It's January 1959 and at the home of boss of Sapphire Films, Hannah Fisher (nee Weinstein), in Cadogan Square London, a reception is held for the team of The Four Just Men.
Mrs Fisher tells the press "because the scripts are good, we have been able to sign stars of the first quality."
The stars are there too- director Bill Fairchild has a word of praise for Vittorio de Sica: "what a privilege to direct this consummate artist. He has great humility." Jack Hawkins is asked why he has risked his reputation on this tv series. "I risk my reputation every time," is his retort, "why not on TV?"
Honor Blackman arrives by taxi, and is 'announced as the only woman star to be signed up for the series.' Well, our reporter has got that wrong, or maybe it's because "whiskey and other refreshments flowed freely." Dan Dailey is also there and reveals it's his first tv series. "Honor will be my secretary," he explains, "with other special duties." Unfortunately the obvious supplementary question is not asked!
As Richard Conte wasn't announced as the 'fourth' Just Man until March 1959, it seems unlikely he attended this party. But Hannah Fisher was in good spirits even when reporter Margaret Cowan commented to her, "Until tonight I thought you were a man!" This critic seems to have been something of a fan of the programme, writing, "the new series is full of thrills, human touches and moving stories, laced with that spice of humour."
Picture- From the opening story- all Four Just Men together for once!
To our Dinosaur TV Crime Menu
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January 1959 -shooting begins in the first week of the year. The 39 episodes would eventually take 20 weeks to complete.
March 1959 -
"Back to Walton has come Sapphire's Dan Dailey who has spent a week location shooting in Paris with director Don Chaffey. Executive producer Hannah Fisher went with them. But even she could not persuade a Paris gendarme to pose for street scenes before the cameras. It's against regulations. Finally actor Frank Thornton flew there, complete with authentic uniform. Result: he kept being approached by pedestrians seeking information and guidance, and highly indignant when he proved to be a broken reed." The particular episode referred to must be "The Man in the Road."
March 59 - "Nine films in the series have already been completed." "Fourth Just Man has finally been announced - Richard Conte. Columbia have loaned him to Sapphire for the series. Conte arrives here on the 11th and starts shooting on the 16th."
May 59 -
The opening episode was filmed this month starting on the week commencing May 18th and lasting about a week. It had been quite a job to get all stars together! It was filmed partly in Wales and partly in Fitzwarren Park. Reporter Margaret Cowan wrote "When I went down to watch the shooting, it was near-chaos and feverish activity. In the elegant drawing room, crammed with equipment, cameras boom, lighting and all, I counted at one time just over forty people! Director Basil Dearden and his assistant Bob Pollard, struggled valiantly with it all. The four principals took it all good-naturedly." The report adds that this marked the completion of work for Hawkins and Dailey whilst "De Sica and Conte have a few more episodes each to finish."
A tantalising comment is added: "If the Just Men is a success, a further series of 39 will probably be made."
July 59 -
This optimism was dashed by the headline "Big 'Just Men' Series not for US Networks." It had been sold to America on a syndication basis but not for national networking. ITC President Walter Kingsley said "With a projected gross of £6,250 per episode in overseas sales, we are sure we can prove that big name stars and top quality production are as feasible and practical in syndication as on the network." Lew Grade was even more bullish: "It will make two million dollars. It is only just starting its sales. We are going to sell it everywhere. Australia has already bought it." So too had CBC Canada in a deal reported to be £267,857. But nothing could disguise the ultimate truth - that British shows failing to gain a sponsor in America, were sadly doomed.
Saturday September 12th 1959 9pm-
premiere on ATV London. Critic Guy Taylor wrote under the headline IF ONLY ALL THE NEW SHOWS HAD THE SHINE OF 4 JUST MEN- "if only every film series had this quality! Expertly directed, magnificently photographed and very well acted. On first showing I would say that The Four Just Men justifies all expectations. With Hawkins, Dailey, Conte and de Sica it is obvious that much thought, care and artistry has gone into the making of these films."
