Another of the many ITC series I remember watching on ITV as I was growing up, "Man in a Suitcase" (was Sting watching too?) was a lot grittier than the likes of say, "The Champions" or "The Avengers". It was a popular and obvious ploy of the production company to star a U. S. actor in series like these to help them sell in the American market, as witness Craig Damon in "The Champions", Steve Forrest in "The Baron" and Joel Fabiani in "Department S" right down to big names Tony Curtis in "The Persuaders" and Robert Vaughan in "The Protectors".
Here, American method actor Richard Bradford plays McGill (we never learn his first name) an ex-CIA operative exiled to England where he takes on cases, usually of the missing-persons variety, for $300 a day plus expenses. Here, he's assigned to seek out a rich but cold self-made businessman's young daughter Sue, played by Judy Geeson who is living the swinging high-life of the mid-60's, spending daddy's money on the continent in the company of a pair of young dirty rotten scoundrels who are out to wine, dine and ultimately crime her.
When the pair duly use her to steal $20000 of the old man's money, McGill is sent over to get it back and hopefully break the spell of her two svengalis and ultimately reconcile pater and daughter. To do so McGill poses as a rich American playboy and winds up in a crooked card game with the duo, now supplemented by another young punk, for added muscle.
The production does a reasonable job of convincing us we're actually in France and Bradford does his usual good job as the ice-cold McGill, although his aura of cool is almost shattered when you see him in swimming trunks and white ankle socks schmoozing Geeson by the pool. Julie Christie-lookalike Geeson is watchable too as the poor little rich girl.
Sure, the fight scenes are a bit suspect but it's fun to see the extras doing the frug to what the producer no doubt thought was cool 60's style incidental music. Although, to be truthful this wasn't one of the most gripping or exciting episodes in the series, it's still mildly diverting to watch today and I'm still certain I was right when aged only 7 or 8 way back then to watch the likes of this rather than the staid old BBC's contemporary "Dixon Of Dock Green" or even "Z Cars" shows.