Written by Malcolm Hulke
Directed by Bill Bain
Production completed: 2 August 1963
3.09 - The Undertakers
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Frankymole
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Cathy shows off her skill with a British L1A1 rifle, standard military issue in its day.
But - is it a rare, left-handed model? The rounds from the magazine would eject their used cartridges in her eye if it were a right-handed, usual model. Is Cathy left-handed? I've never noticed her be left-handed before in any episodes.
Maybe I have not been paying attention. Or maybe she is practicing very sophisticated ambidextrous shooting with a rare model of rifle.
But - is it a rare, left-handed model? The rounds from the magazine would eject their used cartridges in her eye if it were a right-handed, usual model. Is Cathy left-handed? I've never noticed her be left-handed before in any episodes.
Maybe I have not been paying attention. Or maybe she is practicing very sophisticated ambidextrous shooting with a rare model of rifle.
Last watched: "Mandrake"
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Frankymole
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A minor update to Piers's location guide: the "big girls" statues are in fact in the grounds of York House at Twickenham - yes it was the Town Hall but its an older and more interesting building than just a municipal town hall. I remember visiting them in the 1990s and also attending a Glenn Miller Orchestra concert there https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Naked_Ladies
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darren
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Re: 3.09 - The Undertakers
I'm torn between a 7/8 for this but went with a 7.
It has an interesting opening scene that works well without any dialogue - a cortege of undertakers silently arrive and their leader apparently shoots the man whose appartment they've entered. It's a pure Avengers set-up of the like that would seem so common place but is original here - so credit to Malcolm Hulke doing a Brian Clemens style Avengers opening before he did himself. It's a fun script - I found myself siding with the villains LOL. The wonderful Lally Bowers as the delightfully batty Mrs. Rentner. Jan Holden is wearing a very unflattering wig (latter to make a strong impression in Dial a Deadly Number).
Cathy wears one of my favourite outfits, that wonderful long elegant dress when adjusting the shotgun. She actually ate Steed's honeyed Bumblebees!
I'm sure Macnee and Blackman have been downing the alcohol whilst the telecine location gun fight was played into the recording.
Bill Bain keeps the energy going on Hulke's script by moving his cameras around a lot. The design work is quite effective.
A solid, fun episode but maybe lacking a truly memorable villain.
It has an interesting opening scene that works well without any dialogue - a cortege of undertakers silently arrive and their leader apparently shoots the man whose appartment they've entered. It's a pure Avengers set-up of the like that would seem so common place but is original here - so credit to Malcolm Hulke doing a Brian Clemens style Avengers opening before he did himself. It's a fun script - I found myself siding with the villains LOL. The wonderful Lally Bowers as the delightfully batty Mrs. Rentner. Jan Holden is wearing a very unflattering wig (latter to make a strong impression in Dial a Deadly Number).
Cathy wears one of my favourite outfits, that wonderful long elegant dress when adjusting the shotgun. She actually ate Steed's honeyed Bumblebees!
I'm sure Macnee and Blackman have been downing the alcohol whilst the telecine location gun fight was played into the recording.
Bill Bain keeps the energy going on Hulke's script by moving his cameras around a lot. The design work is quite effective.
A solid, fun episode but maybe lacking a truly memorable villain.
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Frankymole
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