Man from Interpol

Man from Interpol
Man from Interpol title card
Also known asDetective's Diary
StarringRichard Wyler
John Longden
ComposerTony Crombie
Country of originUnited Kingdom
No. of seasons1
No. of episodes39
Production
ProducersEdward J. Danziger
Harry Lee Danziger
Running time30 mins
Production companyThe Danzigers
Original release
NetworkNBC
ITV
Release30 January (1960-01-30) –
22 October 1960 (1960-10-22)
Richard Wyler as Anthony Smith in Man from Interpol.

Man from Interpol is a 1960 television series produced by The Danzigers. The NBC series was filmed the United Kingdom, and the music was scored by jazz musician Tony Crombie.

Background

By early 1959, Danziger Productions were in their fourth year of Saber of London / The Vise at their own newly-built near the village of Elstree. This made it the only one of the Elstree Studios studio not built in Borehamwood.

The studio had begun developing an Interpol-themed follow-up in spring 1958. Kinematograph Weekly reported in April 1958 that "A New Danziger television series called Interpol started shooting at New Elstree last week with Denis Shaw in the lead," but noted complications as Julian Windle and Leslie Parkyn had "already acquired the world exclusive rights from Interpol to make a television series based on Interpol's activities, with scripts written around actual cases in the files at the organisation's Paris headquarters."

By October 1958 the series was shooting as Caesar Smith—Interpol Agent at New Elstree. Variety reported a "three-cornered legal tussle... over the use of 'Interpol' in the title," with Warwick Productions – the company helmed by Irving Allen and Albert R. Broccoli – instituting legal action against Danziger Productions and urging the Rank Organisation to drop its own project Interpol Calling. Warwick claimed copyright due to a feature film of that title still in commercial release. The Danziger Bros. had "already completed the first two in their series" at that point.

The order was for a batch of 39 half-hours called Caesar Smith-Interpol Agent. One early entry was released theatrically in the UK as a supporting feature, The Great Van Robbery (6,350 ft, U.A., 16 February 1959). The trade synopsis described "Caesar Smith, an Interpol detective from Scotland Yard" investigating a £150,000 Royal Mint van robbery, with Denis Shaw as "the shrewd and courageous Smith," produced by Edward J. and Harry Lee Danziger, directed by Max Varnel, story by Brian Clemens and Eldon Howard, and photography by Nick Roeg.

In June 1959 the project was re-launched as The Man from Interpol. Variety noted that Malcolm Arnold, who had written the theme for The Bridge on the River Kwai, had been signed to score The Man From Interpol vidpic series now in production at the new Elstree studios, with Richard Wyler, the American star, in the lead." The series was described as "an expansion of the idea from their Interpol Calling series which has now suspended production at Pinewood after the completion of the first 14 half-hours," the latter a Rank and Jack Wrather partnership. The Danziger version had already been sold to Associated-Rediffusion for the ITV network but not yet offered to U.S. TV, while the "Mark Saber series [was] due to start its sixth year with Donald Gray continuing as the private eye." The Danzigers also had lined up The Cheaters and a colour series The Adventures of Ali Baba for UA-TV to follow.

The series was bought by Sterling Drug and ran on NBC, Saturdays at 10:30 p.m., from January 30, 1960, while they were still releasing new episodes of the Danziger's previous series Saber of London on Sundays on the same network.

After its first run ended on 22 October 1960, the series was shown as NBC's Detective's Diary, from 14 January 1961, with reruns of Saber of London ending on 7 January.

Premise

Anthony Smith, an agent based at Britain's Interpol Division at Scotland Yard, takes on international assignments dealing with murderers, drug smugglers and slave runners.

Cast

Episodes

No. Title Directed by Written by Original release date (NBC) Ref
1 "Nest of Vipers" Godfrey Grayson Brian Clemens January 30, 1960
2 "The Feathered Friend" Godfrey Grayson Brian Clemens February 6, 1960
3 "Soul Pedlars" Max Varnel George St. George February 13, 1960
4 "Odds on Murder" Godfrey Grayson Eldon Howard February 20, 1960
5 "The Key Witness" Godfrey Grayson Brian Clemens February 27, 1960
6 "Escape Route" Ernest Morris Stanley Miller March 5, 1960
7 "All the Dead Were Harrisons" Godfrey Grayson Mark Grantham March 12, 1960
8 "Love by Extortion" Montgomery Tully Brian Clemens March 19, 1960
9 "The Dollmaker" Robert Lynn Unknown March 26, 1960
10 "No Other Way" Ernest Morris Eldon Howard April 2, 1960
11 "The Trap" Godfrey Grayson Brian Clemens April 9, 1960
12 "The Man Who Sold Hope" Robert Lynn Brian Clemens April 16, 1960
13 "The Murder Racket" Godfrey Grayson Unknown April 23, 1960
14 "Death Via Parcel Post" Montgomery Tully Mark Grantham April 30, 1960
15 "Out of Thin Air" Montgomery Tully Brian Clemens May 7, 1960
16 "The Case of Mike Krello" Montgomery Tully Eldon Howard May 14, 1960
17 "Killer with a Long Arm" Montgomery Tully Brian Clemens May 21, 1960
18 "Murder in the Smart Set" Montgomery Tully Mark Grantham May 28, 1960
19 "The Front Man" Unknown Unknown June 4, 1960
20 "Murder Below Deck" Montgomery Tully Mark Grantham June 11, 1960
21 "International Diamond Incident" Montgomery Tully Unknown June 18, 1960
22 "The Last Words" Godfrey Grayson Brian Clemens June 25, 1960
23 "The Maharajah of Den" Peter Curran Eldon Howard July 2, 1960
24 "Diplomatic Courier" Montgomery Tully Howard Eldon July 9, 1960
25 "Inside Job" Godfrey Grayson Brian Clemens July 16, 1960
26 "A Woman in Paris" Montgomery Tully Eldon Howard July 23, 1960
27 "Mistaken Identity" Godfrey Grayson Brian Clemens July 30, 1960
28 "Man Alone" Max Varnel Brian Clemens August 6, 1960
29 "Missing Child" Max Varnel Eldon Howard August 13, 1960
30 "The Big Thirst" Godfrey Grayson Unknown August 20, 1960
31 "My Brother's Keeper" Godfrey Grayson Unknown August 27, 1960
32 "Death in Oils" Godfrey Grayson Mark Grantham September 3, 1960
33 "Multi-Murder" Godfrey Grayson Brian Clemens September 10, 1960
34 "Latest Fashions in Crime" Godfrey Grayson Unknown September 17, 1960
35 "The Art of Murder" Godfrey Grayson Unknown September 24, 1960
36 "The Child of Eve" Godfrey Grayson Unknown October 1, 1960
37 "Tight Secret" Godfrey Grayson Ken Taylor October 8, 1960
38 "The Big Racket" Godfrey Grayson Brian Clemens October 15, 1960
39 "The Golden Shiri" Montgomery Tully Mark Grantham October 22, 1960

Title sequence

Original 1960 title card. Its removal in later prints accounts for a sudden jump seen in available episodes.

In its original form, as seen in the episode "Killer with a Long Arm", the series title caption opens with a panning shot from the roof of Scotland Yard down to ground level, where Anthony Smith exits through Deans Gate and stands by the road. The camera zooms in on Smith as the words "Man", then "from", then "Interpol" are superimposed in sequence. As the shot moves closer, the credit "Starring Richard Wyler as Anthony Smith in" is superimposed, followed by the episode title.

In most prints currently in circulation, this sequence is truncated. The pan down Scotland Yard begins half-way down the building, the zoom-in occurs without the superimposed titles, and there is a sudden cut to the close-up as the episode title appears.

Broadcast and streaming

The series was first broadcast in the United Kingdom on the ITV network in September 1960, where it was listed in the Wednesday schedule for the ITA/ITV network. The series continued to appear on ITV regional schedules until 1969.

The series was repeated on the UK satellite channel Bravo between 1989 and 1996. Listings for at least 32 episodes have been located in the British Newspaper Archive.

In April 2025 Talking Pictures TV began a repeat run from the Danziger archive billed as a new series.

Episodes shown were:

The episodes are made available on the channel's catch-up service TPTV Encore.

Home media

Germany

In June 2017 Pidax Film released the German-dubbed episodes as Der Mann von Interpol (Man from Interpol) [2 DVDs]

United Kingdom

A four-episode compilation The Danziger Crime Series was released on DVD in the UK on 18 July 2016 containing two episodes of Saber of London and two episodes of Man from Interpol – Escape Route and The Big Racket sourced from recordings of Bravo screenings.

Reception

According to BFI Screenonline "this uneasy attempt to graft a youthful hero (Wyler's boyish projection) on to a rugged crime-buster framework usually associated with more mature leading characters - Charles Korvin's Inspector Duval in the 1959–1960 series Interpol Calling (ITV), for instance – gave The Man from Interpol little more than an air of tired hysteria."

References

  1. ↑ The Man from Interpol at Danziger website
  2. ↑ Brooks, Tim & Marsh, Earle (2007). The Complete Directory to Prime Time Network and Cable TV Shows 1946-Present (9th ed.). New York: Ballantine Books. ISBN 978-0-345-49773-4.
  3. 1 2 Myers, Harold (7 January 1959). "Radio-Television: Croesus Never Had It So Good As Commercial Television In Britain". Variety. Vol. 213, no. 6. Danziger Productions, headed by Edward J. and Harry Lee Danziger, are now in their fourth year of the "Saber of London" series and recently started another batch of 39 called "Caesar Smith-Interpol Agent." The Danzigers work out of their own newly-built studios at Elstree
  4. ↑ Evans, Peter (10 April 1958). "Three In Search of The Common Touch". Kinematograph Weekly. Vol. 492, no. 2643. A NEW Danziger television series called "Interpol" started shooting at New Elstree last week with Dennis Shaw in the lead. But I foresee complications. Julian Windle and Leslie Parkyn have already acquired the world exclusive rights from Interpol to make a television series based on Interpol's activities, with scripts written around actual cases in the files at the organisation's Paris headquarters
  5. ↑ "The Great Van Robbery". Kinematograph Weekly. February 1959. United Artists. British (U). Featuring Kay Callard, Denis Shaw and Philip Saville. Produced by Edward J. Danziger and Harry Lee Danziger. Directed by Max Varnel. Story by Brian Clemens and Eldon Howard. Director of Photography, Nick Roeg. 6,350 feet. Release February 16, 1959. Caesar Smith, an Interpol detective from Scotland Yard, flies out, but the man proves to be innocent. Denis Shaw as the shrewd and courageous Smith
  6. ↑ "Malcolm Arnold Pacted For Musical Score On Interpol Vidpix Series". Variety. Vol. 215, no. 4. 24 June 1959. Malcolm Arnold, who wrote the theme music for [The Bridge on the River Kwai],has been signed to do the musical score for The Man From Interpol vidpic series now in production at the new Elstree studios, with Richard Wyler, the American star, in the lead. The skein, which is being produced by Edward J. and Harry Lee Danziger, is, of course, an expansion of the idea from their Interpol Calling series which has now suspended production at Pinewood after the completion of the first 14 half-hours. The Danziger's Interpol series has already been sold to Associated-Rediffusion for presentation on the British commercial network, but has not yet been offered to U.S. TV. Apart from the fact that the Danziger's Mark Saber series due to start its sixth year with Donald Gray continuing as the private eye, they also have lined up two other subjects to follow Interpol. One will be The Cheaters and the other, to be made in color, will be The Adventures of Ali Baba
  7. ↑ "Radio-Television: MAN FROM INTERPOL". Variety. Vol. 217, no. 10. 3 February 1960. MAN FROM INTERPOL With Richard Wyler, Willoughby Goddard, Stuart Saunders, Arthur Gomez, Carl Conway, Tony Doonan, others Producers: Edward J. and Harry Lee Danziger Director: Godfrey Grayson Writer: Brian Clemens 30 Mins., Sat., 10:30 p.m., STERLING DRUG NBC-TV (film) (Dancer-Fitzgerald-Sample) Danziger Bros.
  8. ↑ Ross Reports - Television Index, Vol. 12 No. 48, Nov 28-Dec 4, 1960, Editor Jerry Leichter - "NBC- Man from Interpol (Sat, 10:30-11pm NYT) Last program was on Oct 22, 1960. Detective's Diary (Sat, 12:30-1pm NYT) Reruns of the Man from Interpol series, starring Richard Wyler as special agent Anthony Smith of Scotland Yard's Interpol Division, begin on the program, effective Jan 14. Reruns of Mark Saber, ended with the program of Jan 7."
  9. ↑ "NBC- Man from Interpol; DEBUT". Ross Reports – Television Index. 4–10 January 1960. NBC- Man from Interpol; DEBUT Jan 30, Sat, 10:30-11pm NYT & LAT, Weekly; FILM; Man From Interpol; SATURDAY January 30; NBC 10:30pm - ADD: PREMIERE - Nest of Vipers; with series star Richard Wyler; and John Longden; Dir- Godfrey Grayson.
  10. ↑ "Previous Week – Additions and Deletions". Ross Reports – Television Index. 8–14 February 1960. Man From Interpol; SATURDAY February 6; NBC 10:30pm - ADD: The Feathered Friend; with Peter Elliott, Peggy Ann Clifford.
  11. ↑ "Previous Week – Additions and Deletions". Ross Reports – Television Index. 15–22 February 1960. Man From Interpol; SATURDAY February 13; NBC 10:30pm - ADD: Soul Pedlars.
  12. ↑ "Saturday February 20". Ross Reports – Television Index. 15–22 February 1960. Man From Interpol NBC 10:30 'Odds on Murder'
  13. ↑ "Television listings". Santa Cruz Sentinel. Vol. 104, no. 48. 26 February 1960. Saturday KRCA - Ch 4 10:30 Man from Interpol "The Key Witness"
  14. ↑ "Saturday March 5". Ross Reports – Television Index. 29 February – 6 March 1960. Man From Interpol NBC 10:30 'Escape Route'
  15. ↑ "Previous Week – Additions and Deletions". Ross Reports – Television Index. 14 February 1960. Man From Interpol; SATURDAY, March 12; NBC 10:30pm - ADD: All The Dead Were Harrisons.
  16. ↑ "Previous Week – Additions and Deletions". Ross Reports – Television Index. 21–27 March 1960. The Man From Interpol; SATURDAY March 19; NBC 10:30pm - ADD: Love by Extortion; with John Serret.
  17. ↑ "Previous Week – Additions and Deletions". Ross Reports – Television Index. 28 March – 3 April 1960. Man From Interpol; SATURDAY March 26; NBC 10:30pm - ADD: The Dollmaker.
  18. ↑ "Saturday April 2". Ross Reports – Television Index. 28 March – 3 April 1960. Man From Interpol NBC 10:30 'No Other Way'
  19. ↑ "Previous Week – Additions and Deletions". Ross Reports – Television Index. 11–17 April 1960. Man From Interpol; SATURDAY April 9; NBC 10:30pm - ADD: The Trap.
  20. ↑ "Saturday April 16". Ross Reports – Television Index. 11–17 April 1960. Man From Interpol NBC 10:30 'The Man Who Sold Hope'
  21. ↑ "Saturday April 23". Ross Reports – Television Index. 18–24 April 1960. Man From Interpol NBC 10:30 'The Murder Racket'
  22. ↑ "Television listings". Santa Cruz Sentinel. Vol. 104, no. 102. 29 April 1960. Ch 4 (San Francisco) Saturday 10:30 Man from Interpol "Death Via Parcel Post"
  23. ↑ "Television listings". Santa Cruz Sentinel. Vol. 104, no. 108. 6 May 1960. Ch 4 (San Francisco) Saturday 10:30 Man from Interpol "Out of Thin Air"
  24. ↑ "Previous Week – Additions and Deletions". Ross Reports – Television Index. 12–22 May 1960. Man From Interpol; SATURDAY May 14; NBC 10:30pm - ADD: The Case of Mike Krello; with Bill O'Connor.
  25. ↑ "Previous Week – Additions and Deletions". Ross Reports – Television Index. 23–29 May 1960. Man From Interpol; SATURDAY May 21; NBC 10:30pm - ADD: The Killer With a Long Arm.
  26. ↑ "Saturday May 28". Ross Reports – Television Index. 23–29 May 1960. Man From Interpol NBC 10:30 'Murder in the Smart Set'
  27. ↑ "Television listings". San Bernardino Sun. Vol. 66. 4 June 1960. Ch 4 - KRCA - 10:30 Man from Interpol "The Front Man"
  28. ↑ "Previous Week – Additions and Deletions". Ross Reports – Television Index. 13–19 June 1960. Man From Interpol; SATURDAY June 11; NBC 10:30pm - ADD: Murder Below Deck; with Mahmood Mall, Michael Peake, Peter Elliott.
  29. ↑ "Previous Week – Additions and Deletions". Ross Reports – Television Index. 20–27 June 1960. Man From Interpol; SATURDAY June 18; NBC 10:30pm - ADD: International Diamond Incident; with Paul Carpenter, Jill Melford, Andre Mikhelson.
  30. ↑ "Saturday June 25". Ross Reports – Television Index. 20–27 June 1960. Man From Interpol NBC 10:30 'The Last Words'
