O Homem da Valise

The most realistic and gritty of all the 1960's ITC thriller series and one of the best. If The Saint did it with suavity, The Champions with super-powers, Jason King and his Department S colleagues with camp panache and Randall and Hopkirk with supernatural powers, McGill, a CIA outcast trying to make a living as a private eye in mid-60's England, just did it. With no fuss or flashiness, Richard Bradford's anti-hero and his "have gun will travel" policy took him into adventures more believable and down to earth than those of his stable-mates.

In this pilot episode for example, McGill gets waylaid by a deposed white African leader who wants him to reveal how back in his CIA days he assisted with that country's revolution with the ultimate aim of deposing the present government and re-establishing white government over the locals. Given that the British government of the time was having well-publicised disputes with former colonies in the African continent, there's a strong whiff of topicality about the narrative, only bolstered further by the use of forced interrogation techniques redolent of "The Manchurian Candidate" and "The Ipcress Files" to name but two. It's pretty obvious to say also that both these themes are still very much in the news today.

The silver-haired Bradford is excellent as the laconic, friendless, endlessly cynical McGill. This episode was crisply directed by celebrated Ealing director Charles Crichton (later to direct "A Fish Called Wanda"). Yes, you will see various guest stars from the supporting cast of most of the afore-mentioned shows not to mention sets, cars and now and again variations on the same story too. Indeed McGill's anti-Establishment stance is not too far away from the daddy of all 60's TV rebels, Patrick McGoohan's "The Prisoner".

"Man In A Suitcase" (which incidentally boasts another great Ron Grainer theme) may not have aimed quite as high as McGoohan's tormented odyssey but this was solid entertainment and very good quality stuff of its kind, one of the best adventure series of the 60's I'd say.

McGill mostly drove a Hillman Imp (green and red), but was so cool that he could do that and not appear bland. I think it's a huge credit to the producers that they chose an Imp for McGill. A flashier car would have detracted from his character a great deal.

My very first car was a 1966 Hillman Imp and I felt really cool in it too.

The other thing I liked about Lew Grade's 1960s TV series is that the main characters - except The Saint - usually drove British cars, which for me made them more real.

According to an interview I saw recently with Johnny Goodman (production manager on The Baron) no British manufacturer would donate a car for Simon Templar - not even Jaguar. Hence that VOLVO P1800, which started moving out of showrooms real fast shortly after its film debut.

Obviously British car manufacturers in the 1960s weren't as clued up about how this kind of product placement could do wonders for their sales figures.

I have recently seen all the episodes of Man in a Suitcase again and I must say that they look as hip today as when I first saw them in 1967 as a boy of ten on black and white TV. In fact - they look even fresher in colour.

There's no doubt that Man in a Suitcase was/is a true classic.

Mcgill is a man of the sixties who is on a different case every week. He cannot and will not get too close to the opposite sex because of his travels and his occupation. However, he does run into some old friends along the way and Mcgill always comes out on top. With his cigarette in his mouth and his American accent his mcgill is an anti hero that seems a million miles away from Simon Templar but underneath the rugged exterior he is actually quite similar to the saint. The locations are varied and the standard of the writing and the acting is very good. All in all Mcgill is a man of the sixties and you cannot imagine him ever settling down, he is truly a man in a suitcase.

It never ceases to amaze me how a quality series like this has been neglected in favour of lesser and more dated ITC shows of that genre. Getting Texan Richard Bradford in the title role was a master stroke! His interpretation of the hero of the piece was spot on, making McGill 'human'. He wasn't ruthless, but he was tough, he had integrity and was loyal to past associates - even if they didn't always mirror the same courtesy to him. When he occasionally let down his guard and gave us an insight into why he was the way he was, the characterisation became even more intriguing, and to use Richard Bradford's terminology, 'made him real'. I love this series and I'm forever grateful to Mr Bradford for making such an effort to get his performance just right. I think its a fine tribute to his dedication for his craft that the work he did on this production continues to excite people all these years later - can't think of a greater legacy for any actor!

Man in a suitcase follows the exploits of an American in London and Europe after her get kicked out of the CIA. I first came across this show on a day time TV run years ago and watched it expecting something cheesy. I was very pleasantly proved wrong and having been trying to buy or tape as many episodes as I could get my hand on ever since.

Although produced by Lew Grade's ITC company, it shares little in common with stablemates such as "Champions", "DangerMan" or even "The Prisoner". What made it different was the quality of the plots, the acting (especially Richard Bradford's)and the way it managed to combine elements of glamour and gritty realism...oh, and the title music (although all ITC shows had good title music and sequences).

An excellent series.