Fri 15 Nov 2019
A TV Episode Review: DANGEROUS ASSIGNMENT “The Knitting Needle Story.”
Posted by Steve under Reviews , TV Espionage & Spies[11] Comments
DANGEROUS ASSIGNMENT “The Knitting Needle Story.” Syndicated, though largely to NBC stations. 02 June 1952. (Season 1 Episode 30). Brian Donlevy (Steve Mitchell), Jim Flavin, Jan Arvan, Steve Roberts, Fay Baker, Frances Rafferty. Writers: Writers: Eddie Forman, Adrian Gendot, Robert Ryf. Directo: Bill Karn.
Before its one and only one season on TV, Dangerous Assignment had already been on the radio for several years, in a series also starring Brian Donlevy as a secret agent whose job took him on, well, dangerous assignments all over the world. When the series was passed upon up by all of the then current TV networks, Donlevy decided to pick up the tab himself for one season’s worth of 39 syndicated episodes.
I did not choose to watch “The Knitting Needle Story” for any particular reason. Although the complete series is available on DVD, I just happened to come across this one on YouTube. Based on my memories of watching this when I was young, I can’t say this with certainty, but I think it’s about average for the series, better than some, but perhaps not as good as others.
In this one Steve Mitchell is assigned to be the bodyguard of an Italian news reporter heading by plane back to his native country with a scoop about The Black Hand, important information with international implications. There are naturally those who do not wish him to make it home with the story he has to tell.
Most of the action takes place on the plane, not that there’s a lot of action. There are several twists to the story, though, plus one huge red herring that sounds worth investigation but is dropped almost as quickly. There has to be a lot of skill involved in putting together a story as complete, complicated and still coherent as this one is, and in only 25 minutes.
But as agent Steve Mitchell, Brian Donlevy tries his best to appear suave and debonair, but he comes off as only stolid and solid. James Bond hadn’t come on the scene yet: in book form, he was only a year later. Even if their careers had overlapped a little, Bond would still have had nothing to worry about, not in comparison with he rather dull Steve Mitchell. The latter was of an earlier time, and a different era.
November 15th, 2019 at 7:59 pm
I must confess I wasn’t aware of the television version; so count me as surprised by this review and also, glad to learn a new fact.
I am a fan of the radio serial, which shouldn’t surprise anyone. ‘Dangerous Assignment’ is entertaining listening. Regardless of how it may have fared in visual form, the radio version generates some warmth and fondness from myself. Something about it is always pleasantly light and breezy; it’s remarkably consistent in form from week to week. Nimble writing may make the better televised episodes but in the radio serial it was standard and never strained or pinched.
What you observe about ‘Steve Mitchell’ being somewhat bland, rings true from where I stand. But somehow in the audio-only romps, this is much easier to overlook. Donlevy’s confident, self-deprecating voice-over patter as Mitchell keeps the story skipping along. There’s utterly no drag or waste.
And the plots are always fairly lively even without this. Week to week, Mitchell finds himself on safari in Kenya, on Indonesian riverboats, on a dhow in the Bosphorus, among herdsmen outside Athens, with smugglers in Marseilles. Invariably posing as a ‘reporter doing a story’ and assisting resistance movements, thwarting border-wars, preventing regimes from collapsing, saving elections, or frustrating local warlords. Never the same thing twice. Marvelously inventive.
Fave episode: Mitchell foils a bomb plot at the UN building. Lively race across town against rush hour traffic, while seconds tick away.
Fave scene: Mitchell and a female agent must pose as married couple. Our hero meekly agrees to spend the evening playing cards with his colleague.
This is the kind of sacrifice-made-for-the-sake-of-pacing, in evidence here. Additionally, Mitchell never makes speeches, never ponders big questions, never doubts or questions. He simply moves from task to task with dauntless enthusiasm.
