Callan - Armchair Theatre (1967) - A Magnum For Schneider

The Section

Featuring the surviving black & white episodes of Callan which ran from 1967 to 1969.

Opening titles.	Armchair Theatre (1967) A Magnum For Schneider Created and written by James Mitchell Directed by Bill Bain
Callan - Edward Woodward Schneider - Joseph Furst Hunter - Ronald Radd Meres - Peter Bowles Jenny - Francisca Tu Lonely - Russell Hunter Miss Brewis - Helen Ford Det. Insp. Pollock - Martin Wyldeck Det. Serg. Jones - John Scarborough Waterman - Ivor Dean Secretary - Judy Champ	Titles over section guns arranged on the counter top at the shooting range.
Hunter and Meres examine Callan's file.	A Magnum For Schneider opens with Hunter (head of the section) and Meres (section operative) examining a file on Callan, a section operative Hunter has withdrawn from active duty.
Callan arrives at the section's shooting range and picks up a revolver. Hunter goes out to meet with Callan, but tells Meres to stay out of sight. Callan has never met Meres.	The very first onscreen appearance of Callan.
Hunter lectures Callan about his dismal civilian employment prospects.	Hunter wants to discuss Callan's present civilian employment and Callan's bastard of a boss, both of which Hunter found for him.
Hunter watches as Callan tries his skill with a gun. They discuss the purpose of the section, a secret governmental department that deals ruthlessly with people who threaten national security, and Hunter offers Callan a job. The job must be done by Callan entirely on his own without any help from the section, not even the provision of a gun. Hunter has to be certain Callan hasn't lost his nerve or his resourcefulness and this is the test.	Hunter watches Callan shoot.
Hunter tells Callan about the job he wants done urgently.	The job is urgent and involves getting rid of a man whose section file is in a red cover, meaning he is a serious threat to security and must be eliminated. Up until recently Callan was the section's top man and best killer, but was taken out of service due to his increasing tendency to question orders, and his demands to know why his victims should be targeted.
Hunter shows Callan the file of a man named Schneider. Callan is hardly surprised by the coincidence that Schneider has an office in the same building Callan works in. Callan wants to know what Schneider has done but Hunter refuses to tell him; Callan's old weakness is already acting up. Hunter tells Callan that Schneider must be taken out urgently, and the fact he is in a red file is reason enough.	Hunter shows Callan Schneider's file.
Meres is instructed to keep an eye on Callan.	Callan notices a brand of revolver he hasn't seen before, a Noguchi .38 Magnum. He tries out the gun and is impressed. He accepts the job and Hunter gives him one week to eliminate Schneider. Back in his office Hunter instructs Meres to keep an eye on Callan, to see that nothing goes wrong; and, if necessary, take over the job.
On his way back to work, Callan accidentally bumps into Schneider in the hallway of their office building, causing him to drop some precious items he is carrying. Schneider is annoyed and Callan stops to help pick them up.	Callan accidentally bumps into Schneider in the hallway of their office building.
Callan impresses Schneider with his knowledge of model soldiers.	They are model soldiers, of the type Callan is passionate about, and he quickly impresses Schneider with his knowledge of them.
This shared enthusiasm leads Schneider to invite Callan into his office to show off some of his models which he has arranged on a table.	Schneider invites Callan into his office to show off his model soldiers.
Callan demonstrates his passion for model soldiers and military battles.	Schneider and Callan, in all innocence, get on very well, and discover a mutual interest in the re-enactment of historical military battles using models, something Callan is very knowledgeable about.
Callan has to leave to get back to work, and on the landing he looks back at the lock on Schneider's office door. He arrives back in his own office where his boss, Waterman the wholesaler, berates him for being slightly late. Callan gives Waterman cheek in return, and after the argument he settles down to his work.	Callan arrives back at work.
Callan thinks about Schneider.	His mind, however, is mainly on Schneider, wondering about what Schneider has done to warrant being in a red file. He also reflects on his liking for Schneider.
Two plainclothes policemen arrive at Schneider's office. From across the hall Callan hears them knocking and is curious. He sneaks out with Waterman none the wiser.	Waterman is oblivious as Callan sneaks off.
Police officers visit Schneider.	Detective Inspector Pollock and Detective Sergeant Jones want to talk to Schneider, yet Schneider seems blithely unconcerned, engaging in some over-the-top repartee.
Schneider lets the policemen into his office and Callan listens at the door for a short time as they question Schneider about his business. Schneider, at his messy desk, makes a show of not being able to find things. Callan has to get back to his own office and misses out on hearing the policemen confront Schneider about his alleged dealing in firearms. They obviously haven't enough evidence to take the matter further, and Schneider knows this, but they warn him he should stop.	Callan listens at the door while the police question Schneider.
