am a Bond fan, but DANGER MAN almost makes Bond movies (especially the recent ones) look silly. In one episode contained in set 5, Drake passes out from blood loss. In another episode he is trying to escape detention and is out on the roof attempting to get a better grip on a rain gutter when it gives way and he falls and breaks his ankle. Drake then spends the balance of the episode forced to use a cane. Can you imagine Bond ever breaking his ankle like that or, for that matter, even breaking a sweat? McGoohan turned down offers to play Bond (twice) and let's all be thankful he did. Danger Man, John Drake, is a real man. And what a great series this is. Let's just hope A&E releases the rest of the episodes (about 8 or 9 more I think). Danger Man Tip: One thing I like to do is have a good supply of beverages on hand (I like rum and Coke) when watching DANGER MAN because people offer Drake an average of 5 drinks per episode, and it makes me pretty darn thirsty!