Episode 115: Emma Peel Era |
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Production completed: 27 February 1967 "Zis vill pack ze art houses!" A crazed film producer traps Emma in an old studio lot with the intent to revive his career by dramatically chronicling her actual death on film.
Silly? Without a doubt. Plotless? No argument. Over-the-top? Absolutely! What could be regarded as a comic variation of "The House That Jack Built" is highlighted by some outrageous performances and avant-garde imagery—Emma's wedding/funeral sequence is mesmerizing, and Peter Wyngarde, who was dazzling in "A Touch of Brimstone," is delightful as a Peter O'Toole-ish has-been who assumes a dizzying array of roles. Just remember to check your brain at the door, or you might miss a good time. Fans either love it or hate it—and some have even admitted to switching camps. Regardless of how you feel, at this site it is ranked by visitors as #16 of all episodes (in the previous voting run), and over at A&E it's #2 for the season. Seems as though it tends to run afoul mainly with the Seven Season Revisionists...
So, how many roles does Stewart Kirby play? One shy of a dozen. Damita Syn was busy, too, with six parts. Does the silent film score style music Z.Z. plays during the fight scene sound familiar? Watch "The Gravediggers" again... Recognize the abstract painting sitting on the floor in the scene just before Emma meets Damita? The sharp eye (in this case, Alix Sensale's) will notice it is also appears in "From Venus With Love." Bill McCutcheon spotted another recycled prop: When the policeman actor demonstrates his dramatic death scene, he falls down on the "Simon Roberts and Son" sign from "The Winged Avenger." This episode gave us a glimpse of what the actual set for Emma's flat might have looked like.
Emma growls MGM-lion-style as she is captioned with "A Z.Z. von Schnerk Production" (second image)!
Emma to her co-stars: "Gloat all you like. But just remember... I'm the star of this picture."
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EPIC |
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Teleplay by |
Brian Clemens |
CAST |
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John Steed |
Patrick Macnee 007 |
Anthony Dawes |
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David Lodge |
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Kenneth J. Warren |
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Peter Wyngarde |
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materials copyrighted per their respective copyright holders. |