International Concerto
Encyclopedia
"International Concerto" is the eighth episode
of the Supermarionation
television series Joe 90
. It was the sixth episode to be produced. Its original UK
air date was 17 November 1968 on ATV Midlands
. It was written
by Tony Barwick
and directed
by Alan Perry.
, secretly works for WIN. However, his investigations in the Eastern Sector
become too intrusive and he is arrest
ed. With Sladek's cover
broken, it is up to Joe to assume his brain patterns in order to rescue the maestro.
The piece of music featured in this episode is simply known as "International Concerto," although it is not a concerto at all. It was written by Barry Gray, who wrote all the incidental music for Joe 90, and other Gerry Anderson shows as well.
, finishes a private recital
at the McClaines' cottage. After Sam and the maestro leave to catch a plane, Professor McClaine removes a lampshade cover to reveal a hidden aerial. Mac and Joe are baffled why WIN would want Sladek's brain pattern.
Soon after, Sladek embarks on a world tour. However, unknown to the McClaines, the artiste is one of WIN's top agents and uses his music as a cover
for his spying
activities. His travels take him to an embassy
in Russia
, where he is congratulated on his playing by Colonel Malner. However, an attempt to eavesdrop on a conversation between Malner and his subordinate, Major Kloss, concerning the site for a new military airbase
, goes awry when the colonel discovers the pen concealing Sladek's audio recorder
.
Sladek sends a letter to England
signed with his pen. At WIN Headquarters London
, Sam supervises Kelly, a scientist, as he traces the spy's signature with a special device and plays the discussion recorded in the ink. Sam believes that it is vital intelligence.
Appearing at a Russian palace, Sladek loses his pen when a diplomat stealthily drops the item into the innards of the piano
. Sladek posts a telegram
to the McClaines, but shortly after he is arrest
ed by Major Kloss.
Mac is puzzled why Sladek would send him a telegram but is even more astonished when Sam reveals that the pianist is a WIN agent. Using the first letter of each word in the message, Joe discovers that Sladek is secretly warning of his imminent arrest and Sam realises that his cover has been broken. Sladek's brain pattern – recorded earlier – is transferred to Joe and the trio immediately fly out to Russia.
Arriving at their destination, the group discovers that Sladek is being held at Vazlo Prison. However, the musician will be allowed to make the worldwide radio
broadcast ending his tour so as to avoid an international incident. Sam has a plan to rescue Sladek using Joe.
That night, Joe enters the studio
building from which Sladek will make the broadcast and offers to turn the pages of the scroll while the pianist plays his international concerto
. Sladek is surprised to see Joe and likes the idea, but Major Kloss is wary of the boy. However, Colonel Malner lets Joe stay. In the booth, Sladek requests that a sound baffle
be moved – meaning that he and Joe will be hidden from view through the window. Again, Kloss is suspicious, but Malner dismisses the major's concerns, reminding him that they will know instantly if Sladek stops playing. The studio technician receives the cue light
and Sladek begins his recital.
Meanwhile, Sam follows underground cables all the way to the studio. Joe lifts up a floor cover and Sam orders the boy to take over at the piano. Sladek descends through the floor as Joe, equipped with his knowledge and experience, picks up the recital where he left off. Kloss hears the thud as the floor cover is replaced but Malner is certain that Sladek is still playing.
While Sam secures the cover, Sladek hurries through the underground passage into the open, where he is met by Mac in a car. The pair drive to the border checkpoint
, knowing that they must leave the country before the broadcast ends. However, the frontier guard is baffled by the appearance of a man identical to Sladek and phones Colonel Malner, asking for confirmation on whether the transmission is live
. Malner is furious at the apparent ineptitude of the guard and Mac and Sladek pass the checkpoint seconds before Joe finishes the concerto. Malner orders "Sladek" to be moved to the interrogation room at Vazlo Prison.
Two hours later, Malner and Kloss are still questioning Joe about Sladek's disappearance. Joe insists that he played the piano after the musician escaped through the floor, but Kloss, unconvinced by his story, loses his temper and moves to hit the child. Entering the studio, Mac intervenes and affirms that Joe is telling the truth. Knowing that it would be ridiculous to impeach a boy, Malner permits Mac and Joe to leave the country – on the condition that they never come back.
series includes Sladek's monorail train (which originally appeared in the Captain Scarlet and the Mysterons
episode "Model Spy
"), and the Trans American TV Network building (part of an unused scene for the film Thunderbirds Are Go
). Music was recorded on 20 March 1968 at Olympic Studios
in London from 2 pm to 6 pm. The piano recital by the character of Igor Sladek was performed by English pianist Robert Docker
. The hands seen in the live-action close-up shots of Joe's hands playing the piano belonged to the son of composer Barry Gray
, Simon.
Episode
An episode is a part of a dramatic work such as a serial television or radio program. An episode is a part of a sequence of a body of work, akin to a chapter of a book. The term sometimes applies to works based on other forms of mass media as well, as in Star Wars...
of the Supermarionation
Supermarionation
Supermarionation is a puppetry technique devised in the 1960s by British production company AP Films. It was used extensively in the company's numerous Gerry and Sylvia Anderson-produced action-adventure series, the most famous of which was Thunderbirds...
television series Joe 90
Joe 90
Joe 90 is a late-1960s British science-fiction television series documenting the exploits of a nine-year-old boy, Joe McClaine, who embarks on a double life as a schoolboy turned spy when his scientist father invents a pioneering machine capable of duplicating and transferring expert knowledge and...
. It was the sixth episode to be produced. Its original UK
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
air date was 17 November 1968 on ATV Midlands
Associated TeleVision
Associated Television, often referred to as ATV, was a British television company, holder of various licences to broadcast on the ITV network from 24 September 1955 until 00:34 on 1 January 1982...
. It was written
Screenwriter
Screenwriters or scriptwriters or scenario writers are people who write/create the short or feature-length screenplays from which mass media such as films, television programs, Comics or video games are based.-Profession:...
by Tony Barwick
Tony Barwick
Tony Barwick was a British television scriptwriter who worked extensively on series created and produced by Gerry Anderson....
and directed
Television director
A television director directs the activities involved in making a television program and is part of a television crew.-Duties:The duties of a television director vary depending on whether the production is live or recorded to video tape or video server .In both types of productions, the...
by Alan Perry.
Synopsis
Igor Sladek, a famous pianistPianist
A pianist is a musician who plays the piano. A professional pianist can perform solo pieces, play with an ensemble or orchestra, or accompany one or more singers, solo instrumentalists, or other performers.-Choice of genres:...
, secretly works for WIN. However, his investigations in the Eastern Sector
Eastern bloc
The term Eastern Bloc or Communist Bloc refers to the former communist states of Eastern and Central Europe, generally the Soviet Union and the countries of the Warsaw Pact...
become too intrusive and he is arrest
Arrest
An arrest is the act of depriving a person of his or her liberty usually in relation to the purported investigation and prevention of crime and presenting into the criminal justice system or harm to oneself or others...
ed. With Sladek's cover
Undercover
Being undercover is disguising one's own identity or using an assumed identity for the purposes of gaining the trust of an individual or organization to learn secret information or to gain the trust of targeted individuals in order to gain information or evidence...
broken, it is up to Joe to assume his brain patterns in order to rescue the maestro.
The piece of music featured in this episode is simply known as "International Concerto," although it is not a concerto at all. It was written by Barry Gray, who wrote all the incidental music for Joe 90, and other Gerry Anderson shows as well.
Plot
Igor Sladek, a famous pianistPianist
A pianist is a musician who plays the piano. A professional pianist can perform solo pieces, play with an ensemble or orchestra, or accompany one or more singers, solo instrumentalists, or other performers.-Choice of genres:...
, finishes a private recital
Recital
A recital is a musical performance. It can highlight a single performer, sometimes accompanied by piano, or a performance of the works of a single composer.The invention of the solo piano recital has been attributed to Franz Liszt....
at the McClaines' cottage. After Sam and the maestro leave to catch a plane, Professor McClaine removes a lampshade cover to reveal a hidden aerial. Mac and Joe are baffled why WIN would want Sladek's brain pattern.
Soon after, Sladek embarks on a world tour. However, unknown to the McClaines, the artiste is one of WIN's top agents and uses his music as a cover
Undercover
Being undercover is disguising one's own identity or using an assumed identity for the purposes of gaining the trust of an individual or organization to learn secret information or to gain the trust of targeted individuals in order to gain information or evidence...
for his spying
Espionage
Espionage or spying involves an individual obtaining information that is considered secret or confidential without the permission of the holder of the information. Espionage is inherently clandestine, lest the legitimate holder of the information change plans or take other countermeasures once it...
activities. His travels take him to an embassy
Diplomatic mission
A diplomatic mission is a group of people from one state or an international inter-governmental organisation present in another state to represent the sending state/organisation in the receiving state...
in Russia
Russia
Russia or , officially known as both Russia and the Russian Federation , is a country in northern Eurasia. It is a federal semi-presidential republic, comprising 83 federal subjects...
, where he is congratulated on his playing by Colonel Malner. However, an attempt to eavesdrop on a conversation between Malner and his subordinate, Major Kloss, concerning the site for a new military airbase
Airbase
An airbase is a military airfield that provides basing and support of military aircraft....
, goes awry when the colonel discovers the pen concealing Sladek's audio recorder
Sound recording and reproduction
Sound recording and reproduction is an electrical or mechanical inscription and re-creation of sound waves, such as spoken voice, singing, instrumental music, or sound effects. The two main classes of sound recording technology are analog recording and digital recording...
.
Sladek sends a letter to England
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
signed with his pen. At WIN Headquarters London
London
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
, Sam supervises Kelly, a scientist, as he traces the spy's signature with a special device and plays the discussion recorded in the ink. Sam believes that it is vital intelligence.
Appearing at a Russian palace, Sladek loses his pen when a diplomat stealthily drops the item into the innards of the piano
Piano
The piano is a musical instrument played by means of a keyboard. It is one of the most popular instruments in the world. Widely used in classical and jazz music for solo performances, ensemble use, chamber music and accompaniment, the piano is also very popular as an aid to composing and rehearsal...
. Sladek posts a telegram
Telegraphy
Telegraphy is the long-distance transmission of messages via some form of signalling technology. Telegraphy requires messages to be converted to a code which is known to both sender and receiver...
to the McClaines, but shortly after he is arrest
Arrest
An arrest is the act of depriving a person of his or her liberty usually in relation to the purported investigation and prevention of crime and presenting into the criminal justice system or harm to oneself or others...
ed by Major Kloss.
Mac is puzzled why Sladek would send him a telegram but is even more astonished when Sam reveals that the pianist is a WIN agent. Using the first letter of each word in the message, Joe discovers that Sladek is secretly warning of his imminent arrest and Sam realises that his cover has been broken. Sladek's brain pattern – recorded earlier – is transferred to Joe and the trio immediately fly out to Russia.
Arriving at their destination, the group discovers that Sladek is being held at Vazlo Prison. However, the musician will be allowed to make the worldwide radio
Radio
Radio is the transmission of signals through free space by modulation of electromagnetic waves with frequencies below those of visible light. Electromagnetic radiation travels by means of oscillating electromagnetic fields that pass through the air and the vacuum of space...
broadcast ending his tour so as to avoid an international incident. Sam has a plan to rescue Sladek using Joe.
That night, Joe enters the studio
Studio
A studio is an artist's or worker's workroom, or the catchall term for an artist and his or her employees who work within that studio. This can be for the purpose of architecture, painting, pottery , sculpture, scrapbooking, photography, graphic design, filmmaking, animation, radio or television...
building from which Sladek will make the broadcast and offers to turn the pages of the scroll while the pianist plays his international concerto
Concerto
A concerto is a musical work usually composed in three parts or movements, in which one solo instrument is accompanied by an orchestra.The etymology is uncertain, but the word seems to have originated from the conjunction of the two Latin words...
