THE MAKING OF A ‘JASON KING’ EPISODE

‘Nadine’

In shooting order, ‘Nadine’ was the second installment of ‘Jason King’ to be made at Elstree Studios, but was the 15th episode to be broadcast on television – on Wednesday, 2nd February 1972.

Above: Peter and Ingrid Pitt during a break in filming ‘Nadine’. Notice the script on the table in front of them.

Example of a typical week on set

Date	Stage 8	Stage 9	Lot Location
Friday, 30th October 1970	Interior King’s hotel room (Athens). Set No. 2/04
Monday, 2nd November 1970	Interior of King’s hotel room (Athens) To complete Interior Athens hotel corridor (Set No. 2/04) Interior Nadine’s hotel room (Athens) – (Set No. 2/06)
Tuesday, 3rd November 1970 (Extended day)	Interior Night Club (Set No. 2/08)
Wednesday, 4th November 1970		Interior Exec. Office & Annex (Set No. 2/02
Thursday, 5th November 1970	Weather Cover Interior. Airliner (Set No. 2/18) Interior Italian Phone Box (Set No. 2/20) Interior Cars (B.F.) (Set No. 2/22)	Interior. Exec. Office & Annex (to complete)	Exterior Villa Grounds (Set No. 2/03) Exterior Italian Hotel (Set No.2/03)
Friday, 6th November, 1970		Interior King’s Hotel Room (Pisa) – 9Set No. 2/10)

Shooting Schedule

Date: Friday, 30th October 1970 – First day of shooting.

A 20 second sequence (numbered 24 in the schedule) is set in Jason’s hotel room in Athens. Only Peter is required on this occasion. It is shot on Sound Stage No.8 at Elstree. The Props Department supply the following for the scene:

General dressing for modern Greek-style room.
Wicker boat with bunch of black grapes
Book with jacket reading: “Early Sparta” by G.L. Huxley
Bed, furniture etc. – Telephone

Also shot that day are scenes 64, featuring Jason King (Peter Wyngarde) and Nadine (Ingrid Pitt). Props:

Cassette tape player and cassettes.
Jason’s car keys on ring.

Timing: 20 seconds.

Scenes 66, 68, 70 and 72, featuring just Jason. Props: Glass of Alka Selzer. (Timing: 30 seconds).

Scene 25, featuring Jason and a Bellboy. Props:

Tray with a glass of lemon tea (glass in metal holder).

Timing: 35 Seconds.

Scenes 27, 36, 38, 40, 42, 44, 46, 48, 50, 52 and 54 – all requiring a lighting change, as it is meant to be at night, and featuring just Jason.

Start of Scene 59, with Jason and Nadine. The props department supply the following:

One full bottle of Champagne
One empty bottle of Champagne
Ice Bucket/Ice/Cloth
Champagne Glass
Remains of Dinner
Skewers – Skewers with meat and pancake pieces

Instructions to the Sound Department:

Playback for dance tempo
Tiny Powder/Tablet Box

This segment lasts 3-15.

Monday, 2nd November, 1970

The first job of the day day is to complete Scene 59, which was started at the end of the previous week. The props are the same as the above. which lasts just 5 seconds, features no artistes.

Next is Scene 23, which requires no actors, as it’s just a 5 second shot of Nadine’s’s hotel door with a “Do Not Disturb” (written in both English and Greek) on the handle.

Scene 55 takes place inside Nadine’s hotel room, which includes both Jason and Nadine. It lasts just 15 seconds. The room is dressed in the following way:

Similar dressing to Jason’s room
Telephone
Bedroom furniture
White leather suitcase (ladies)
Nadine’s clothes in suitcase
Iced drink in tall glass
Expensive bottle of perfume
Small transistor radio
Pack of “Disque Bleu” cigarettes
Lighter (Achille’s)
“Mark Caine” paperback entitled “After You – Death” with Jason’s photo on the back cover

The next sequence (No.22) involves Nadine and Achille – again in Nadine’s hotel room. It has a running time of just 40 seconds.

Four Nighttime shots (No’s. 65, 67, 69, 71 and 73) are shot – all involving Nadine in her hotel room, lasting 40 seconds in total.

Back in daylight, and again in her hotel room, Nadine features alone in Scenes 26, 35, 37 and 53 – culminating in 30 seconds of screen time. The props Department supply these items:

Towel – bath type (wet)
Make-up materials on dressing table
Travelling alarm clock
Cassette player and cassettes

Scene 56 has Jason and Nadine back together in the same hotel room for a 30 second sequence.