March 60 -
Elkan Kaufman, Chief Overseas Sales Executive for ITC announced the sale of The 4 Just Men to Czechoslovakia. Something of a coup! 'Television Today', reporting the good news, added "what is so unusual about this sale is that some episodes are anti-Communist in nature." I'd be interested to know if all stories were shown in what is now the Czech Republic and in Slovakia. And were there any really anti-Iron Curtain stories in this series?
Note- Presumably Four Just Men was not a financial success as Sapphire retreated from the production side and moved to providing a Writing School for aspiring scriptwriters.
4 Just Men
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Battle of the Bridge -This tedious war story was first screened on UK TV in September 1959.
The working title was "The Victory." It was directed by Basil Dearden.
A sports car drives up to a huge mansion. An American alights to meet his three "cutthroat" friends. However Tim notices one member of their old wartime group is missing, Colonel Cyril Bacon (Anthony Bushell).
Bacon's recorded voice reminds them of their last "wee bit dangerous" mission together. Their job had been to demolish a bridge to prevent the Nazis from reaching the Allied landing beach.
The time 05.00 - less than an hour for Sgt Ryder to fix the charges. A sentry is distracted by a 'drunken' Italian patriot, Poccari, and Tim Collier, even though he's a mere journalist, volunteers to take the sentry's post. But things start to go wrong when a German patrol drives up to the bridge. Collier's lack of German triggers a shoot-out in which he is injured.
As the bridge can't be blown until precisely 6am, there's time for the men to wait and reflect. Collier thanks Ryder for saving him from the worst of the gunfire on the bridge, Ryder thanks Ben Manfred for his covering fire and they all in this mutual backslapping express grateful thanks to Poccari. By now it's three minutes to six. The Germans return but too late to prevent the bridge being blown. "Mission Accomplished."
But as they return to base they see the many orphaned as a result of war.
The Colonel's recorded voice turns them to the theme of injustice. That's why the four are present today. "To you four I make a bequest, a substantial sum of money in the Bank of England. It is deposited there in the name of Justice. Wherever man suffers unjustly, where moral law is ignored, where tyranny rules, pledge this one to the other, that as we fought injustice before together, you will continue to fight it each in your own way, in your own place. I know I have made no mistake in calling you here for you are the Men."
It was a good if difficult idea to begin the series with all the stars, but sadly this is the only episode with them all appearing together.
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Stories with Dan Dailey in Paris as Tim Collier"an American journalist who has become one of the world's greatest foreign correspondents." Co-starring Honor Blackman as Nicole.
"During the making of the series, the whole unit voted him the greatest fun to work with- he is always full of jokes and laughter." So Margaret Cowan wrote in the TV Times introduction to the series (Sept 1959).
Man in the Road
Marcia (Simone Lovell) is driving along a road in the French Alps with her ski instructor Robert, when she accidentally runs down a cyclist. "He's dead," Robert pronounces, and suggests Marcia drives off to avoid any scandal for her husband. He's Mark (Patrick Barr) who is about to commence an important diplomatic job in Africa. Expert Paul (Charles Gray) is currently teaching him the language.
When Marcia receives a demand for five million francs she turns to Tim Collier. He senses Robert is a nasty bit of work and takes Marcia to Val d'Isere where he hopes to find, in his words, "nothing"- ie no corpse, just a frame-up.
Sam Brady, a reporter gets hold of the story, but Tim persuades him to hold fire for 24 hours. Jeff Ryder is phoned asking him to spout libel law at New York editors.
At the ski resort, Tim's hopes are dashed. Old Pierre had been involved in a hit and run accident. At the scene of the accident Tim finds a little girl (Jane Asher) who has built a roadside shrine to Pierre. "And a little child shall lead them," quotes the corny Tim. But Marcia points out that the shrine is a hundred yards away from where she thought she had knocked him down.
So Tim plays "a long shot." Throw a soda syphon at the mirror in the bar, he tells Marcia. She obeys and is of coruse arrested. Husband Mark is soon in town with Paul, who assumes Marcia is under arrest on a manslaughter charge, He has neatly given himself away.
Tim explains the whole politically motivated plot and Sam gets his scoop. Finally Tim returns to secretary Nicole, who had been in rather a huff over Marcia's good looks. But not for long.
