"The Prisoner" The Chimes of Big Ben (1967)

Director:

Don Chaffey

Writer:

Vincent Tilsley (written by)

TV Series:

"The Prisoner" (1967)

Original Air Date:

8 October 1967 (Season 1, Episode 1)

Genre:

Drama | Mystery | Sci-Fi

Plot:

Nadia, Number 8, arrives in The Village and together with Number 6 they plot their escape.

Plot Keywords:

Abstract Art | Crate | Midget | Swimming | Big Ben London

Cast

Patrick McGoohan	...	Number Six
Leo McKern	...	Number Two
Nadia Gray	...	Nadia
Finlay Currie	...	General
Richard Wattis	...	Fotheringay
Angelo Muscat	...	The Butler
Kevin Stoney	...	Colonel J.
Christopher Benjamin	...	Number Two's Assistant
David Arlen	...	Karel
Peter Swanwick	...	Supervisor
Hilda Barry	...	No. 38
Jack Le White	...	First Judge (as Jack Le-White)
John Maxim	...	Second Judge
Lucy Griffiths	...	Third Judge

Runtime:

USA:60 min

Language:

English | Polish | Russian

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.33 : 1

Sound Mix:

Mono

Filming Locations:

MGM British Studios, Borehamwood, Hertfordshire, England, UK

Company:

Everyman Films

Trivia:

David Arlen is a native Londoner, and spoke no Russian before filming, and had to be coached for three days by someone from the Russian Embassy in London for the role. He also wasn't aware that Nadia Grey was a fluent Russian speaker, and criticised his grammar, teaching him the local dialect of the area Karel was supposed to come from.

Goofs:

Crew or equipment visible: As Nadia is "landed" on the beach by Rover, a camera shadow can be seen.

Quotes:

[first lines]
Woman Over Loudspeaker: Good morning, good morning, good morning. And what a lovely day it is. Rise and shine, rise and shine! Before our program of early-morning music, here are two announcements. The long-range weather forecast is that the fine spell will continue for at least another month...

Movie Connections:

References "Flower Pot Men" (1952)

Soundtrack:

Ionosphere

"I don't want a man of fragments!"

*** This comment may contain spoilers ***

The second 'Prisoner' to be shown in the U.K., this is one of Patrick McGoohan's core seven episodes ( the other ten were added to make the series saleable to America ). It is indeed a strong story of manipulation and betrayal, conforming to the conventional spy theme established by its predecessor 'Arrival'. Things would start to get really weird with 'Free For All'.

Number 6 prepares to face a new day while watched by the latest Number 2 ( Leo McKern ) and his Assistant ( Christopher Benjamin ). 2 comments on how 6 can 'make even the act of putting on his dressing gown appear as a gesture of defiance!'. Annoyed by the blaring radio he cannot turn off, 6 puts it in his fridge, provoking 2's admiring laughter. It is now some months since 6's arrival, and still he has not been broken. 2 wishes to know the reason for 6's resignation, so an elaborate scam is put in place.

A new arrival in The Village, Nadia ( Nadia Gray ), comes from Estonia. Before she resigned, she saw a secret file in which the Village's location was given as Lithuania. 6 befriends her, and uses an arts and crafts competition as a cover to make a boat, in which they both take to sea late one night. 'Rover' chases them along the Baltic coast, until a man with a high-powered rifle shoots it away. So now 6 and Nadia are free. Or are they?

The outcome is superbly executed, with not only McGoohan brilliant but also Kevin Stoney as 'Colonel J' and Richard Wattis as 'Fotheringay'. The latter had appeared in a number of early 'Danger Man' episodes in the role of 'Hardy'. In a line of dialogue deleted from the broadcast episode, Fotheringay claimed to have been at school with Number 6.

This story began a thread of speculation amongst viewers that the British Establishment might conceivably control the Village. At one point 6 asks Colonel J: "Are you sure you haven't got a Village here?".

As 'Number 2', the bearded McKern manages to be both sinister and likable, putting that wonderfully raucous laugh of his to good use. "You'll be back...whimpering!", he yells at 6 as he leaves The Green Dome. Small wonder that McKern was asked to return ( not once, but twice ).

The late Nadia Gray is very much a 'Danger Man' sort of Russian; beautiful, courageous ( she tries to escape from The Village soon after her capture by swimming out to sea ) and strangely enigmatic. Her banter with 6 inside the crate suggests she has fallen for him.

One of my favourite scenes is the hilarious arts and crafts competition. Puzzled by his unusual entry ( which he calls 'Escape' ), the judges ask Number 6 what it is ( anticipating the very questions McGoohan would later be asked about the series itself ). When one likens it to a church door, he snaps: "Right first time!". Art means whatever you want it to mean.

Finlay Currie appears as a grumpy old General, whom 6 plays chess with ( rather like the 'Admiral' from 'Arrival' ).

Written by Vincent Tilsley, later to write 'Face Unknown' ( retitled 'Do Not Forsake Me Oh My Darling' ) for the series. Your heart will go out to 6 in the final scene. Luckily, we are consoled by the fact that there are another fifteen shows left.