There seems to be a scene missing on the Optimum DVD. After Franks visits Linda in her dad's sweet shop, Steed enters and asks for some black Russian cigarettes, then they have an exchange about Franks and Linda says he is just a friend. Steed says that if she changes her mind, he's staying at the Glendower Arms. This is entirely missing from the DVD, which instead goes straight from Franks' threat about needing to be alive to enjoy the money* and use her beauty and talents, to Cathy and Graham outside the Control Room.
Is this missing scene on any earlier releases, or was it cut before transmission?
Weird to see June Murphy playing another Maggie after being in the sea-base episodes of Dr Who, playing Maggie... in "Fury From the Deep" in 1968. She was also a naval officer herself in "The Sea Devils" in 1972, on a land-based HMS station.
I wonder what happened to her? The BBC have been unable to trace her for residuals. Her final acting credit was in 1976, on The Mike Reid Show, four years after her final drama appearance.
* a bit of a liberty. The cheapskate's only got her to £80 and Maggie in the pub has already got £60-odd without needing to be a traitor.
"46:41 - a crew member crosses the back of the set, visible through the open door of the control room." To me, it looks like Steed getting into position to ambush Franks. Looks far too well-dressed for a crew man! I'd expect them to be in shirtsleeves not a jacket, and the clothes do resemble Steed's in the following scene.
Posted: Sat Sep 04, 2021 8:44 am
by darren
I wasn't aware of the missing scene.
I know that there was a pre-recorded scene when the suspected junior officer is pronounced innocent but they left it out as the episode was overrunning. Maybe the scene is the shop was excised due to the overrun too.
I've only ever seen the episode on dvd so don't know if it was previously released with more material (my familiarity with Conspiracy of Silence - plus following with the script - made me notice the bit that was missing on the first disc pressing).
It wasn't until looking at the credits that I realised it was June Murphy - I couldn't place her. Yeah, it's interesting that these people just fall off the radar - she's owed a lot of royalty apparently.
Posted: Sat Sep 04, 2021 9:19 am
by Frankymole
darren wrote:I wasn't aware of the missing scene.
I know that there was a pre-recorded scene when the suspected junior officer is pronounced innocent but they left it out as the episode was overrunning. Maybe the scene is the shop was excised due to the overrun too.
Piers's site says "31:38 - the original script has Steed enter the shop after Franks threatens to kill Linda, but it was dropped and we cut straight to Cathy and Graham in the lab." Though it is on the camera script, which is pretty late on in the process, so who knows when it got excised - it might have been dropped just before recording.
Posted: Sat Sep 04, 2021 12:42 pm
by Frankymole
William Gaunt is brilliant in this, he really stands out from pretty much all the guest actors in previous episodes and is clearly leading-man material. It's a crime he didn't get the lead in a series until "The Champions". And was doomed to sitcom hell in the 1980s (though I quite enjoy "No Place Like Home", at least before Martin Clunes was recast. But it's hardly making best use of Gaunt's talents as a natural screen actor).
Re: 2.14 - Traitor in Zebra
Posted: Sun Jun 11, 2023 4:36 pm
by Frankymole
Talking of William Gaunt, there's a chance to meet him at the next Talking Pictures TV event:
