An Italian circus clown-- who as a "kid" joined the Mafia 15 years earlier-- is coerced into murdering someone. His target happens to be John Steed-- who is currently involved in trying to break up a drug-smuggling pipeline to America. When the hit fails, Steed has Cathy pose as a journalist who's doing a piece on small, independant circuses, to try to track down the now-missing Carlo, hoping he can lead Steed to his employers.
The initial premise of this story reminded me of Brian Clemens' "House Of Cards", in that you had Russian agents living their normal lives in England for many years before suddenly being called into service, at a point where they'd hoped they'd long since put such things behind them.
I've seen many TV series do stories set at small circuses, and this was the 2nd time THE AVENGERS did one. Funny enough, both times Steed takes a back-seat to his partner, though not as much here as he did in "Girl On A Trapeze" in season 1. We get an extended scene of Steed walking his Italian grayhound Sheba, his consulting with a talent agent, and finally his coming to the circus at the invitation of the killer.
We get to see the really warm, friendly side of Cathy in this story for the most part. The only really intense moments are when the extreme difference of opinion on Steed's attitude and methods come up. At the climax, there's a moment where she thinks he may have been killed. When she finds out he's alive, he takes too much delight in thinking she really cared, but, still annoyed at him, she refuses to admit it.
A rather large ensembe cast is topped off by Robert Rietty as "Carlo", the clown who's coerced into committing a cold-blooded murder, then goes into hiding when he fails to do so. For most of his career, Rietty specialized in voice-dubbing (including such films as DR. NO, THUNDERBALL, YOU ONLY LIVE TWICE and FOR YOUR EYES ONLY), so seeing him onscreen (though in disguise for a huge chunk of it) is akin to seeing Paul Frees in THE THING FROM ANOTHER WORLD or WAR OF THE WORLDS.
Alec Mango is "Sica", the main villain of the piece, who's not above using physical abuse to get information out of Carlo's concerned wife. I thought that sinister face looked familiar, and sure enough, I've seen him in a DANGER MAN, 3 SAINTs, another AVENGERS, FRANKENSTEIN CREATED WOMAN, but most memorably, as the Princess' father who threatens to wage all-out war on his neighboring kingdom when something bad happens to his daughter (that they had nothing to do with!) in THE 7th VOYAGE OF SINBAD.
The picture quality on the 2009 Region 2 DVD was excellent; however, the sound was so harsh, I had trouble making out a LOT of the dialogue. (I'd have to check to see if my old 90s tape recorded off A&E was this bad or not.)
The initial premise of this story reminded me of Brian Clemens' "House Of Cards", in that you had Russian agents living their normal lives in England for many years before suddenly being called into service, at a point where they'd hoped they'd long since put such things behind them.
I've seen many TV series do stories set at small circuses, and this was the 2nd time THE AVENGERS did one. Funny enough, both times Steed takes a back-seat to his partner, though not as much here as he did in "Girl On A Trapeze" in season 1. We get an extended scene of Steed walking his Italian grayhound Sheba, his consulting with a talent agent, and finally his coming to the circus at the invitation of the killer.
We get to see the really warm, friendly side of Cathy in this story for the most part. The only really intense moments are when the extreme difference of opinion on Steed's attitude and methods come up. At the climax, there's a moment where she thinks he may have been killed. When she finds out he's alive, he takes too much delight in thinking she really cared, but, still annoyed at him, she refuses to admit it.
A rather large ensembe cast is topped off by Robert Rietty as "Carlo", the clown who's coerced into committing a cold-blooded murder, then goes into hiding when he fails to do so. For most of his career, Rietty specialized in voice-dubbing (including such films as DR. NO, THUNDERBALL, YOU ONLY LIVE TWICE and FOR YOUR EYES ONLY), so seeing him onscreen (though in disguise for a huge chunk of it) is akin to seeing Paul Frees in THE THING FROM ANOTHER WORLD or WAR OF THE WORLDS.
Alec Mango is "Sica", the main villain of the piece, who's not above using physical abuse to get information out of Carlo's concerned wife. I thought that sinister face looked familiar, and sure enough, I've seen him in a DANGER MAN, 3 SAINTs, another AVENGERS, FRANKENSTEIN CREATED WOMAN, but most memorably, as the Princess' father who threatens to wage all-out war on his neighboring kingdom when something bad happens to his daughter (that they had nothing to do with!) in THE 7th VOYAGE OF SINBAD.
The picture quality on the 2009 Region 2 DVD was excellent; however, the sound was so harsh, I had trouble making out a LOT of the dialogue. (I'd have to check to see if my old 90s tape recorded off A&E was this bad or not.)
