Man of the World Season 2 Episode 4: Jungle Mission

Deep in the amazon jungle, Strait is there, being escorted by the military, to report on a rebel leader, Padron. He finds a mission run by an order of nuns that are trying to bridge understanding between the local tribes and the “white people”. The chiefs son of one of the most violent tribes has been bitten by a deadly snake and after all efforts by the witch doctor have failed, the chief brings his son to the mission. Now the danger is great for everyone if the nuns cannot bring back the chiefs son to health. All while, the military remains focused on capturing the rebel Padron overlooking the danger that is drawing closer in the jungle. 

Personal Synopsis

Jungle Mission gives us two storylines that merge into the finale. This episode follows Straits journey into the jungle where dangers abound. The military is on the search for revolutionaries and the relations with the tribe people is being perilously tested. The glimpse of hope is the mission run by the Mother Superior whose compassion overrides the frivolous aggression around her. Strait plays the intermediary between the soldier and the revolutionaries all while supporting the efforts by the nuns.   

Original Air-Date: June 1st 1963

Directed by Harry Booth

Written by Lindsay Galloway

Michael Strait – Craig Stevens

Perez – Paul Maxwell

Mother Superior – Noelle Middleton

Padron – Alexander Davion

Luis – George Eugeniou

Garcia – Alan Rowe

Acquilina – Isobel Black

Ananga – Leo Carera

Simon – Frank Singuineau

Miguel – Ricardo Montez

Auleau – Tony Cyrus

Pilot – Kenneth Farrington

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Man of the World Season 2 Episode 3: Double Exposure

It is rumoured a military leader has been dead for some time, in his place an impersonator. Strait is sent to confirm or dispel that rumour. As a standin chauffeur for a visiting wealthy old lady, Straight gets entangled with the Chief of Police and his ever watching comrades. 

Personal Synopsis

Strait is again in trouble due to his camera. In this case, his film could potentially uncover a military secret and further undermine the governments power. Though this premise sounds intriguing to some degree this episode is not one of the best. The additional storyline of a young woman questioning her devotion to the government and ultimately leaving the iron curtain, becomes the primary story of this episode and was a fair attempt at salvaging this episode. Also an old English lady certainly lends familiarity to a classic ITC show.

Original Air-Date: May 25th 1963

Directed by Jeremy Summers

Written by Jack Davies

Michael Strait – Craig Stevens

Mrs. Rosewall – Cicely Courtneidge

Trina – Erika Remberg

Grabowsky – Nigel Davenport

Washington Official – John Tate

Hotel Manager – Philo Hauser

Karinski – Dorothea Phillips

Night Club Singer – Honora Burke

Communist Officer – Marshall Jones

Austrian Officer – Michael Segal

Motor Cyclist – Brian Wright

Cigarette girl – Sally Douglas

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Man of the World Season 1 Episode 13: Shadow of the Wall

Michael Strait is visiting West Berlin with a friend and his wife. The American authorities suspect that this friend is passing secrets to the East German government. Strait is pressured to help despite his reluctance to betray a friend. 

Personal Synopsis

The Shadow of the Wall plays out in Berlin just as the recent episode Specialist for the Kill. The Berlin Wall again provides a strong backdrop to a storyline that reflects the dangers of being in a cold war hotspot. During this time trust was limited and the likelihood of someone close being for the other side was a constant threat and this episode shows how this could be possible. 

Original Air-Date: February 22nd 1962 ?

Directed by Harry Booth

Written by Ian Stuart Black

Michael Strait – Craig Stevens

Wilhelm – Joseph Fürst

Colonel Cutler – Paul Maxwell

Linda – Suzanne Neve

Vosper – Scot Finch

Jorgens – Charles Lloyd Pack

Bertha – Sheila Raynor

Director – Nancy Nevinson

Captain Wells – Benedicta Leigh

Policeman – Steven Scott

Driver – Terence Fallon

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Man of the World Season 1 Episode 12: A Family Affair

Strait is in Paris shooting photos for a magazine when a bomb goes off that nearly kills a minister of the government cabinet. In the aftermath, his film is confiscated under mysterious circumstances but not by the police. Suspicion of domestic terrorism and its possible link to the highly esteemed Foreign Legion causes the police to hesitate in giving a flustered and frustrated Strait much information. Strait is now on his own in finding the suspects who stole his film and the story.

Personal Synopsis

Ex-soldiers turned terrorists is a fine trope for an episode and when its found that the man Strait suspects is known to be dead, he is ready to find out that story. Needless to say as an American who has always found some mystique in the town of Paris, this episode setting pleases me as does the storyline. As he finds, the discovery of the lives of these terrorists opens many more questions about love, power and war. 

 

Original Air-Date: December 12th 1962

Directed by Jeremy Summers

Written by Tudor Gates

Michael Strait – Craig Stevens

Monique – Clemence Bettany

Mlle. Danois – Maria Corvin

Corbet – Eugene Deckers

Harry Burton – Alan Gifford

Duval – Richard Leech

Helene – Lisa Page

Baron De Charlot – Keith Pyott

Madame Duclos – Hira Talfrey

Inspector Sanglett – Richard Warner

Midwesterner – Paul Whitsun-Jones

 

You can Buy the DVD here:

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Man of the World Season 2 Episode 2: The Enemy

In the deep jungles of Kampala, Strait wakes up in a remote hospital bruised and broken after an attack on his group by a rebel force.  There he meets the no longer illusive Dr. Moretti. The rebel forces (The Glorious Peoples Army) see the strategic gains of taking over the hospital in their march throughout Kampala. The rebel forces seek to discredit Moretti’s influence however Moretti’s moral standing will not allow himself to cower down to the Glorious People’s Army’s demands. 

Personal Synopsis

The Enemy episode coming from a perspective of the 21st century has many unpleasant aspects to its production. At the very least are the questionable portrayals of people from the Asian continent by clearly white British males. These “yellow-face” choices do show what was deemed acceptable in terms of casting at the time. Also to shine a light on its sexist bend the female characters were appropriately cast with known Chinese actresses. To be slightly more objective, Anthony Quayle has such a strong presence on the screen and does an admirable job at helping this story out with his distinguished acting. Otherwise this episode falls flat and is not one of the better ones in this series. 

Original Air-Date: May 18th 1963

Directed by John Llewellyn Moxey

Written by Julian Bond

Michael Strait – Craig Stevens

Dr. Moretti – Anthony Quayle

Major Teong – John Meillon

Lt. Hang – John Hollis

Nurse – Dolores Dicen

Orderly – Pat Goh

Souen – Tsai Chin

Chinese Soldier – Jack Cooper

Nurse – Lucille Soong

You can Buy the DVD here:

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