Ian Hendry Movies

Conrad Phillips, who has starred as William Tell in a popular British TV series produced by the same crew responsible for The Invisible Man, is here seen as military demolitions expert Barry Finch. While demonstrating a new and extremely sensistive bomb, Finch is trapped in a sand pit a few feet away from the explosive--which will instantly detonate if a shadow falls upon it. The only man in the world capable of rescuing Finch and defusing the bomb is also the only man who casts no shadow--namely, the invisible Peter Brady. This episode was cowritten by The Avengers' Brian Clemens, pseudonymously billed as Tony O'Grady. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide

The "nick" in this standard prison farce is a modernistic, forward-looking jail without bars. At its core of staff are dedicated young psychologist Dr. Newcombe (Anthony Newley) and tough-minded but fair overseer Chief Officer Williams (Harry Andrews). Their jobs are made that much more difficult when four hardened criminals are inexplicably sent to the minimum security prison. The leader of this gang of four is Spider (James Booth) whose main job is to rally his cohorts into defeating a rival gang and lording it over other inmates. Their tactics and the efforts of the good doctor to reform them provide the comic fodder for the film. ~ Eleanor Mannikka, All Movie Guide

After six weeks of live telecasts, The Avengers went back to videotape with this episode, which was originally broadcast on April 1, 1961. Suspecting that a civil servant has been blackmailed into passing secret information to the enemy, Steed allows himself to be blackmailed by the seedy owner of a Soho nightclub. Ordered to drop off a valuable package at the monkey house in a private zoo, Steed watches with a mixture of amazement and amusement as a monkey picks up the parcel and delivers it to the head of the blackmailers. He is even more amazed (and not amused) when he discovers the identity of the "brains" of the outfit. "Please Don't Feed the Animals" was written by Dennis Spooner. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide

Although Patrick Macnee was already comfortably installed as erudite, bowler-hatted British secret agent John Steed, the first season of The Avengers bore but scant resemblance to the later internationally popular version teaming Macnee with Diana Rigg and Linda Thorson. For one thing, the season's quota of 26 hour-long episodes were originally telecast live or on videotape rather than being filmed. For another, the series was shot in black-and-white rather than color, and its action was generally confined within the walls of the ITV sound stages. Also, Steed's partner in espionage was not an attractive young woman but instead a handsome young man, Dr. David Keel (Ian Hendry) -- though Ingrid Hafner made sporadic appearances as operative Carol Wilson. Finally, during the first episode the characters played by Patrick Macnee and Ian Hendry were genuine "avengers," hoping to make a gang of drug dealers pay the ultimate price for the murder of Dr. Keel's fiancée -- after which, Keel agreed to team up with Steed to bring a wide variety of international criminals to heel, thus avenging the deaths of several more innocents. (In most of the later seasons, the series' title generally had nothing to do with the action.) Only one of the first nine "live" episodes of The Avengers is known to exist. Only one and a half of the remaining videotaped episodes survive on kinescope. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide

Dr. Keel investigates the disappearance of one of his patients' husbands, a noted scientist working on a hush-hush government project. Suspecting that there's dirty work afoot, Steed convinces Keel to impersonate the missing scientist. Complicating matters is the fact that one of the villains' accomplices is an anesthetist at the hospital where an injured Keel is brought for treatment. Written by Terrence Feely, "Nightmare" was originally telecast live on January 28, 1961. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide

Posing as a crooked airline steward, Steed is able to join an international diamond smuggling ring. After arriving in New York, he is accused of killing a girl in a traffic accident and cannot account for his actions during the tragedy. Suspecting that Steed has been drugged, Keel investigates, thereby uncovering an insidious and wide-ranging blackmail scheme. Written by Max Marquis, "Diamond Cut Diamond" was originally telecast live on February 18, 1961. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide

Originally telecast January 7, 1961, this very first episode of The Avengers was one of the few that "justified" the series' title. When his fiancée is murdered by drug couriers, Dr. David Keel becomes frustrated by the police's inability to solve the case. Enlisting the aid of secret agent John Steed, who is likewise trailing the drug dealers, Dr. Keel lays a trap for the "brains" of the outfit, Ronnie Vance (Robert James). Kate Woodville, later the wife of series star Patrick Macnee, was seen as the murder victim. Scripted by Ray Rigby from a story by Patrick Brawn, "Hot Snow" was videotaped, like most of the first 78 episodes. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide

Still on the trail of drug kingpin Ronnie Vance, Dr. Keel goes undercover to join Vance's gang at the suggestion of secret agent, John Steed. Threatened with death from a narcotics-laden hypodermic, Vance confesses to the murder of Keel's fiancée. Much to Steed's delight, Keel agrees to remain as his permanent partner. This episode introduced Ingrid Hafner in the semi-regular role of special agent Carol Wilson. Written by series stalwart Brian Clemens, "Brought to Book" was originally telecast January 14, 1961. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide

Suspecting that he has been slated for murder by his avaricious wife, Caribbean dictator General Mendoza fakes his own death. To keep his daughter Carmelite (Bandana Das Gupta) out of harm's way, Mendoza arranges for her to be kidnapped. Steed and Keel are brought into the case when Carmelite is kidnapped for real, and the motive behind it all turns out to be political rather than monetary. Originally telecast live on February 4, 1961, "Crescent Moon" was written by Geoffrey Bellman and John Whitney. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide

A British secret service agent is killed near a nuclear submarine dry dock. Hoping to solve the murder, Steed poses as a metalurgist and heads to the shipyard himself. Here he comes face to face with his old enemy Kolchek (Peter Arne), whose plans go far beyond simple one-on-one murder. Nyree Dawn Porter, who according to several sources was the producer's original choice for Cathy Gale (the character played by Honor Blackman during The Avengers' second and third season), guest-starred as Liz Wells. Written by James Mitchell, "Death on the Slipway" was originally telecast June 24, 1961. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide

Steed and Keel investigate when tests of an experimental vaccine result in a deadly disease. The two agents learn that a scientist, jealous of the inventor of the vaccine, is responsible for the biological disaster. Believing that Steed has been infected by it, Keel races against time to find an antidote -- but the "real" climax occurs after Steed has been given a clean bill of health. Written by Lester Powell, "The Deadly Air" was originally broadcast on December 16, 1961. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide

This episode was originally telecast May 27, 1961. The title refers to an organization that specializes in "persuading" people to do their bidding via brutal beatings. The head of the crooks is a man called The Deacon (Willoughby Goddard). The current target for the Frighteners is a man who disapproves of his daughter's fiancée, a man who specializes in marrying wealthy women in order to square his debts. As Steed tries to establish a link between the fiancée and the Frighteners, Dr. Keel goes undercover in hopes of exposing the Deacon, or at least to beat him at his own game. "The Frighteners" was written by Berkley Mather. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide

Several prison convicts escape within a short space of time, leading Steed to conclude that someone is running an organization specializing in "springing" inmates ahead of schedule. Going undercover as a prisoner, Dr. Keel traces the clues to a finishing school for young women. Another of Steed's assistants, Caroline Evans (Margo Andrew) enrolls in the school, and as expected, both she and Keel fall into the clutches of the villains before the final fade-out. Written by John Whitney and Geoffrey Bellman, "The Springers" first aired May 13, 1961. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide