'Amos Burke Secret Agent' was a short-lived spin-off from Aaron Spelling's hit show 'Burke's Law', which starred Gene Barry ( who sadly passed away last week ) as police captain Amos Burke, who solves murders whilst enjoying a playboy lifestyle. In 1965, with James Bond mania sweeping the world, it was decided to give Burke a make-over, turning him into a suave, globe-trotting secret agent, answerable only to 'The Man' ( Carl Benton Reid ), who briefed him each week from a private D.C.-9.
Burke's old Rolls Royce was bullet-proofed, and a good thing too as he was often under fire from a wide assortment of crooks, saboteurs, and all-round mischief makers. He also had a variety of gadgets to help him out.
'Steam Heat', the third episode broadcast, is notable mainly for a plot that resembles both book and movie of 'Goldfinger', the latter of which had only been released the year before. It starts with a curious scene as Amos, in disguise, robs a jewellery store, making off with thousands of dollars worth of gems. News of the theft spreads, and suddenly he is asked to join 'The Syndicate', an organised crime outfit based on the Continent. Its leader, Albert Indigo ( also known as 'Mr.I'. ) is smarting because a judge named Burrows ordered his deportation. Mr.I plans not only to return to the States, but to extract revenge by pulling off the crime of the century ( what another one? ). Using a nerve gas pumped through the steam mains, he will put the population of New York City to sleep, leaving his minions free to loot every bank, jewellery store and art gallery around. Burke alerts the police to the scheme by putting an S.O.S. in Silkie's bracelet.
Written by Marc Brandel, who penned a number of the half-hour 'Danger Man' stories starring Patrick McGoohan, and whose name appears on the 'A Man Called Sloane' adventure 'The Venus Microbe', this manages to be a lot of fun despite the deva vu. It zips along nicely with plenty of action. As 'Mr.I', Nehemiah Persoff bellows and snarls like a mad bull ( as he did in many other adventure shows of the period ), and Jane Wald is suitably alluring as 'Ursula Prince', one of Burke's fellow agents. Stealing the show, however, is the magnificent ( and alas deceased ) Kipp Hamilton as gangster's moll 'Silkie'. What she first appears she seems a bit simple, deploying an annoying catchphrase ( "Fun-ny!" ) at every opportunity. She is actually quite dangerous. Fancying Burke like mad, she callously sets up Ursula ( believing her to be his girlfriend ) to be killed, and shows no remorse afterwards. The other crooks are a colourful bunch that include 'Tucson, the Cowboy', played by James Best. One is reminded of the hoods whom Goldfinger courted ( and wiped out using Nerve Gas G ).
'The New Avengers' did a similar plot in 1976, entitled 'Sleeper'.
The coda in Burke's hotel room in which he receives new orders from 'The Man' on a long-playing flapjack struck me as an amusing parody of the opening of 'Mission: Impossible' until I realised the Bruce Geller-created show was a few months in the future. Prescient or what?
Burke's old Rolls Royce was bullet-proofed, and a good thing too as he was often under fire from a wide assortment of crooks, saboteurs, and all-round mischief makers. He also had a variety of gadgets to help him out.
'Steam Heat', the third episode broadcast, is notable mainly for a plot that resembles both book and movie of 'Goldfinger', the latter of which had only been released the year before. It starts with a curious scene as Amos, in disguise, robs a jewellery store, making off with thousands of dollars worth of gems. News of the theft spreads, and suddenly he is asked to join 'The Syndicate', an organised crime outfit based on the Continent. Its leader, Albert Indigo ( also known as 'Mr.I'. ) is smarting because a judge named Burrows ordered his deportation. Mr.I plans not only to return to the States, but to extract revenge by pulling off the crime of the century ( what another one? ). Using a nerve gas pumped through the steam mains, he will put the population of New York City to sleep, leaving his minions free to loot every bank, jewellery store and art gallery around. Burke alerts the police to the scheme by putting an S.O.S. in Silkie's bracelet.
Written by Marc Brandel, who penned a number of the half-hour 'Danger Man' stories starring Patrick McGoohan, and whose name appears on the 'A Man Called Sloane' adventure 'The Venus Microbe', this manages to be a lot of fun despite the deva vu. It zips along nicely with plenty of action. As 'Mr.I', Nehemiah Persoff bellows and snarls like a mad bull ( as he did in many other adventure shows of the period ), and Jane Wald is suitably alluring as 'Ursula Prince', one of Burke's fellow agents. Stealing the show, however, is the magnificent ( and alas deceased ) Kipp Hamilton as gangster's moll 'Silkie'. What she first appears she seems a bit simple, deploying an annoying catchphrase ( "Fun-ny!" ) at every opportunity. She is actually quite dangerous. Fancying Burke like mad, she callously sets up Ursula ( believing her to be his girlfriend ) to be killed, and shows no remorse afterwards. The other crooks are a colourful bunch that include 'Tucson, the Cowboy', played by James Best. One is reminded of the hoods whom Goldfinger courted ( and wiped out using Nerve Gas G ).
'The New Avengers' did a similar plot in 1976, entitled 'Sleeper'.
The coda in Burke's hotel room in which he receives new orders from 'The Man' on a long-playing flapjack struck me as an amusing parody of the opening of 'Mission: Impossible' until I realised the Bruce Geller-created show was a few months in the future. Prescient or what?
