Opening titles. |
Callan (1967) You Should Have Got Here Sooner Written by James Mitchell Directed by Piers Haggard |
Callan - Edward Woodward Hunter - Ronald Radd Meres - Anthony Valentine Lonely - Russell Hunter Pollock - Jon Laurimore Sue Lyall - Pinkie Johnstone Mrs Lyall - Anne Blake Loder - Derek Newark Flat Porter - Bernard Stone Secretary - Lisa Langdon Police Sergeants - Philip Ryan & Stanley Stewart |
Opening titles. |
Lonely is confronted in his own flat by a big, angry man. |
You Should Have Got Here Sooner opens
with a lone intruder in Lonely's flat going through Lonely's belongings, messing the place up and breaking things in the process. It's raining heavily outside and Lonely arrives home. The intruder hides behind the door as Lonely enters. Lonely stands and looks over his messed-up flat, then the intruder slams the door, shutting them both in. |
The big man demands of Lonely, "Where is it?"
At first Lonely thinks the man might be a policeman and stands up to him unconvincingly. The man flies into a rage and starts to brutally beat Lonely, repeating the question over and over. |
Lonely is badly beaten by the intruder. |
An injured Lonely lets Callan into the flat. |
The man beats Lonely unconscious and
throws water onto his face to bring him around. Just as he does this, Callan approaches the front door and calls out Lonely's name. Callan is stuck outside in the rain and growls at Lonely to let him in. The big intruder leaves by the back window as Lonely somehow struggles to his feet and opens the door. He falls into Callan's arms and Callan helps him to a chair. |
Callan tends to Lonely's injuries and questions
him about the attacker, getting a description. It transpires that Lonely has committed a burglary but he tells Callan that the man who beat him wasn't in the place he robbed. Callan wants to know where the stuff stolen by Lonely is. Lonely tells him it's at his aunty's. |
Lonely tells Callan where the stolen goods are. |
Callan warns Lonely the man who beat him will probably come back. |
Callan tells Lonely to get the stuff and bring
it back to Lonely's flat, that it might give them a lead on who clobbered Lonely. Lonely isn't keen, but Callan warns him the man will probably be back as he didn't get what he came for. As he's leaving, Callan asks Lonely to get him some ammunition. |
At the apartment Lonely unwittingly robbed,
Meres guards Pollock, gun in hand. Pollock is a spy who has just been broken out of jail by section operatives, but Pollock thinks Meres is a Russian agent, and that he is in Russian hands. Pollock has been rattled by the burglary, but Meres assures him they know who the burglar is and they will get Pollock's belongings back. There is something Pollock has that Meres wants. |
Meres watches an agitated Pollock. |
Meres reacts instantly upon hearing someone entering the room. |
There is the sound of someone coming into the
apartment and Meres reacts instantly, ready with his revolver. The new arrival is section operative Loder, the man who beat up Lonely. Loder and Meres speak briefly in Russian (for the benefit of Pollock), then Meres reports that the burglar has been found. Pollock wants his stuff back but Meres tells him it has been destroyed. |
Meres orders Pollock to go and lie down in
the bedroom to rest. Pollock is concerned for his safety. Meres tells Pollock he will keep watch while Pollock rests, and that they are soon moving to a different location. Reluctantly Pollock leaves the room. |
Meres assures Pollock he is safe. |
Meres questions Loder about his interrogation of Lonely. |
Meres wants to know from Loder what happened.
Loder reports that he had to rough Lonely up a bit, and complains that Lonely stinks. Meres thinks it is just as well Lonely stinks because it is this trait that identified him. Loder says he will go back tomorrow to make Lonely talk and get the stuff, but Meres has guessed the person who interrupted Loder was Callan, and he warns Loder that Loder still has a thing or two to learn. |
At Callan's flat, Callan examines the stuff
Lonely stole, looking for a clue to the intruder. Lonely tells Callan about his burglary of the apartment, which seemed easy at first. However, just as Lonely was getting ready to leave, a man came in and switched on the light, catching him red-handed. The man seemed scared, and Lonely made his escape. Lonely said the man was big and looked tough, so Callan can hardly believe he was afraid of Lonely. Lonely is adamant the man who caught him robbing the apartment was not the same man who beat him up at his flat. |
Lonely tells Callan about the flat he robbed. |
Callan notices something strange about a wallet stolen by Lonely. |
Callan notices something odd about a wallet
amongst the stolen property and rips open the lining with a knife. Hidden inside he finds a paper with a Sussex address written on it. |
Callan says he will go and have a look
at the flat in Holland Park that was robbed by Lonely. Callan tells Lonely he can stay behind, and Lonely speaks of how Callan has been a real friend to him. |
Lonely points out what a real friend Callan has been. |
Callan the Civil Servant dons a bowler. |
As Callan is leaving, Lonely holds up Callan's
revolver, still in its holster, and asks will Callan not need a gun? Callan puts on a bowler and announces he is with the Civil Service. |
Pretending to be a tax inspector, Callan
questions the porter about the robbed flat and learns it belongs to a major who has been away for six months. |
Callan questions the porter about the flat Lonely robbed. |
Callan cons the porter into letting him into the flat. |
Callan cons his way into the flat. As far as
the porter is concerned, no one has lived in the flat for the past six months. Callan learns the porter was away the night Lonely robbed the flat and found it occupied. |
Callan returns home and tells Lonely the flat
has been unoccupied for six months. Lonely is adamant it was occupied the night he robbed it. Callan believes Lonely but can't imagine who the occupant was or why he was there. |
Lonely insists the flat was occupied when he robbed it. |
Lonely speculates on the motives of the man who caught him robbing the flat. |
Lonely's brilliant idea is that the man who
caught him red-handed was there to rob the place as well. Callan is not convinced. Why would such a man send a thug around to beat up Lonely over a few trinkets? Callan announces he will go to the Sussex address the next day to see what he can find out. |
Lonely is tidying up and notices a photograph of
a man in the newspaper. The man is Pollock, the escaped spy, and Callan, with a wry chuckle, says he used to know Pollock. Lonely is beside himself and tells Callan this is the man who caught him in the flat, which shocks Callan. |
Lonely sees a picture of an escaped spy in the newspaper. |
A displeased Hunter asks Meres how the flat came to be burgled. |
In Hunter's office, Hunter is displeased and
wants to know how the Major's flat came to be burgled. Meres doesn't really have an explanation except to say Lonely is a very good burglar. |
Meres confirms that Lonely saw Pollock but that
he will not talk as he has been given a "warning". This brings up the subject of Callan, and Hunter tells Meres he does not want Callan involved, that Callan knows Pollock from when Callan worked on the Pollock case. At that time Callan posed as a police officer from Special Branch and also met the Lyalls who now live in Sussex. All Meres has so far been able to find out from Pollock is that he left information about the formula sought by Hunter with the Lyalls. |
Hunter says he does not want Callan involved. |
Meres reports on Pollock's emotional state. |
Hunter orders Meres to pose as a Special Branch
officer as well and visit the Lyalls with a search warrant, to see if he can find the formula. Hunter wants to know how Pollock is and Meres reports that he is restless and has been moved since the burglary and is now being kept isolated. |
Hunter wants to warn Callan to stay out of it,
but the secretary cannot get him on the phone. Callan has driven to Sussex, to the address written on the hidden paper. He watches the house, something of a mansion, from the car. |
Callan watches the Lyall house. |
Meres emerges from the house with Susan Lyall. |
Callan is somewhat amused to see Meres emerge
from the house, accompanied by a young woman. Meres leaves and Callan recognises the girl from his time on the Pollock case. She is Susan Lyall, Pollock's girlfriend, and at that time she knew Callan as a police officer. |
Callan rings the doorbell and poses as the
policeman again. With a little prompting Susan remembers him and is puzzled as to why Callan has arrived when another policeman has just been and gone regarding the same matter. Callan talks his way inside. |
Susan admits Callan to the house. |
Susan's political affiliations are called into question. |
Callan asks Susan about presents Pollock had given
her, a ring in particular. Susan is concerned about having to go over everything again, but Callan is very authoritative and convincing in his role. Susan believes the Russians wouldn't hurt Pollock as he is on their side. Callan wants to know if Susan still attends Party meetings. Susan sees herself as harmless, despite her communist leanings. Susan and Callan discuss Susan's mother. Susan says her mother is very good to her. |
After Pollock's trial for treason, Mrs Lyall
moved Susan away to the country, from their very modest dwelling in the city to the mansion in Sussex. Callan wants to know if they came into money and Susan confirms her mother did, inheriting it from an uncle. |
Callan notices that Susan and her mother have come up in the world financially. |
Callan faces off against the imperious Mrs Lyall. |
Mrs Lyall overhears part of the conversation
and comes in to tell Callan the money is none of his business and that it had nothing to do with Pollock. |
Mrs Lyall tells Callan her daughter hasn't had
any contact with Pollock for years. She tells Callan to leave Susan alone, and then implies he should leave. |
Mrs Lyall insists that Susan has had no contact with Pollock. |
Meres reports on his visit to the Lyalls. |
Back at Hunter's office, Meres reports that the
Lyalls do not seem to have anything of interest, just some jewellery Pollock gave Susan, even though Pollock has told Meres the formula is with the Lyalls, although he won't say how or where. Even though he dislikes how messy the business is getting, Hunter instructs Meres to take Pollock to the Lyalls' house to get to the bottom of it. |
In a roundabout way, Hunter gives permission
for Meres to make sure Lonely keeps his mouth shut about seeing Pollock. |
Hunter gives permission for Meres to lean on Lonely. |
Callan sticks his nose in where it doesn't belong. |
Meres leaves and the secretary announces over the
intercom that Callan has arrived. Callan is frisked in the outer office before being allowed to enter Hunter's office. Callan is very offhand and taunts Hunter with mention of Pollock. Pressing on with blatant insubordination, Callan picks up Pollock's file from Hunter's desk and starts looking through it. Pollock worked as a biochemist in the United States perfecting a nerve gas. Pollock disappeared with the formula, and it turned out he had been selling information for two years. Pollock was captured and sent to prison but the formula was never recovered. |
Callan reveals he has seen the Lyalls and that
he saw Meres with them. Hunter informs Callan the affair is none of his business. Callan tells Hunter not to involve him, and Hunter says he has no wish to; Callan tells him to lay off Lonely then. Callan says if Hunter leaves Lonely alone, Callan will stay out of it, and Hunter agrees not to touch Lonely. Callan goes to leave but sees a section operative at the shooting range on one of Hunter's closed-circuit television monitors and recognises him from Lonely's description of his attacker. |
A section operative appearing on Hunter's closed-circuit television catches Callan's eye. |
Hunter seems resigned to what is about to happen. |
Something in Callan's manner as he leaves the
office tips Hunter off, and Hunter watches Loder on the monitor. He makes a remark of resignation at what is about to happen, and he makes no move to prevent it. |
Callan enters the shooting range and stands
alongside Loder while Loder is shooting. With seemingly idle chitchat Callan confirms that Loder is his man, then his conversational tone takes a downward turn. Loder smells danger, but too late, and Callan brutally assaults him with barehanded strikes. Loder disappears below the counter top and Callan glares defiantly into the monitor at Hunter. |
Callan approaches Loder at the section's shooting range. |
Loder tries to recover from Callan's brutal assault. |
Callan leaves, and an injured
Loder struggles in vain to get to his feet. Hunter is prompted to use the intercom to make derogatory remarks to Loder. |
Asleep in his flat, Lonely is woken up and
is terrified to see Meres at his bedside. As if for protection, Lonely invokes the name of Callan, but Meres is scornfully unimpressed. |
Lonely is rudely awakened by a nocturnal visitor. |
A sadistic Meres torments Lonely. |
Meres torments Lonely over his burglary
of the flat, insults him, then proceeds to torture him to ensure his silence about the whole matter of Pollock and the burglary. |
At the Lyall house, Mrs Lyall is indulging in some
mother-daughter manipulation of Susan, playing martyr to the wayward child. Mrs Lyall says she hates Pollock. Susan wonders about what Meres was looking for. |
Susan ponders the visits of Meres and Callan. |
Susan takes a call from Pollock. |
Mrs Lyall tells Susan it would be a good thing
if the Russians killed Pollock as he is a spy. Susan answers the telephone and it is Pollock. Susan tries to cover up that she is talking to Pollock. He asks her if she still has the ring he gave her. |
Mrs Lyall demands to know who is on the phone.
