A Disturbing Case

Infobox Television episode
Title = A Disturbing Case
Series = Randall and Hopkirk (Deceased)


Caption =
Season = 1
Episode = 2
Airdate = 28 September 1969
Production = 02
Writer = Mike Pratt
Director = Ray Austin
Guests = David Bauer
Gerald Flood
Adrian Ropes
Michael Griffiths
Patrick Jordan
Geoffrey Reed
Max Faulkner
Episode list = List of "Randall and Hopkirk (Deceased)" episodes
Prev = My Late Lamented Friend and Partner
Next = All Work and No Pay

A Disturbing Case is the second episode of the popular 1969 ITC CarltonBritish television series "Randall and Hopkirk (Deceased)" starring Mike Pratt, Kenneth Cope and Annette Andre. The episode was first broadcast on 28 September 1969 on the BBC. Directed by Ray Austin.

ynopsis

Jeff's car is stolen and used in a robbery, whereby the perpetrators use hypnotic suggestion to rob wealthy upper class businessmen.

Concerned for Jeff's mental health after hearing him talking to himself (in reality, Marty), Jeannie's sister Jenny (Judith Arthy) places a hidden tape recorder in a drawer in his office to capture him doing it again. When they have a "one-sided" conversation on tape, Jenny and Jeannie arrange to send Jeff to a Dr. Conrad (David Bauer) at the Lambert Clinic Nursing Home.

Retaining Jeff against his will and filling him with illegal drugs, it happens that Conrad is the mastermind behind the robberies, in league with a criminal known as William Smith who enters each household and robs the customers as they are hypnotised by telephone.

Dr. Conrad uses hypnosis to erase Marty from Jeff's mind, but Marty manages to impersonate Dr. Conrad's voice in order to communicate with Jeff. He instructs Jeff to break out of the facility and eventually the police are led there, arresting Dr. Conrad and his associates. Jeff claims that his "talking to himself" was all part of an elaborate ploy to get him placed in the hospital, and celebrates his success by taking the two sisters to dinner.

Overview

Jeff Randall initially collapses unconscious after being lightly thrown against a door by Phillip and Pentonville, the two hospital heavies, but later under hypnosis he beats some five men in fights, including Doctor Conrad.

Marty is seen pulling objects such as a door towards Jeff's head by inhaling in this episode. When teleporting to a specific location he is also heard to say "Made it! My sense of direction is improving!"

In this episode Jeannie's presumably younger sister Jenny is introduced in this episode. Like actress Annette Andre who portrays Jeannie she is real life is also Australian and the likeness between them is similar. Currently unemployed, she's staying with Jeannie from outside of London, what she terms "the sticks".

Cast

*Mike Pratt as Jeff Randall
*Kenneth Cope as Marty Hopkirk
*Annette Andre as Jeannie Hopkirk
*Judith Arthy .... Jennifer
*David Bauer .... Dr. Conrad
*Max Faulkner .... 2nd Male Nurse
*Gerald Flood .... Dr. Lambert
*Michael Griffiths .... Inspector Nelson
*Patrick Jordan .... Smart
*William Mervyn .... Whitty
*Charles Morgan .... Arthur Phillips
*Geoffrey Reed .... Ist Male Nurse
*Adrian Ropes .... Sergeant
*Les White .... Hales

Video and DVD release

The episode was released on VHS and several times on dvd with differing special features. "The Disturbing Case" was released by Carlton on DVD with the first episode "My Late Lamented Friend and Partner".

Trivia

Trivia: Silent behind-the-scenes footage of this episode was included as an extra on the fourth region 2 DVD. Shot by a 2nd unit crew using stand-ins for the leads, the sequence ran to 1'06m.

External links

*http://www.anorakzone.com/randall/old/index.html
*http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0682589/