Deadly Capsule -
In an old grey Citroen, atomic scientist Weiss travels to Paris with news of his latest discovery. He never makes it. Tim Collier had interviewed him last month and travels to Grenoble to talk to Anna Weiss who believes her husband was murdered.
Weiss had been working on a type of radiation of foods "so they could keep fresh outside the refrigerator." In the lab Tim talks to Weiss' closest friend Scheye (Elwyn Brook-Jones). He says the experiments were incomplete as food kept tasting bad. Jack Hawkins makes a brief 'telephone' appearance, confirming similar experiments had been going on in Britain. (Pity they ever succeeded!)
At the scene of the crash where Weiss died, Scheye and Collier detect a radiation leakage. The capsule Weiss was carrying has disappeared. Two children, ten year old Phillipe, and Pierre are nearby collecting plovers' eggs, and they find the capsule. Phillipe takes it to choir practice. Tim follows him and explains his problem to the priest.
A geiger counter however is useful in finding the capsule, which Tim takes off to Paris. As Tim drives off, Scheye phones his colleague Jacques to "catch him in the mountains - he's driving 7216 AP92." But Collier doesn't fall into the trap that Weiss fell into and brings along Inspector Nagel to arrest Scheye. The complex plot about ships flying refrigerated foods under flags of convenience is explained. You'd almost think some foreign countries must still have copies of this episode and have got 'ideas' from it!
Finally Tim gets back to his office in Paris. How many sisters have you? he asks secretary Nicole. Nicole gets one kiss for each!
Note- this review taken from a reel to reel recording of the early 1960's, on sound only
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Stories withRichard Conte in New York as Jeff Ryder, "a Professor of Law."
When questioned about the series, Conte made an interesting comment that filming was "slow in comparison with TV production in the States. There's a lot more talking and discussion on the set. On the other hand I think your production values are better."
Some episodes feature June Thorburn as Vicky (though not the one we have).
Riot -
"It's too late, Ryder," says Joe (Neil McCallum), "for your own good, get out of here!" Jeff Ryder's visiting Joe Nelson in jail to see if he can get him a retrial. But he gets caught up in a riot organised by Dougan (Peter Dyneley) in which three warders are taken hostage, as well as Jeff Ryder. The Governor enlists the State Troopers who prepare to storm their way into the cell block, where the rioters are holed out. During this lull, Jeff learns the riot is about the awful conditions the prisoners have endured. One of the warders who has been captured (Percy Herbert) is the butt of the rioters' hostility. "I only carry out orders," he claims.
The Captain of the Troopers is an uncompromising figure, but he loses Round One. Two troppers are shot as well as four prisoners. Dougan threatens to kill their hostages unless they're given a free pardon. "I'm going to enjoy shooting you, bright boy," he tells Ryder. Jeff starts talking! He urges the men to make a deal, ask for an inquiry. He volunteers to act as go-between, promising to return with the Warden's answer on an inquiry. Dougan doesn't "buy" it but Nelson persuades the others.
In a tense scene, Jeff risks all to go to the Warden. Will the Troopers shoot him as he emerges? Or will Dougan shoot him in the back? But he does reach safety and the Warden agrees to an inquiry, even though the Captain says he'll have it over in two hours with some tear gas.
Jeff returns with the good news but discovers loudmouth Dougan has shot Joe Nelson. "You don't care who you kill do you, Dougan?" shouts Jeff. The prisoners are finally persuaded to surrender and throw down their arms. "You can put your guns away, Captain," concludes Jeff, "the shooting's over."
Note- this review from the soundtrack only
4 Just Men
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Stories with Jack Hawkins in London as Ben Manfred"a well-known independent MP and a leading figure in English political life." Also appearing: Andrew Keir as Jock.
Jack Hawkins said of his first tv role that he "found the going fast." He added in a TV Times interview: "the pace is much faster than in feature films." But he declared it "exciting and interesting. Nobody can ignore television today."
The Heritage
Dan Dailey makes a brief telephone call thanking Ben Manfred for his help on the Pago(?) Case.