  31. ↑ "Previous Week – Additions and Deletions". Ross Reports – Television Index. 4–10 July 1960. Man From Interpol; SATURDAY, July 2; NBC 10:50pm - ADD: Maharajah of Den; with Francis Matthews.
  32. ↑ "Previous Week – Additions and Deletions". Ross Reports – Television Index. 11–17 July 1960. Man From Interpol; SATURDAY, July 9; NBC 10:30pm - ADD: Diplomatic Courier.
  33. ↑ "Saturday July 16". Ross Reports – Television Index. 11–17 July 1960. Man From Interpol NBC 10:30 'Inside Job'
  34. ↑ "Saturday July 23". Ross Reports – Television Index. 18–24 July 1960. Man From Interpol NBC 10:30 'A Woman in Paris'
  35. ↑ "Saturday July 30". Ross Reports – Television Index. 24–31 July 1960. Man From Interpol NBC 10:30 'Mistaken Identity'
  36. ↑ "Saturday August 6". Ross Reports – Television Index. 1–7 August 1960. Man From Interpol NBC 10:30 'Man Alone'
  37. ↑ "Saturday August 13". Ross Reports – Television Index. 8–14 August 1960. Man From Interpol NBC 10:30 'Missing Child'
  38. ↑ "Saturday August 20". Ross Reports – Television Index. 15–21 August 1960. Man From Interpol NBC 10:30 'The Big Thirst'
  39. ↑ "Saturday August 27". Ross Reports – Television Index. 15–21 August 1960. Man From Interpol NBC 10:30 'My Brother's Keeper'
  40. ↑ "Television listings". Santa Cruz Sentinel. Vol. 104, no. 208. 2 September 1960. Saturday KRCA - Ch 4 10:30 Man from Interpol "Death in Oils"
  41. ↑ "Television listings". Santa Cruz Sentinel. Vol. 104, no. 213. 9 September 1960. Saturday KRCA - Ch 4 10:30 "Multi Murder" Man from Interpol
  42. ↑ "Television listings". San Bernardino Sun. Vol. 67. 17 September 1960. KRCA - Ch 4 10:30 Man from Interpol The International Police investigate fashion stealers during "Latest Fashions in Crime"
  43. ↑ "Television listings". Santa Cruz Sentinel. Vol. 104, no. 225. 23 September 1960. Saturday KRCA - Ch 4 10:30 Man from Interpol "The Art of Murder"
  44. ↑ "Television listings". The Philadelphia Inquirer. 1 October 1960. WRCV-TV 10:30 Man from Interpol "Child of Eve"
  45. ↑ "Television listings". Santa Cruz Sentinel. Vol. 104, no. 237. 7 October 1960. Saturday KRCA - Ch 4 10:30 Man from Interpol "Tight Secret"
  46. ↑ "Television listings". Santa Cruz Sentinel. Vol. 104, no. 243. 14 October 1960. Saturday KRCA - Ch 4 10:30 Man from Interpol "The Big Racket"
  47. ↑ "Television listings". San Bernardino Sun. Vol. 67. 22 October 1960. KRCA - Ch 4 10:30 Man from Interpol Arthur Gomez and Neil Hallett star in "The Golden Shiri."
  48. 1 2 "TPTV Subtitles 2–8 June 2025" (PDF). Talking Pictures TV. 2 June 2025. Retrieved 2 August 2026.
  49. ↑ "A Comparison of the BBC & ITA Schedules – ITA Wednesday – Man from Interpol". Television Mail: 8. 23 September 1960.
  50. 1 2 "Week Commencing 28th April 2025 – TPTV Highlights" (PDF). Talking Pictures TV. 28 April 2025. Retrieved 2 August 2026.
  51. ↑ "Talking Pictures TV – Blu-ray Forum – Week 5–11 May 2025". Retrieved 2 August 2026.
  52. ↑ "TPTV Subtitles 12–18 May 2025" (PDF). Talking Pictures TV. 12 May 2025. Retrieved 2 August 2026.
  53. ↑ "TPTV Subtitles 19–25 May 2025" (PDF). Talking Pictures TV. 19 May 2025. Retrieved 2 August 2026.
  54. ↑ "Week Commencing 9th June 2025 – TPTV Highlights" (PDF). Talking Pictures TV. 9 June 2025. Retrieved 2 August 2026.
  55. ↑ "Week Commencing 16th June 2025 – TPTV Highlights" (PDF). Talking Pictures TV. 16 June 2025. Retrieved 2 August 2026.
  56. ↑ "Week Commencing 23rd June 2025 – TPTV Highlights" (PDF). Talking Pictures TV. 23 June 2025. Retrieved 2 August 2026.
  57. ↑ TPTV Highlights PDFs passim
  58. ↑ "Mann von Interpol – Deutsche TV-Premiere: 05.04.1966 (ZDF)". wunschliste.de. Retrieved 2 August 2026.
  59. ↑ "The Danziger Crime Series – DVD – 18/07/2016 – RRP £19.99". Find-DVD. Retrieved 2 August 2026.
  60. ↑ The Danzigers at BFI Screenonline