This is one of the most enjoyable episodes of the entire 3 year run of the series as it captures all the elements that makes I Spy one of the best comedy-drama shows ever. The clever plot has it all, drama, intrigue, subterfuge, humor, great Hong Kong location scenes, the usual beating up of Kelly and Robinson and unexpected plot twists.
This episode has an outstanding guest appearance by veteran character actor Marcel Hillaire, a German born Jew who specialized in portraying French characters. For this episode Marcel plays the bumbling agent Maximilian de Brouget, surely based on Maxwell Smart-Agent 86 which began its run in the same season I Spy did. Marcel steals this installment from the beginning to its conclusion and his character is riveting.
In the opening bar scene, the background music heard is "Harlem Nocturne" which was composed by Earle Hagen who was also the music director for the entire series and wrote the theme song as well. "Harlem Nocturne" was written in 1947 by Hagen and its considered his biggest hit and most famous composition outside of his many TV theme songs, a bluesy jazz song recorded over 200 times.
There's a small goof in the episode, when a boat taken by Kelly, Robinson and Maximilian begins to sink as they leave the dock, the fellows are forced to swim to shore and are soaking wet, yet a few seconds later when they jump onto another boat, all 3 are dry as a bone.
This episode has an outstanding guest appearance by veteran character actor Marcel Hillaire, a German born Jew who specialized in portraying French characters. For this episode Marcel plays the bumbling agent Maximilian de Brouget, surely based on Maxwell Smart-Agent 86 which began its run in the same season I Spy did. Marcel steals this installment from the beginning to its conclusion and his character is riveting.
In the opening bar scene, the background music heard is "Harlem Nocturne" which was composed by Earle Hagen who was also the music director for the entire series and wrote the theme song as well. "Harlem Nocturne" was written in 1947 by Hagen and its considered his biggest hit and most famous composition outside of his many TV theme songs, a bluesy jazz song recorded over 200 times.
There's a small goof in the episode, when a boat taken by Kelly, Robinson and Maximilian begins to sink as they leave the dock, the fellows are forced to swim to shore and are soaking wet, yet a few seconds later when they jump onto another boat, all 3 are dry as a bone.