Hunter speaks with Callan on the phone as Meres listens in.	Waterman goes out and Callan phones Hunter. Meres listens in on the conversation. Because of the police sniffing around Schneider, Callan tells Hunter in no uncertain terms the job is off. Hunter tells Callan to keep on it. Hunter will look into the situation with the policemen. Once off the phone, Hunter tells Meres to go out and keep an eye on Callan.
Callan finds Lonely, his unofficial underworld lackey, at the pub, and deliberately startles him. Callan buys the drinks and tells Lonely he has a task for him. Not for the first time Callan points out Lonely's body odour, a nervous condition, and insults him.	Callan finds Lonely at the pub.
Lonely listens to Callan's instructions.	Callan wants Lonely to get him a gun, a .38 revolver, and Lonely's price is £100. Callan wants the gun delivered to his home, and tells Lonely the address, but warns Lonely not to write it down. This is a wry insult as Callan knows Lonely can't write. Callan leaves the pub and Lonely returns to the bar, where Meres has been standing having a drink.
Callan breaks into Schneider's office and noses around. His only real purpose appears to be his wayward need to find out why Schneider has been marked for death. He finds a key and pockets it, and takes the time to play with Schneider's model soldiers. On the table he sees pencils enscribed with the brand Noguchi, makers of the section gun Callan liked.	Callan pauses to play with Schneider's models.
Meres reports to Hunter.	Meres reports to Hunter and describes Callan's meeting in the pub. From the description, Hunter knows right away Callan met Lonely, which probably means Callan is going to get a gun. They also discuss Schneider and his gun-running activities. Schneider coming to a nasty end will serve to warn off and curtail the activities of other gun-runners operating contrary to the national interest.
Callan returns to his flat and his neighbour Miss Brewis catches him in the hallway, calling out a friendly greeting. Once inside, Callan looks thoughtfully at the key he has stolen, wondering what it could be for.	Miss Brewis calls out to Callan.
Hunter rings Callan.	Hunter phones Callan and guarantees the police have been taken off Schneider. He tells Callan to get on with the job. Callan is playing with his own model soldiers when there is a knock at the door. It is Lonely delivering the revolver and ammunition.
At Schneider's home, Schneider and his lover Jenny chat and get ready to go out. Out in the lobby, Schneider locks his front door and sets an alarm, but he and Jenny are being watched by Callan who is posing as a window cleaner on the outside of the building.	Jenny and Schneider get ready to go out.
Callan breaks into Schneider's home.	Schneider and Jenny leave, then Callan climbs through into the lobby and switches off the alarm. He lets himself into the apartment using the key he stole from Schneider's office.
Using a stethoscope and a fine touch of skill, Callan breaks into Schneider's safe. In the safe he finds wads of money. He also finds clippings about the deaths of British military personnel overseas in recent conflicts, and statements that prove Schneider is dealing with the Japanese firm of Noguchi, buying arms and selling them to the enemy. Callan has finally discovered for himself why Schneider is in a red file.	Callan cracks Schneider's safe.
Callan gets out in the nick of time.	Callan gets out just as Schneider and Jenny are returning, but he is not seen by them.
Jenny is worried about Schneider's visit from the police and tells him so. Jenny wants to cut ties and leave for good, but Schneider is confident and wants to stay put long enough to pull off the lastest big deal he is working on, worth a huge sum of money, then they can go away together.	Jenny expresses her concern to Schneider.
Callan makes new demands of Lonely.	Once again Callan meets Lonely in the pub, and he tells Lonely he wants a different gun. Callan wants to swap the revolver Lonely brought him for a Noguchi .38 Magnum, for reasons Lonely doesn't really understand. However, there is a little extra in this deal for Lonely for his trouble. Lonely agrees to take the first gun back and bring Callan a Noguchi.
As he is leaving, Callan threatens Lonely and tells him to keep his mouth shut.	Callan threatens Lonely.
Schneider visits Callan at work.	Callan breaks into Schneider's office again and returns the stolen key to where he had found it. He then goes into his own office, and Schneider subsequently enters. There is a moment of unpleasantness in which a hint of the menace Schneider could be seems to surface, then he returns to his jovial self. Schneider speaks of his liking for Callan and invites him to his home that night to play at soldiers and re-enact battles.
Callan accepts the invitation and gets back to his work, but there is a moment of awkwardness when Schneider points out that Callan forgot to ask where Schneider lives. They agree to fight two historical battles that night. Back at his flat a troubled Callan is drinking scotch when Lonely arrives.	A troubled Callan drinks scotch at home.
Lonely brings Callan a gun.	Lonely has brought Callan the new gun and ammunition he asked for. Callan once again leans heavily on Lonely to keep schtum. Callan is very impressed with the revolver. After Lonely leaves, Callan phones the section but Hunter is not available. He leaves a message for Hunter with the secretary that he is seeing Schneider tonight and he should have his job completed by eleven o'clock.
Callan sits down at his table and turns on a tape recorder to make a recording. Meres creeps into the hallway and eavesdrops at Callan's door.	Meres listens at Callan's door.