"It's not murder. It is war." A story based round the Irish troubles in which "a true son of Ireland," Kevan Malone (Barry Keegan) can't stomach blowing up a police station and attempts to defuse the bomb. However police catch him and think he's a terrorist. Kevan's girlfriend Cathy (Concepta Fennell) appeals to Manfred who's on a fact finding visit to Northern Ireland, and he is able to use his influence and sit in on Malone's interrogation. Although Kevan protests his innocence the attitude of the police captain (Ronald Leigh-Hunt) is that Irish violence will only end "when we have all the thugs like Malone safely under lock and key." Manfred finds it hard, despite a promise only to watch, of remaining silent.
The gang burst in and whisk Kevan away to freedom, giving the MP a punch on the nose for good measure. That convinces Manfred of the rightness of the police action. But Cathy manages to persuade Manfred that the rescue only came about because Kevan might have talked: "they'll kill him." She says where he's probably been taken.
In an isolated hut, Kevan is on trial: "I only wanted to stop the killing," he tells his captors and ex-friends. Enter Ben, at the point of a gun: "I'm here to see justice is done." The charge is treason and, despite Ben's pleas "this is not a debating society." Cathy interrupts the trial to warn she's seen the police! Accidentally she treads on a terrorist mine. This seems to inject some sense into proceedings until the police surround the hut and a gun battle commences. Leaping from the hut amid a hail of bullets Ben shouts "Stop it!" He's able to prove to the gang that Kevan is no traitor to the cause, and the evidence comes from the police captain himself! Then the police are convinced that Kevan had indeed been trying to defuse the bomb. Cathy's serious injuries persuade all and sundry to agree a truce. Would that it could always have been so straightforward. . . . 4 Just Men
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Stories with Vittorio de Sica in Rome as Ricco Poccari,"a man who has risen from a poverty-stricken early life to be one of the world's great, and rich, hoteliers."
Also appearing: Lisa Gastoni as Guilia.
Vittorio De Sica told the press that he found the series "a strain with the language difficulty." Perhaps some viewers did too! He also admitted in a January 1959 interview that he found tv rather different from feature films: "the technique is new for me. I am used to more time and a larger canvas." After recording the first episode "The Crying Jester" in January 1959, he returned to Italy (for a "film commitment," he said), before coming back to England in March to make the rest of the stories. Director Bill Fairchild praised his star, saying "he is modest and devoid of temperament. First he studies carefully every shade of meaning in his lines... that is true artistry."
Treviso Dam
A weak story about the construction of a huge dam which "won't last 5 years," at least according to Carlo, because, he claims, the cement mixture isn't strong enough. When he trips, seemingly by accident, into the dubious mixture, Poccari resolves to visit the site enroute to visiting a beautiful Contessa. Carlo's girl friend (Judi Dench) tells Poccari she thinks her boyfriend was murdered. He had been an engineering student and "had a good brain and he was honest." Poccari also had been struck by his sincerity, but could Carlo's death have been caused by a jealous rival, Giorgio (Alan Bates)?
With all these possibilities, Ricco, rather un-4 Just Men-like, is lured away to see the Contessa (Fenella Fielding) who also has a motive for stopping the "abominable" dam, as it is going to spoil the beautiful countryside round her home.
Poccari tears himself away from her to be given a tour of the "magnificent" dam by chief engineer Mazza. Two thousand billion lire!
Then he returns to the Contessa, who's rather peeved he's been absent so long. But again their diner a deux is spoilt as Poccari has brought along Anna. He believes someone might silence her, so would the Contessa kindly take care of her?
Straight off again to Anna's room where it's Poccari who is attacked, but of course unsuccessfully. Giorgio also happens to be there, to protect Anna, or so he says. Together they return to the place where Carlo tripped, or was he pushed? Mazza is questioned, and some rather unorthodox questioning elicits a confession.
At last, Ricco returns to the Contessa, but of course by now she's fast asleep.
Anyway, there's no rest for Ricco as Richard Conte phones, wanting an urgent discussion on the immigration racket.
There are too many strands in this story which are not properly explored. As a result the plot reads like I have described it, a sort of Poccari Shuttle, with little excitement and no character depth, despite the illustrious acting names.
4 Just Men