Interpol Calling Episode 1: The Thirteen Innocents

Interpol is following an opium drug trafficking racket in Europe that appears to originate in Turkey. Inspector Duval makes his way to Istanbul to see if the authorities have any leads on the mastermind of these shipments. The lead suspect is a cautious import/export trader who has reason to divert Interpol’s scrutiny from his fleet of street vendors. Duval quickly follows the trail of the crime before it flies away.

Personal Synopsis

“Crime knows no frontiers” is our introduction to the 1959 television series Interpol Calling. We meet Inspector Duval, played by Charles Korvin, from Interpol as he investigates a drug trafficking ring that uses an old, even ancient method in delivering the goods to a hungry European drug market. So far, the international police angle suggests there will be a lot of exotic locations with crimes that cross over borders. Duval’s charisma is still yet to be shown to a full degree but he fits physically in the class of law enforcement. His steady colleague at Interpol is Inspector Mornay, played by Edwin Richfield, is a known ITC character actor who will continue to play in ITC shows for the next few decades. An un-arousing start to the series but the international location footage leaves me hopeful.

Original Air-Date: August 19th 1959

Directed by C.M. Pennington-Richards
Written by David T. Chantler