Callan makes a tape recording for the police.	Callan starts a recording for the police, recounting his involvement with Hunter and the section, the job he is on to kill Schneider, and other details that will incriminate Hunter should Callan be caught and sent to prison. After finishing his recording Callan leaves, but once through his door and into the hallway, he is ambushed by Meres and knocked unconscious. Meres drags Callan back into the flat.
Meres listens to part of the recording. He examines Callan's gun but does not take it. He destroys the tape and reports to Hunter. Hunter thinks Callan is being ironic in his choice of a Noguchi to kill Schneider. He wants Meres to be on hand at Schneider's home, but to stay in the background. Hunter arranges for the two detectives to visit Schneider's home at eleven that night.	Meres knocks Callan unconscious.
Jenny plays hostess to Callan.	At his flat Callan is in pain and tries to recover from the knockout. Hunter rings him and tells him he was very foolish to make the recording, and stupid to try incriminating the section or revealing its existence. A note Callan had hidden at his place of work has also been found and destroyed. Callan keeps his appointment that evening at the home of Schneider and Jenny.
Callan and Schneider play a war game and Callan wins decisively. Meres breaks into the house undetected. Schneider and Callan begin a new battle. At the appointed hour, the time Callan has decided he will kill Schneider, Pollock and Jones ring the bell and Jenny comes in to tell Schneider there are two policemen at the door.	Jenny interrupts the battle.
Meres breaks in to Schneider's home.	Still hidden, Meres cocks a small pistol. Schneider is forced to leave the battle and go to the front door. Jenny and Callan chat at the war game table, and Jenny asks Callan, only half-jokingly, if he can let Schneider win. Callan seems troubled. Jenny says a warm good-night and goes off to bed, leaving Callan alone in the room.
Meres is hiding in the bedroom and he grabs Jenny but she struggles free. He is forced to club her and she cries out, alerting Callan. Callan comes to the bedroom door and Meres points a gun at him. Callan knows immediately Meres is from the section, and Meres tells him to get on with the job without any further delay.	Callan discovers Meres with an injured Jenny in the bedroom.
Callan confronts Meres.	Callan is angry and tells Meres the job is off. With the police at the door, Callan knows Hunter has set him up to be apprehended for Schneider's murder. Callan suddenly steps back out of the room and pulls the door shut, locking Meres in with the unconscious Jenny.
Schneider has been busy talking with the policemen and he refuses to answer their questions or let them in. They finally leave and Schneider returns to finish off the war game. He asks where Jenny is and Callan tells him she has gone to bed. The battle comes to an end as Callan wins again. Meres is trying to break out of the locked bedroom and Schneider hears a noise. Schneider asks Callan if he heard the noise and Callan says it is probably Jenny. Schneider disagrees and tells him someone is trying to break in.	Schneider rejoins the battle.
Schneider holds a gun on Callan.	With a little subterfuge Schneider catches Callan off guard and threatens him with a gun. Schneider quickly frisks Callan and doesn't appear to locate a weapon. Schneider hopes Callan is not involved and tells him so. He warns Callan not to make a sound and approaches the bedroom door, kicking it open violently. Meres, who has been bending down close to the lock, is stunned. Schneider holds the gun on Meres and is concerned about Jenny. In the background Callan reaches down and takes the .38 Magnum from a holster near his ankle.
Schneider gets Meres out into the living room and now has Meres on one side and Callan on the other. Schneider questions them and Callan admits he is with Meres. Schneider guesses correctly that they are not merely robbers but have come to kill him because of his business interests. Schneider has some regret regarding Callan but moves to shoot them both, starting with Meres. Callan shoots first, very quickly and accurately, and kills Schneider.	Callan shoots Schneider dead.
Callan reacts badly to the killing.	Callan suffers an emotional reaction to his killing of Schneider but recovers to deal with Meres.
Meres is behaving as if he and Callan have completed the job and are comrades-in-arms, but he has underestimated the depth of Callan's disillusionment. Callan approaches and asks if Meres was the the one who coshed him back at his flat. Meres says yes, and makes light of it. Callan strikes unexpectedly, incapacitating Meres with two vicious hand blows.	Callan drops Meres with two vicious hand blows.
Hunter gives instructions to his secretary via intercom.	Callan wipes down the .38 Magnum and puts it into Meres' hand. Callan leaves the apartment and rings Hunter. Callan describes the situation and says he has left Meres for the police. Hunter wants Callan to get Meres out and tries a bit of flattery, suggesting Meres should work under Callan for a while, that he has a lot to learn. Callan, however, says he will not get Meres out, that he did like Schneider and hates Hunter. Callan hangs up and phones the police.
Using the intercom, Hunter asks his secretary to confirm which colour the cover of Callan's file is. The answer is yellow, and Hunter instructs her to exchange it for a red one.	Callan's file gets a red cover.

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