Corniest few seconds in any DA yarn is when suddenly, ‘something tapped me behind the ear’ and Steve ‘awakens later with a lump like a bird’s egg’ …but, the pace is immediately resumed with Steve ‘keeping an eye out for that joker’ and (when he finally gets his hand on the rascal’s collar) he ‘returns the loan with interest, buster!’
One can only shake one’s head at a hunk of Yankee beefcake this simplistic. But I’ve given DA half my attention, many’s the night, while frying something similar on the kitchen stove. It’s that kind of show.
Thanks for reviewing!
November 15th, 2019 at 9:52 pm
This damaged Brian Donlevy’s career, and it does not take much analysis to see or get it. Just take a look at his film projects going forward, and his parts, all taken to recover production costs. Did he? Probably not, and by the decade’s end, not winding down, but done.
November 15th, 2019 at 10:23 pm
Budget and a late middle aged hero meant you couldn’t expect a lot of action on the series. I enjoyed some of the television episodes, but they were seldom as good as the radio show where the theater of the mind was much more expansive.
I usually liked Donlevy, though his reputation is iffy on set. International man of mystery wasn’t really how I saw him, but then neither was Quatermass, or when he played a gentleman thief. He was usually best as a bluff reluctant good or genial bad guy.
November 16th, 2019 at 12:18 am
David,
I liked Brian best in his mid-forties MGM days, especially supporting Gable in Command Decision. I am less cool with his bad guy parts, especially the Gunga Din variation, Beau Geste. The three guys, Cooper, Preston and Milland could not possibly be related, much less brothers, but they were still great.
November 16th, 2019 at 1:09 am
Donlevy was such a pain in the ass to the cast and crew filming BEAU GESTE Ray Milland, an expert with a bayonet from his army days, actually ran him through while filming the scene where his character kills Donlevy. According to many Donlevy was much nicer when he came back from the hospital.
November 16th, 2019 at 12:25 pm
The irascible Donlevy and shenanigans he caused on the set of ‘Geste’ are indeed much storied. He needed to develop some personal maturity, perhaps. All in all however, it’s yet another sterling flick from the legendary year 1939 and Donlevy excelled in his role, (I think so anyway).
The Geste brothers casting –and their marked physical dissimilarity from each other. Yes, sure enough. The adaptation might have finessed this a bit more had writers played up the wrinkle that these boys were orphans and adopted by Lady Brandon. It could have been used to explain the difference; but they tried to bluff it out instead.
Poor Ray Milland and his complaint that Jack Warner supposedly made his hair fall out and ruined his career. If true, then …ouch.
November 16th, 2019 at 12:38 pm
Cecil B. DeMille not Jack Warner. They are different people, and Milland’s theory is nonsensical in any case.
November 16th, 2019 at 4:59 pm
No credit extended? I realize they’re two different people. Tough crowd ’round here…
November 17th, 2019 at 11:15 am
Donlevy got an Oscar nomination for Geste. He was also in Destry Rides Again in 39.
December 1st, 2019 at 12:34 am
Donlevy was a bit too much in character for most of the cast in GESTE, but it is a hell of a performance, worth getting bayoneted (he was in not real danger as Milland taught bayonet drill in the British army) for.
Barry, I agree about COMMAND DECISION, but generally liked him best in slightly out of character roles like THE GREAT MCGINTY (and his cameo in THE MIRACLE OF MORGAN CREEK), the Raffles style thief in GENTLEMAN AFTER DARK, the good bad guy in THE GREAT MAN, and the “souless” hero saved by Bob Cumming’s angel in HEAVEN ONLY KNOWS. He’s good in WAKE ISLAND too.
September 18th, 2020 at 9:32 pm
DA has very cheap sets that make Monogram studios look like MGM but the snappy script lines and Donlevy’s amusingly dry retorts are what makes this show very funny and fast paced. Much of the action is covered by verbal exposition so for anyone used to rapidfire Bourne style modern entertainment, DA is literally like watching paint dry. Lovely Elena Verdugo (the gypsy in House of Frankenstein and years later the nurse for 7 seasons in Marcus Welby) appeared in 3 episodes of DA.