The Battle of the Cameras

I've been tracking spy gadgets as they appear in both the 1/2 hour and 1 hour version of Danger Man. We saw two bonafide gadgets introduced in the first series; a camera hidden at the bottom of a whiskey flask (allowing Drake to take a picture along with a swig), and a cigarette lighter doing double duty as a radio receiver ('The Blue Veil' and 'The Brothers')

So far in the 1 hour series we've seen an electric razor doubling as a radio transmitter in 'Colony 3'. In this episode we see Drake using an alarm clock with a camera lens in the very center of the hands, which he uses to photograph anyone who enters his room while he's out.

Given the title of this episode, a hidden clock camera seems apropos. And it's arguable that this spy gadget aids Drake in besting the (evil) villain, as it ties the intruder he captures on film to that same (evil) villain he is tracking.

By the way - some other reviews here speculate about why this episode was the 8th Danger Man presented in Britain during the show's first run, yet it is the first episode on the A&E DVDs released in America. I believe reviewer Shadegrenade has it right. The A&E DVDs reflect the order the episodes aired in America.

But why did the American release alter the order? Simple. American taste. Danger Man made it to America on the wave of interest in spy stories forged by the Bond films, so the program was tailored to leverage that interest. The show was renamed 'Secret Agent', and thus the most Bond-like episode was aired first. 'Battle of the Cameras', with John Drake in a white tux, hanging out at a casino, going up against a disfigured super-villain was Secret Agent at its most Bondish.

(For those who may not know, Patrick McGoohan was offered the role of James Bond before Connery. McGoohan turned it down. Perfect, because we the audience were delivered two exciting franchises, with Secret Agent being the thinking person's version of James Bond.

I'm quite impressed with the vast improvement of the series in hour form after its original 1/2 hour format.

Pat is pleasingly debonair throughout, fitting the slightly over the top character of a shallow gambler, and the Riviera atmosphere is quite convincing. But most important is the pacing, no longer rushed and breathless but rather serene, giving the characters and plot a chance to develop.

Dawn Addams is a delightful anti-heroine, appealing but quietly dangerous. And Niall MacGinnis is a wonderfully lowkey villain, a role Anthony Hopkins could have hit out of the park when he got older. The details of spycraft are nicely developed, and director Don Chaffey puts the show together with assurance.

Only defect is one I associate with low-budget projects: in a couple of scenes, one at the casino bar, there's a "whooshing" white sound in the background, as if extraneous noise needed to be overcome in post-production. It was extremely distracting.

Drake is ordered to infiltrate a organization that specializes in stealing top-secret documents.

The Battle of the Cameras is an excellent episode. Patrick McGoohan is fantastic, and Dawn Addams is great as the dubious Martine. There's a good supporting performance by Patrick Newell as a bumbling agent.

Although IMDb lists "The Battle of the Cameras" as the eighth episode of "The Secret Agent", it comes first on the DVDs from A&E Video. This could be a mistake by IMDb but I strongly suspect it's because A&E made the mistake. This is because I've watched other series by them and they showed complete indifference about presenting the shows in the proper order!

When some secret documents are stolen, it fits a pattern that might indicate that some sort of organization is behind it. John Drake's investigations lead to a Mr. Kent--the head of this group who steals secrets and sells them to the highest bidder. However, to learn more about them, Drake needs to investigate further...by infiltrating the gang and posing as a talented guy who is willing to join them.

This is a very good episode and demonstrates how "Secret Agent" was better than the earlier series "Danger Man". This is because the earlier series about John Drake was only 1/2 hour long and stories felt rushed. This one, in contrast, works very well with the longer format--providing some nice thrills and plot twists. My only complaint is about Kent--his costume is a bit silly and was apparently copied by "Star Trek" in "The Conscience of a King"!