Pollock asks if the police have been around asking about him, and Susan tells him yes, Turner (Meres) and Callan. |
Pollock asks Susan if she still has the ring he gave her. |
Mrs Lyall hangs up the telephone. |
Mrs Lyall comes straight over and snatches
the phone off Susan. She listens to Pollock's voice for a moment then hangs up on him. |
Callan has found Lonely and helps him to lie
on the bed. Lonely is very badly hurt. Callan tries to find out who hurt him, but Lonely has been scared silent. Callan, however, has a fairly good idea that Meres is responsible. Lonely's condition is so bad that Callan is forced to call an ambulance for him. |
Callan calls an ambulance for Lonely. |
Callan tells Hunter he is coming to get Meres. |
Callan is seething with suppressed rage.
He rings the section and demands that the secretary get Hunter out of conference. The ambulance team takes Lonely away on a stretcher as Callan waits for Hunter's call. Hunter rings and Callan says he is coming for Meres because of the beating Meres gave Lonely. Callan is furious with Hunter as well, as Hunter promised Lonely would not be touched. |
Hunter orders him to leave Meres alone, but
Callan refuses. Callan insists he is coming for Meres, but Hunter, flanked by other section operatives, tells Callan he has three men with him who would kill Callan. Callan puts the phone down and decides three is too many. Deducing Meres must be out at the Lyalls, Callan decides to go to Sussex to screw up the job for him. |
Hunter threatens Callan. |
Susan and Pollock are reunited. |
At the Lyalls, Meres is at his smarmy best,
and is infuriating Mrs Lyall. She orders him to leave the house. Pollock and Susan have been reunited and are sitting together in the background. It is plain their feelings for each other are genuine, and Pollock is angry with Susan's mother for not letting her write to him while he was incarcerated. |
Pollock says he is leaving the country and
Susan agrees to go with him. Meres reminds Pollock about the ring he gave Susan, and Pollock asks Susan to get it for him. |
Meres restrains Mrs Lyall. |
Callan arrives at the house. |
Callan arrives by car and sneaks into
the house. He hides from Susan as she comes back downstairs with her jewellery box. He eavesdrops with the aid of a stethoscope. |
Susan hands the jewellery box to
Pollock, and Meres insists Pollock recover the microfilm from the ring. Susan knows nothing of the ring's secret, and when Meres tells her about the formula for the nerve gas, she is horrified. Pollock prises the gem from the setting but the formula is not there. |
Susan fetches the jewellery given to her by Pollock. |
Meres leans heavily on Susan. |
Pollock and Meres look accusingly at Susan.
