Angie... Angie

This episode shows that it can be a bad idea to cast a model as an actress. Apparently, that is the case with Kirsten Lindholm. I've since researched her here on IMDb, and she has numerous other credits, not many, but enough to show that she must be able to speak English if she was cast in all those other appearances, yet here she acts exactly like she is either unable to speak in front of a camera or unable to speak English (which is the most likely, given that Olivia Mela also appears herein speaking one line of French) but the result really is kinda weird, making her character kinda lame despite that shampoo commercial hairstyle. A great pity. Well, if I was a director back then, I'd have wanted her in my movie as well, I am not faulting their choice, indeed not, for she is very pretty. But her acting ability? Ooh weeee... She just stands there, suppressing giggles, I can see, she looks like she is going to burst out laughing immediately afterwards. Ma cherie, this be laid down for posterity, parlez vous? Zee little French chickie, she shoulda been taken firmer in hand, non?

Kidding. Funning. I'm not complaining. I'm glad there was a pretty girl in the script. Who wants a Shakespearean actress if you could play around with a blonde French dolly-bird?

Comedian, comic actor and old pal of Tony Curtis, Larry Storch, tackles a surprisingly serious role in a less than frothy episode of "The Persuaders."

Here, Storch is "Angie," an friend of Danny's (Curtis) from the old days. But their romp down memory lane is marred by Angie's new job.

Storch was always a reliably comic supporting presence in movies and hilarious as Corporal Agarn in "F-Troop." And comics often make successful transitions to serious roles. Unfortunately, Storch is simply dull, except when he feels obliged to overact.

Roger Moore, on the other hand, has little to do except empathize with his serious face on.

Overall, a disappointment to anyone, like me, who prefers the sillier episodes.

A superior episode of the prestigious series that brought together superstars Roger Moore and Tony Curtis on the small screen in an often entertaining series offering thrills, spills and more often than not Jill's as I've yet to see an episode without a pretty woman involved somewhere in the action.

To be fair, this one is a bit more of a character piece as Brett and Danny are assigned to protect a senior American trade union boss visiting the Cannes film festival from an anticipated assassination attempt. Oh, and when I said prestigious earlier on, I meant it as you see our heroes on actual location in France - that certainly wouldn't have happened in any of my other favourite ITC shows of the time with lesser stars in the leads.

Anyway, it kicks off when by luck Brett does indeed prevent a first attempt by the killer but elsewhere Danny is surprised to run into an old buddy of his from his New York childhood, Angie but whose glamorous and oddly almost mute girlfriend Brett suspects of being involved in the attempted murder. Danny however won't hear a word against his old mate, as to a backdrop of black and white images of their shared childhood, he lets nostalgia and loyalty cloud his judgement, despite Brett's strong suspicions of Angie's real reason for turning up in such an unlikely place.

As usual, it ends up with a race against time with Danny and Brett in their separate sports cars vrooming to the rescue but not before Danny's illusions are finally shattered in the somewhat predictable downbeat ending.

Yes, I had to smile at the cheesy incidental music, lame fight scenes and the fashion sense of the day - loving the safari jacket, Rog - but helped by the groovy location and the coolly assured performances of Moore and Curtis, this episode was a cut above most of the rest of a series I've enjoyed rewatching of late.