Isn't it funny how a lot of old 1960s TV shows are getting re-made either as new shows or as movies? And isn't it funny too how some 'remakes' are really nothing like the original? Well, one of those old shows was called 'The Adventurer'. It starred one of the men who almost played James Bond (but was passed over for Roger Moore), Norman Walker. Walker was one of the lesser action-hero actors. He played 'The Adventurer' for three years in the 1960s, and in two feature-films. Then he was badly injured in a car accident. Since then he'd lived as a recluse in his home in Surrey.
'The Adventurer' was based on a series of books by John Barton, published in the 1950s and '60s (in fact through to the 1980s) starring Richard Coventry, international adventurer. Coventry and his lovely assistant and secretary, Miss Lana Coll, had travelled the world having adventures in short stories and novels. The TV show had followed the same format. Barton retired in luxury on the proceeds. He also lived in a mansion in Surrey, until recent losses on the stockmarket had forced him to sell up.
In the show Lana Coll had been played by a lovely redhead called Molly Farrow. She was quite a star in her day, but now she's relegated to playing bit-parts in poor sitcoms. She was on 'The Bill' recently, Scruff tells me.
And 'The Adventurer'? Apart from a few repeats on BBC 2 a few years back, the show was remembered fondly by those who saw it in the '60s. It has a mild cult following, and Molly Farrow's retirement plan was built on her engagements at cult TV conventions - since Walker hasn't appeared in public since 1978.
Why am I telling you this? Because there was an attempt to do a 'remake' film of the show. It ended a couple of weeks back in failure. It would have ended in a terrible tragedy if I hadn't happened to be involved. This is the story of how it happened, the story of...
THE REVENGE OF THE ADVENTURER!!!
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