Year:  1974
Rating: 7.0

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This 1974 film was based on the popular English TV series that ran from 1967 to 1972 for 44 episodes. It was produced by James Mitchell who also wrote five Callan books and a number of short stories about Callan. They all starred Edward Woodward as Callan. He would later of course leave the British government service he worked for and move to New York City where he became the The Equalizer. Ok - not really - but in a sense yes. The government service that Callan works for is a specialized part of MI5. They had a license to kill or do pretty much anything they want in order to protect the Homeland. Callan is a killer. A reluctant one but an efficient one. And not very good at much of anything else. He is a working class spy sort of like Harry Palmer but without the charm.


I have seen some of the TV episodes from Season (or Series) one and they are black and white and as sparse as a frigid winter morning. The budgets look non-existent but the scripts are smart and cynical. They later moved into color as is this film with a budget that looks like it could have covered the entire early seasons. But it is similar to the series in attitude and cynicism and is in fact based to some degree on the pilot, A Magnum for Mr. Schneider.


Callan has left the service and been given a job in a humdrum office that he hates. He is contacted by the head of his ex-service Mr. Hunter (Eric Porter) and told that he can come back but has to prove himself first by killing someone. Who turns out to be in the office next door, Mr. Schneider. But he has to be killed on a specific date at his house. Which complicates matters. The entire film revolves around Callan and his preparations for the kill. And the service keeping a very close eye on him to see if he wavers. Lonely who is a recurring character through the TV series and this film is played once again by Russel Hunter.


I expect having seen the TV series and enjoying that helps a lot with this film but it is not essential. It is well-written and director Don Sharpe (Kiss of the Vampire, The Face of Fu Manchu, The Bride of Fu Manchu) moves it along slowly, meticulously but constantly building the tension as Callan gets closer to the expiration date of a target that he has come to like.