User Reviews

By my -completely unofficial- count, this is the 8th true spy gadget we've seen thus far between the two 1/2 hour and 1 hour Danger Man series. What is it? It's a radio transceiver with a remote bug.

The radio is seen only in this installment, but the little bug that one can stick under a nearby piece of furniture will be seen in several upcoming episodes.

One of the interesting features of the transceiver, by the way, is that while it is able to relay the conversations picked up by the bug, when Drake goes to use it to contact headquarters for a pickup, the device seems restricted to old fashion More code. That's the 60s for you.

Gueststar wise, this episode has a couple of noteworthy entrées; Georgina Ward plays Diana, a somewhat minor role in this installment. Georgina returns however in 'The Black Book', and plays a pivotal character. She looks great in her subsequent appearance, and I believe John Drake comes closer to falling for her than possibly any other female he encounters.

Georgina's voice is remarkably similar to Diana Rigg, don't you think?

Character actor Zia Mohyeddin plays an Indian (or Pakistani) assassin in this show. Zia has the distinction of guest starring FIVE times across the 1/2 hour and 1 hours series. That count ties with Burt Kwouk (Kato from the Pink Panther movies), and is exceeded only by Warren Mitchell who turned in six Danger Man's.

Funny thing about Zia's performance in this episode is that he gets off a line that really stuck in my mind... while showing off a "special" tie to Drake that doubles as a method of chocking someone to death, his character jokes -with a smirk and a heavy Indian accent- "It is not of an unattractive pattern?" OK, you have to see him utter the line to appreciate the humor, but the reason I mention this is that the line must have affected others because he repeats the statement word for word during his appearance in "The Mercenaries'.

We've also see Lee Montague before (plays Major Latour) in the 1/2 hour episode 'The Honeymooners'. He does a pretty bad impersonation of an oriental there.

There are one or two more repeat offenders in this episode, but the performances of the above folks impressed me the most.

This episode begins with a prisoner being approached by Drake. It seems that someone wants this soon to be released prisoner to do some sort of illegal job--but exactly what is uncertain. So, Drake (who, incidentally, looks NOTHING LIKE THE PRISONER) agrees to take his place and infiltrate.

Eventually, Drake and four others arrive at a really nice estate. There they learn that 'The Order' is an organization with strong fascist/nationalistic leanings--a secret group within the UK and possibly throughout the world. As for the five new hires, their jobs are to be assassins and eliminate folks who The Order thinks are threats to the West.

The show's concept is exceptional and I really appreciated the idea of a far-right organization secretly swaying politics. However, the show did have a couple shortcomings. I mentioned that Drake looked nothing like the guy he was replacing. The other problem was the ending--it was just too simple and easy. Still, a fascinating show regardless.

Drake poses as a recently released convict to infiltrate fanatical group of assassins.

Such Men Are Dangerous is one of the weakest episodes of the first series. It takes a pretty standard action show plot (the Murder Inc. cliché) and transfers it to the screen without much originality.

The characters are written well, with John Cairney and Georgia Ward giving their characters personality despite limited screen time. Alan Wheatley (the Sheriff of Nottingham from the Richard Greene Robin Hood series) is wasted in a brief role.

Zia Mohyeddin appears briefly as an Indian teaching people how to kill someone with neckties. It's the most entertaining part of the episode, mainly due to the hilariously fake mustache Mohyeddin has.

The plot has some inconsistencies, such as why the assassins wouldn't have a picture of the man Drake impersonates. Overall, good fun, but not particularly original.