Callan made Edward Woodward into a star. He plays a sort of James Bond as anti hero, a reluctant and downbeat assassin who wants to retire as he is being damaged by his work, but is blackmailed by the SIS into carrying out one last job, which is never his last.
Basically the 1973 film version of Callan was a remake of a classic episode A Magnum for Schneider, where Callan is ordered to kill a German businessman who has links to the Stasi and who is involved in some dodgy arms deals with a liking for Magnum revolvers. ( Interestingly the little known Japanese version of the pistol is mentioned in the film).
While I haven't seen this film for a while, it seems to have disappeared from the late night television schedules, Callan is quite a good and brutal film. Callan in this is shown to be a karate expert, he uses it to extract some information from his associate Lonely in his squalid bedsit and then dispenses with two arms dealers in the most brutal karate display this side of a Bruce Lee film. Also of note are a car chase which involves Callan driving a Range Rover through an orchard and a Jaguar being bounced across a level crossing by an Inter City train. Schneider, who is killed off by Callan, also has a penchant for collecting toy soldiers and re enacting classic battles.
Another interesting fact about the film is Clifford Rose makes an appearance as a consultant physician, later he was to make his name as the sinister SS officer Kessler in Secret Army.
Not a great film, but a good way to pass an afternoon and Russell Hunter in particular is excellent as Lonely, the smelly, loyal informant for Callan who deserves a medal for the way Callan treats him throughout the film( usually knocking him about).
Basically the 1973 film version of Callan was a remake of a classic episode A Magnum for Schneider, where Callan is ordered to kill a German businessman who has links to the Stasi and who is involved in some dodgy arms deals with a liking for Magnum revolvers. ( Interestingly the little known Japanese version of the pistol is mentioned in the film).
While I haven't seen this film for a while, it seems to have disappeared from the late night television schedules, Callan is quite a good and brutal film. Callan in this is shown to be a karate expert, he uses it to extract some information from his associate Lonely in his squalid bedsit and then dispenses with two arms dealers in the most brutal karate display this side of a Bruce Lee film. Also of note are a car chase which involves Callan driving a Range Rover through an orchard and a Jaguar being bounced across a level crossing by an Inter City train. Schneider, who is killed off by Callan, also has a penchant for collecting toy soldiers and re enacting classic battles.
Another interesting fact about the film is Clifford Rose makes an appearance as a consultant physician, later he was to make his name as the sinister SS officer Kessler in Secret Army.
Not a great film, but a good way to pass an afternoon and Russell Hunter in particular is excellent as Lonely, the smelly, loyal informant for Callan who deserves a medal for the way Callan treats him throughout the film( usually knocking him about).