The Persuaders

[stuart.uk]

The Persuaders though a failure in America, was a world wide hit everywhere else. It was accepted by most that Roger Moore got the part of James Bond because TP was canceled, but Roger in his recent biopic claims he agreed to play Lord Brett Sinclair on a handshake and that while the series failed in the U.S producer Bob Baker thought he could crack America with a second series. However, Roger knew the makers of Bond wanted him to play 007, so that was that as far as TP was concerned. Bob Baker also claimed that TP was ahead of its time as far as an American audience was concerned.

Bob Baker had an idea for a buddy series between an English and American character, so as an experiment he teamed Stuart Damon with Roger Moore in The Saint episode The Ex King Of Diamonds. Damon, now as far as I believe a popular tv actor in America, was at the time one of the three stars of another Brit Adventure series The Champions but was thought not to be big enough a name to co-star with Roger in such a high profile series.

TV and movie mogul Lew Grade told Roger he could hand pick his co-star, though Lew suggested either Glenn Ford or Rock Hudson for the role of self made millionaire Danny Wilde. Roger though felt Glenn, as he experienced in Interrupted Melody, was a selfish actor and that it wouldn't work out. He also felt that Rock was to similar to him as an actor for it also to work. However, he felt Tony Curtis would be a good contrast. I must admit I'd find it difficult to imagine Glenn or any other American actor of that period being able to play Danny the way Tony did.

Lew Grade on The Wogan Show was asked who was the most difficult actor he worked with and who was the best. He answered Tony Curtis-difficult, Roger Moore-the best. It's been said Roger and Tony didn't get along, but both men deny this. Roger in his book does claim Tony had to learn that working as a tv star was a little different to being a star in a movie and that he had to muck in with everyone else. It was also suggested Tony only worked about 8 hours a day while Roger put in more of a shift.

In the series old British character actor Laurence Naythsmith played Judge Fulton. Fulton wanted two men to help him bring criminals to justice. He picked Lord Brett Sinclair, a rich aristocrat, who fought in Korea and owned his own F1 motor racing car, which he drove himself. The Judge also picked Danny Wilde, a man born in the slums of New York, joined the Navy and became an oil tycoon.

[JackFavell]

Stuart-

I have not seen this show for years, but remember it fondly. It showed in odd time slots here in the U.S., like on Saturday afternoons.

I always thought the two actors were great together, they seemed to have the same sense of humor.