**Above: Jason in the Greek night club**

Tuesday, 3rd November 1970

All of the following characters are required for Scene 29, which is set inside a Greek night club: Jason
Nadine, Achille (Patrick Mower), Kim (Stacy Gregg), Female Singer, Greek Musicians, Club Owner, Barman, Waiters, Guest (Greek).
Guests (Tourist Types). It lasts 4 minutes in total and requires the following from the Props Department:

Dozen table – chairs
Bar counter and dressing
Drinks – Whisky, etc.
Small dance area in centre of floor
Musicians on rostrum.Instruments
Drinks on tray

These Special Instructions are also issued:

Smoke F.X.
PLAYBACK for song
PLAYBACK for dancing

Timing: 4 Minutes

Scene 58 requires the same characters and is also det inside the Greek Night Club. Timing: 2 Minutes.

Wednesday 4th November, 1970

Scene No.2 is set in a Executive Office & Annex on Soundstage 9, and focusing on these characters: Placide (Al Mancini), a Male Secretary and Magda Nillson. The Stage is set up as follows: GENERAL SET UP FOR LUXURY SUITE

Two-way mirror effect
Large abstract paintings
Large wall map of Europe (with Greece and Turkey marked)
Desk – chairs – setee
Intercom on desk – telephone
Slim folder files (with various photos and data)

It adds another 55 seconds to the overall time.

Scenes 4, 6, 74, 99, 101, 103 and113 all take place in the Executive Office & Annex – involving these characters: (Scenes 3 & 6) – Placide, a Male Secretary and Magda Nillson; (Scenes 74, 99, 101, 103 &113) Placide and Renzo (Alfred Marks). The only additional prop is a cablegram worded as per script.

Above: Jason in his hotel room in Pisa

Thursday 5th November 1970

A 45 second scene (4) is shot involving Placide, Renzo, Achille, Magda Nillson and a Male Secretary – – again in the Executive Office and Annex. The Props Department supply these items:

Annex dressing
Desk – chairs – settee
Intercom – Telephone
Slim folder as used in the Exec. Office – photos – data
Havana Cigar
Bottle of Vichy water – glass
Notepad for sketches – pencil
Drawings on pad as per script

Office Scenes 5 & 7 (timings, 10 and 15 seconds, respectively, once more are in the Executive Office with Placide, Renzo, Achille, Leta Sahili and the Male Secretary. While the setting remains the same, the addition of these items are added to the scene:

Photo of Jason
Photo of Nadine

The Unit move onto the studio lot for and exterior scene in the grounds of a villa, which adds a further 1.10 minutes to to film. The characters called to set are Nadine, Bearer and a Young Boy. Props include:

Clay pigeon “shoot” – Skeet
Bird Release Machine
12 Bore gun & blanks
Telegram – wording per script

Scene 97 requires no actors, as the director shoots 5 seconds of footage to “establish” a shot of the exterior of a Small Italian Hotel. Scene 104 features Jason and Nadine in the car park outside the aforementioned Hotel – a sequence lasting 25 seconds. The Props Department supply the following:

Various parked cars (Italian types) with Italian & other number plates.
Achille’s car.
Achille’s continuity car plates.

Special instructions for Scene 16 featuring Nadine are:

WEATHER COVER CALL (STUDIO) FOR LOC.
Int. Section of airliner cabin.

The props required for this 25 second sequence are:

One seat section & window.
Seat belts (unfastened)
Continuity “MARK CAINE” paperback titled “AFTER YOU – DEATH”

The next scene – No.89 -which lasts just 5 seconds, is of the inside of an Italian phone box, and includes the characters Missoni and Roder, this is followed in short order by two short sequences of 15 seconds involving Jason. Special instructions are:

Int. Cars. Back projection. (Set No. 2/22).
(A) King’s Car

Props provided include: Jason’s car – continuity number plates. Back projection plates required.

Scenes 78, 81 and 83 involves Jason and Nadine. It takes place in Jason’s car, demanding the following props:

Cigarettes & lighter (Nadine’s).
Cigarettes & lighter (Jason’s).

It adds a further 20 seconds to the film.

Two 15 second shots (32, & 34) are shot next involving Jason, and 1 single shot of Nadine (Scene 61) – both inside Jason’s car. This is followed by two short sequences (85, &95) of Achille in his car which , combined, last for just 10 seconds. Props required are:

Achille’s car
Cigarettes (Disque Bleu)

Scenes 110, 126 & 138 are in Jason’s hotel room in Pisa, General dressing – Italian decor, where King is seen alone. Props for these sequences of 10 seconds are:

Bedroom/Sitting room furniture.
Jason’s continuity suitcases & typewriter (on small table).
Typing paper and carbons.

