User Reviews

SPECIAL BRANCH – 1973 – THREAT

Stephanie Beacham is a famous actress back in the UK after years spent in the U.S. She has received death threats over her outspoken political views. Special Branch is called in because she is the daughter of a cabinet minister.

George Sewell, Patrick Mower and Roger Rowland get the detail. Beacham is staying at the large estate house owned by big-wig, The Honorable James Bancroft. Bancroft is played by Jack Hedley. Sewell and Mower also move into the house so they can keep a close eye on Beacham.

Hedley is also financing a play Beacham will be in during her stay.

Two nights into the detail and one of the estate dogs is found dead outside of Beacham's bedroom window. The next day, Hedley, Beacham and Mower are in an auto wreck after the Land Rover they are in has a brake failure.

Beacham still carries on with the rehearsals for the play. During one of these rehearsals, a small bomb goes off in Beacham's dressing room. She is now completely rattled.

Sewell and Mower dig deep into the background of Hedley and several others. They discover that Hedley is behind everything. He thought these stunts would drive Beacham into his arms, as well as bump up the box office for the play.

Big-wig with or not, a peeved Sewell has Hedley arrested and charged. Also in the cast were, Douglas Milvain, Frank Barrie and David Cargill. (color)

Craven and Haggerty have to be bodyguards to a visiting movie star who is going to be appearing in a play in London.

Sue Arden (Stephanie Beacham) has made some controversial remarks about civil rights in America. It has inflamed right wingers. Hence the risk of a credible threat.

Arden is living in the mansion of financier James Bancroft. He is her former lover and the producer of the play.

Soon a guard dog is killed, a dressing room has a small explosion and the brakes in a car has been tampered with.

Craven thinks that this is less than an outside threat but more of an inside job. Maybe to boost publicity for the play.

Arden is obviously based on Elizabeth Taylor minus all the husbands. Beacham seems to be having fun playing Arden and she is also smarter than she makes out.

The culprit really gets Craven fired up. The type of born to rule brigade who thinks the law could not touch him. Sadly we have even more of those types today.