Pollock tells Susan this is not the ring he gave her, but she insists it is. Pollock says the ring he gave her held a ruby; this gem is glass. Callan has heard enough and stops listening. Meres grabs Susan's arm and threatens her, with Pollock and Mrs Lyall looking on. |
Meres tells Susan to get the real ring. Mrs
Lyall says Susan hasn't got it, that she doesn't know anything about it. Susan is plainly frightened and confused. |
Susan is frightened and confused. |
Susan answers a telephone call from Callan. |
Callan leaves the house to make a call from a public
telephone. Pollock is pleading with Susan to give him the real ring. The phone rings and Meres tells Susan to answer it. Pollock accompanies her to the phone while Meres stays with Mrs Lyall. Callan is on the line and says he wants Pollock to listen in as well. Callan tells the pair that Meres is from British security, which is news to them both. Their whole demeanour changes and Meres wants to know what is wrong. They won't tell Meres who called, and, as Meres reaches for Susan, Pollock hits him from behind with a heavy object. Meres is badly hurt and knocked unconscious. |
Pollock and Susan decide to leave immediately. Mrs
Lyall doesn't want Susan to go. As they are arguing, Pollock opens the door to leave but Callan is in his way. Pollock recognises Callan right away. He makes an aggressive move towards Callan but Callan warns him not to try it and presents a gun. |
Pollock tries to leave but he runs into Callan. |
Pollock is knocked down by Callan. |
Callan orders Pollock back inside, and to put
his hands up against the wall. Callan starts giving Pollock a lecture about how stupid he is, and Pollock makes a grab for Callan's gun. He is no match for Callan, and after Callan knocks him to the ground with a couple of hand blows, Susan runs to him. Callan is somewhat apologetic. All the while, Mrs Lyall stands tensely in the background. Callan phones Hunter's secretary and leaves a little bait to entice Hunter himself out to the Lyalls' house. Callan hangs up the phone and looks wistfully at Meres' prostrate form. |
Hunter and some men arrive in a police car. As Hunter
enters the house, he is greeted by the sight of Meres stretched out on a table like a body at the morgue. Hunter examines Meres while Callan looks on, amused. Hunter orders a policeman to take Meres and Pollock away, but the policeman says that Meres needs an ambulance. Hunter tells him to get one. Another man begins to roughly escort a groggy Pollock from the house, with Susan protesting. Pollock tells Susan he is sorry and Susan says, "I love you." They drag Pollock away and Mrs Lyall restrains Susan. She breaks free but Hunter orders her not to leave. |
Pollock is taken away by the authorities. |
Susan begins to realise the extent of her mother's manipulation. |
Hunter wants to know if the microfilm is here, but
Callan says no. In a very irreverent manner, Callan also denies he is the one who battered Meres. Susan is coming to a realisation about her mother. Hunter suggests that Callan finish the business at hand, but first Callan makes a strange request regarding Meres, and Hunter agrees to it. Callan doesn't even have to explain what has been happening regarding Susan, for she is figuring it all out for herself. |
There never was a "rich uncle" who left
Mrs Lyall money. Without Susan's knowledge, Mrs Lyall sold the ruby ring Pollock had given her and put a worthless replica in its place. Mrs Lyall tells Susan she did it all for her. Susan is working up a head of steam, but Hunter calls a halt to it. He tells Susan to wait outside. |
Mrs Lyall tries to justify her machinations. |
Hunter tells Mrs Lyall to leave the house. |
Hunter wants to know who Mrs Lyall sold the ring to.
The answer is a jeweller in Kensington. Mrs Lyall still has the receipt, which she is forced to hand over to Hunter. Hunter tells Mrs Lyall to wait outside. She informs him that "this is my house" and he replies, "Hardly." Mrs Lyall has met her match in Hunter and she leaves the house. The ring was sold two years ago, and Hunter has to get it back in order to recover the microfilm. |
Hunter gives Callan the jeweller's receipt
and suggests there may have to be a burglary. Callan taunts Hunter, telling him he will need Lonely for that, and Lonely is in hospital. Hunter says that he wants Callan to do it. |
Hunter needs Callan to commit a burglary. |
Callan demands payment for the job be given to Lonely. |
Callan says, "It'll cost you." He wants
"top rate". Hunter is most displeased, and angry with Callan, but he is forced to agree. Callan's final, perverse demand is that the cheque be made out to "Lonely". |