Remaining in the same hotel room, the characters of Jason and Nadine feature in Scenes 112 and 135 (2,10 and 1.35 seconds, respectively). are shot. Both are shot on Sound Stage 9.

Again in the same hotel room, shooting begins of Scene 141 involves Jason, Nadine, Renzo, Roder, a ‘Man from car’ and an Italian policeman (1). The props required are:

Roder’s gun
Box of cigars.
Small automatic under cigars.

Monday 9th November 1970

The first work of the new weeks is to complete Scene 141 inside King’s hotel room . Again, the characters required are Jason, Nadine, Renzo, Roder, a ‘Man from car’ and an Italian policeman (1). When completed, a further 2 minutes and 45 seconds are in the can.

A change of lighting is needed for Scene 115, which requires the presence of Jason and Nadine. This sequence lasts 2 minutes. Props required are:

Box of 50 Havana cigars
Cigar cutter.
Brandy.
Brandy glasses.
Matches.

Scenes 119, 121 and 123 features Jason – once more in his hotel room in Pisa. Combined, this amounts to less than 50 seconds of footage. Newly introduced props are:

Jason’s cigarettes & lighter.
Small zipped case with Beretta and blanks.

The next section to be shot (Scenes 116, 118, 120 and 122) are in Nadine’s room in the same hotel. There is a lighting change, as the action is taking place in the late evening. The room is dressed almost identically to Jason’s.

Scenes 125, 127, 137 and 139 – all which take place in the same hotel room – involve Nadine, Renzo and Roder. Combined, they add 45 seconds of footage.

Above: Jason and Nadine

Tuesday, 10th November 1970

Out on the studio Lot for Scenes 91 and 93 with Jason and Nadine enjoying a picnic at the side of an Italian road, which lasts all of 1 minute and 45 seconds. Various props are arranged, including:

PICNIC AREA

Jason’s car – continuity number plates.
Dust on car.
Sink handkerchief (as table-cloth).
French bread.
Cheese, butter, tomatoes.
Picnic basket.
Cutlery – thick tumblers. Bottle of rough red wine.

On the same lot at Elstree, a 5 second shot (92) is filmed of Achille sitting in his car watching Jason and Nadine. The props Department Supply Achille’s car and asked to “Check number plates for country of origin.”.

Still on the Lot, three very short segments (10, 12 & 14) of 10 seconds each are filmed featuring Jason standing next to some Greek ruins. The following are required from the Props Department:

Mock-up section of ruins (pillars) against skyline.
Jason’s car.
Jason’s cigarettes/lighter.

Remaining on the Lot for Scene 134 which involves Renzo, and Mussoni and Roder. They’re seen in a forest standing next to what appears to be a freshly dug grave. This segment amounts to 25 seconds of screen time. Props required are:

Newly dug ground (Grave).
Spade or Shovels.
Half smoke cigar.

Part of the Lot is now dressed to resemble an Italian street for two very short scenes of 5 seconds each (No.’s 87 & 88), featuring Jason, Nadine and Achille.

Scene 30, while still on the Elstree lot, takes us back to the car park in Greece, Cars are arranged and parked, but a special instruction is issued not show number plates in shot.

Three more sequences (No.’s 124, 136 and 140) in a mock up of an underground car park at Jason’s hotel in Pisa, which add 75 seconds of screen time and involve the characters of Jason, Renzo, Mussoni, Roder an Italian police officer and an unnamed man in a car. Latterly, various scenes that were started earlier in the shoot – namely inside the Airliner, the Italian Phone Box, inside Jason’s and Achille’s respective cars, and in Simone’s hotel bedroom (Paris); Scene Numbers 39, 41, 43, 45,47, 49 and 51. Scene 124 would be Peter’s final piece of work on the episode.

The final sections of the shoot – Scene Numbers 98, 100, 102, 106, 108, 129, 131, 125, 107, 128, 130 and 132 are shot on Soundstage 9 which have been made up to look like Mussoni’s hotel room and Achille’s hotel room – both in Pisa. The characters required for these pieces are Mussoni, Roder, Renzo, Nadine and Achille. These are to make up the final 3.35 seconds of the episode.

The entire episode was filmed on Sounds Stages 8 and 9, and on the back Lot at Elstree.