Position of Trust

Interesting plot similarities with one segment of the excellent feature film "The Mask of Dimitrios" (1944), the characters Captain Aldrich and Karel Bulic receiving rather similar treatment.

The cast in this episode of "Danger Man" ("Position of Trust") is very, very interesting. Two who would have major roles in the James Bond franchise make their appearances here first. Lois Maxwell ('Moneypenny') assists Drake (Patrick McGoohan) in this show and, unwillingly at first, so does a character played by Donald Pleasence ('Blofeld' from "You Only Live Twice").

John Drake has been sent to a very unfriendly nation--unfriendly because they are apparently exporting opium. His job is to find out who and how it's being done. So, he goes to the weakest known link in this racket--an English expatriate (Pleasance) who has a severe gambling problem. With the help of Sandi Lewis (Maxwell), they set the man up--and giving him little choice but to cooperate.

This is a very good episode. While not among the best of the series, it was delicious to watch Drake set up this evil little rat. Well worth seeing, if a bit short.

The subject is international drug smuggling and the effects it has on young people, but an excellent script by Jo Eisenger (famous for such classic screenplays "Gilda" and "Night and the City") takes a different tack: sharp dialogue, very well-designed plot twists (presaging "Mission: Impossible") rather than action scenes or violence.

Pat's character is even more authoritative than usual, always in control of the situation and far more creative than his evil foes. Donald Pleasence, underplaying perfectly as a British/Indian government functionary crucial to Pat's plan is manipulated by our hero, yet actually helped out in a surprise way.

Segment serves as a successful audition for Lois Maxwell -terrifically smart, snappy and efficient as Pat's right-hand helper, two years before she became immortalized as Miss Moneypenny in Ian Fleming's "Dr. No".

Just a terrific episode.

I don't want to give any spoilers away, just to say that this is an excellent episode! As the trivia section mentions, it has 4 James Bond links to it with, Donald Pleasence (Blofeld), Martin Benson (Mr. Solo), Lois Maxwell (Miss Moneypenny) and of course Patrick McGoohan who turned down the Bond role. I actually mistook this for another later made Danger Man 1 hour episode called A Man to be Trusted and watched that one first and followed it with this episode from the first season with the shorter episodes. Two different Drakes for sure! This one is great because Drake seems out of his normal do little wrong persona. 9 out of 10 for me. I wish to convey the story of how I got here today in 2024. I have been watching a lot of actor Donald Pleasence's work lately and remembered him being in a Danger Man before and remembered the title had the word "Trust" in it. After a YT search, I jumped on A Man to Be Trusted although I vaguely remembered it was only a 30 minute episode, not 1 hour, I figured I was mistaken. So about a few minutes in I realize it's not the Donald Pleasence episode, but was hooked anyway. That one I gave an 8 out of 10, check it out, the Danger Man whodunnit with Voodoo episode! I decided I must watch the Position of Trust Episode next and did, great entertainment! Awesome to rewatch too because I didn't remember the drug angle, which is more relevant then ever.

A good early episode with Donald Pleasence and Lois Maxwell (aka: Moneypenny). It was fun to see the quiet and restrained Pleasence together and caged-rage suave spy McGoohan together, and I dare say what the former lacked in hair (he has a small hairpiece in this episode) he made up for with his blue eyes, arguably even more impressive than McGoohan's! Good chemistry between Drake and "the dame", who is one of the stronger female characters of the series so far.

The only thing about this episode that I had issue with, and it isn't the script's fault, is trying to follow Drake's accent. McGoohan was an Irishman living in England trying to sound like an American spy trying to sound British!

But that doesn't matter... his tuxedos make up for that... ;-)