The Persuaders!
The Persuaders!
| 17 September 1971 (USA)

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  • Reviews
    Alicia

    I love this movie so much

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    Cebalord

    Very best movie i ever watch

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    Micitype

    Pretty Good

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    Staci Frederick

    Blistering performances.

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    Maddyclassicfilms

    Devised and produced by Robert S.Baker,The Persuaders is still regarded by many viewers as the greatest of Lew Grade's ITC film series.It stars Tony Curtis,Roger Moore and Laurence Naismith.From the brilliant and iconic theme tune by John Barry,to the glamorous locations and exciting car chases, this series has something for everyone to enjoy.Lord Brett Sinclair(Roger Moore)is a British peer of the realm,born into wealth and privilege. Danny Wilde(Tony Curtis)is a self made man, moving away from the poverty of the New York slums to become a wealthy oil magnate. The pair are conned into solving crimes and helping people in need by retired Judge Felton(Laurence Naismith).Although polar opposites in both taste and personality Brett and Danny soon find a way to tolerate one another. They end up becoming the best of friends and save each others lives many times.Famously Moore got to pick his co-star from a choice of three Glenn Ford,Rock Hudson or Tony Curtis he chose Curtis.Doing so was a wise decision as the pair are magical together, it's very hard to imagine anyone else playing Danny Wilde quite the way Curtis does.Famously the pair adlibbed dialogue like crazy,yet they never messed up scenes doing so. You can tell by watching the episodes that they are both having a fun time making the series.The Persuaders is a mix of adventure,action,humour and style with it's stars being the cherry on top. The Blu-ray boxset is well worth buying, the picture quality is fantastic and there's some good extras too.

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    ShadeGrenade

    Following the 'The Saint' television series in 1969, Roger Moore attempted to launch himself as a movie star. With Cary Grant having recently retired, there was a gap in the market for a new debonair English leading man. His first films were 'Crossplot' and 'The Man Who Haunted Himself', but neither proved successful ( though the latter later became a minor cult picture ). When Sir Lew Grade told the actor he had pre-sold a new series to the States starring both him and Tony Curtis, he was less than pleased. But money talks, and so Roger signed on the dotted line.Created by 'Saint' producer Robert S.Baker, 'The Persuaders!' starred Curtis as 'Danny Wilde', a brash Brooklyn millionaire who became rich through hard work - and Moore as 'Lord Brett Sinclair' who got his money through inheritance. The starting point was 'The Ex-King Of Diamonds', a 'Saint' story in which Templar teamed up with a Texan oil millionaire, played by Stuart Damon. In the first episode - 'Overture' by Brian Clemens - Brett and Danny meet at the French Riviera and chase another in sports cars to the strains of a lively pop song composed by Tony Hatch and Jackie Trent. Following a brawl in a bar, they are arrested. But fate has other plans for them; retired judge 'Fulton' ( Lawrence Naismith ) sees potential in the men and puts them to work as crime-fighters.It was a costly show to make; what with all the overseas location filming, clothes, champagne ( it was real ) and guest stars. The cars became stars in their own right; Danny drove a red Ferrari Dino, while Brett had a gold Aston Martin. It was basically 'The Saint' revisited combined with Hope and Crosby-style comedy. Each week, Danny and Brett were to be found either living it up on the Continent or enjoying post-swinging London. The chemistry between the leads was heady indeed. Much ad libbing went on; in one episode, when Brett appeared in his House of Lords ermine, Danny grabbed his arm, and quipped: "We want to get married!".Memorable episodes include 'A Place In The Country' in which Danny buys a rundown country cottage, only to get caught in a local counterfeiting operation; 'A Death In The Family' sent up 'Kind Hearts & Coronets' as one by one, Brett's family ( all played by Moore ) are wiped out by a mysterious killer; 'Chain Of Events' has Danny handcuffed to a briefcase which turns out to contain a bomb. Among the writers were Terry Nation, Michael Pertwee, Val Guest, Terence Feely, and Milton S.Gelman. The latter penned the only really serious episode of the series - 'Angie...Angie' - in which an childhood friend of Danny's ( Larry Storch ) was revealed to to be a hit man.Beautiful girls popped up in the course of their adventures, including Joan Collins, Susan George, Juliet Harmer, Rosemary Nicols, Imogen Hassall, Madeline Smith, Cyd Hayman, and Viviane Ventura. One of the all-time great mysteries is how 'Mission: Impossible' ( a great show, yes, but well past its prime in 1971 ) managed to wipe the floor with 'The Persuaders!' in the U.S. ratings. In all other countries it was a big hit. The children's comic 'Countdown' ( later retitled 'T.V. Action' ) ran a weekly strip based on the show, and the powerful John Barry signature tune made the pop charts.As well as the girls, there were also wonderful guest-stars such as Ian Hendry, Nigel Green, Gladys Cooper, Tom Adams, and a rare television appearance from Terry-Thomas. As Britain suffered strikes, we could escape from our gloom ( when there was power ) by watching Tony and Roger each week visiting exotic locations. So massively popular was it that as soon as it ended repeats started in peak-time, prefaced initially by the 'Man From U.N.C.L.E.' movies. Had it been renewed, its unlikely Moore would have stayed as he was offered the chance to step into Sean Connery's shoes as the new 'James Bond'. Grade considered replacing him with Noel Harrison ( son of Rex ), but Baker talked him into abandoning the show. I think the decision was correct.'The Persuaders!', forty years on, remains an enjoyable romp, probably the last really great I.T.C. action series. In an era where modern British television is mostly poverty row stuff, we should be grateful it was ever made.

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    P_Cornelius

    The Persuaders would likely have been an international hit in America and abroad had it premiered a few years earlier--although the fact that Roger Moore and much of the production staff of The Persuaders was then making The Saint would have precluded the possibility. By 1971, however, the glamor of the jetsetting elite was just about to give way to mass tourism made possible by the Boeing 747. And the exotic world of Euro-spies and Cold War intrigue was about to be replaced by a mature Euro-terror movement, as exemplified by Baader-Meinhof and the Red Army Faction. The urbane world of Patrick McGoohan's Danger Man, Patrick Macnee's The Avengers, and Roger Moore's The Saint was about to disappear behind the nihilism and grimy proletarianism of Palestinian terrorism and Black September's Munich Massacre. The Persuaders suddenly looked out of place.Not to mention that, while Roger Moore was on his way up (to James Bond), Tony Curtis was on his way down as a movie star (1965's The Great Race was Curits' last good role in movies). In fact, I always thought that since Beau Maverick (Roger Moore) had grown from TV's Maverick into Brett Sinclair, it would only have been appropriate that James Garner's Bret Maverick been hired as "Beau" Wilde. Not likely, of course, since Garner was still a major film star. But it would have been interesting, although I must admit watching The Persuaders on STARZ' Action channel and on the recently released DVD, I've been won over by Curtis' ad libbing and level of physical energy.Final verdict: a great series that was just a few years too late in getting on to the tube. But note that the episodes filmed in Britain are far better than those that take place in the south of France.

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    conedm

    The thing I always remember from the Persuaders is the theme song by John Barry. Back then as a little boy it really gave me the creeps..Now over 30 years later, I still can understand why. The mystical zither melody line, the threatening violins and last but not least the moaning moog bass line, made you prepare for the worst to come.And that while the series itself where rather upbeat and frivol. Of course Tony Curtis and Roger Moore teamed up perfectly.If you get the chance you should really listen to the theme song.

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