. Sladek is surprised to see Joe and likes the idea, but Major Kloss is wary of the boy. However, Colonel Malner lets Joe stay. In the booth, Sladek requests that a sound baffle
Sound baffle
A sound baffle is a construction or device which reduces the strength of airborne sound. Sound baffles are a fundamental tool of noise mitigation, the practice of minimizing noise pollution or reverberation. An important type of sound baffle is the noise barrier constructed along highways to...
be moved – meaning that he and Joe will be hidden from view through the window. Again, Kloss is suspicious, but Malner dismisses the major's concerns, reminding him that they will know instantly if Sladek stops playing. The studio technician receives the cue light
Cue light
A cue light is a system of one or more electric light bulbs used to allow silent cues to be given to technicians and performers at various working locations during the running of a show. Typically, the Deputy Stage Manager sends signals to these cue lights at pre-arranged times...
and Sladek begins his recital.
Meanwhile, Sam follows underground cables all the way to the studio. Joe lifts up a floor cover and Sam orders the boy to take over at the piano. Sladek descends through the floor as Joe, equipped with his knowledge and experience, picks up the recital where he left off. Kloss hears the thud as the floor cover is replaced but Malner is certain that Sladek is still playing.
While Sam secures the cover, Sladek hurries through the underground passage into the open, where he is met by Mac in a car. The pair drive to the border checkpoint
Border checkpoint
A border checkpoint is a place, generally between two countries, where travellers and/or goods are inspected. Authorization often is required to enter a country through its borders. Access-controlled borders often have a limited number of checkpoints where they can be crossed without legal...
, knowing that they must leave the country before the broadcast ends. However, the frontier guard is baffled by the appearance of a man identical to Sladek and phones Colonel Malner, asking for confirmation on whether the transmission is live
Live radio
Live radio is radio broadcast without delay. Before the days of television, audiences listened to live dramas, comedies, quiz shows, and concerts on the radio much the same way that they now do on TV. Most talk radio is live radio where people can speak about their opinions/lives....
. Malner is furious at the apparent ineptitude of the guard and Mac and Sladek pass the checkpoint seconds before Joe finishes the concerto. Malner orders "Sladek" to be moved to the interrogation room at Vazlo Prison.
Two hours later, Malner and Kloss are still questioning Joe about Sladek's disappearance. Joe insists that he played the piano after the musician escaped through the floor, but Kloss, unconvinced by his story, loses his temper and moves to hit the child. Entering the studio, Mac intervenes and affirms that Joe is telling the truth. Knowing that it would be ridiculous to impeach a boy, Malner permits Mac and Joe to leave the country – on the condition that they never come back.
Production
A scene in which Colonel Malner and Major Kloss retrieve Sladek's pen from the piano, only to discover that it is a recording device, was filmed but deleted from the final edit of the episode. Footage re-used from previous Gerry AndersonGerry Anderson
Gerry Anderson MBE is a British publisher, producer, director and writer, famous for his futuristic television programmes, particularly those involving specially modified marionettes, a process called "Supermarionation"....
series includes Sladek's monorail train (which originally appeared in the Captain Scarlet and the Mysterons
Captain Scarlet and the Mysterons
Captain Scarlet and the Mysterons, often referred to as Captain Scarlet, is a 1960s British science-fiction television series produced by the Century 21 Productions company of Gerry and Sylvia Anderson, John Read and Reg Hill...
episode "Model Spy
Model Spy
"Model Spy" is the 14th episode of the Supermarionation television series Captain Scarlet and the Mysterons. It was first broadcast in the UK on on ATV Midlands, was written by Bill Hedley and directed by Ken Turner....
"), and the Trans American TV Network building (part of an unused scene for the film Thunderbirds Are Go
Thunderbirds Are GO
Thunderbirds Are Go is a 1966 British science-fiction film based on Thunderbirds, a 1960s television series starring marionette puppets and featuring scale model effects in a filming process dubbed "Supermarionation"...
). Music was recorded on 20 March 1968 at Olympic Studios
Olympic Studios
Olympic Studios was a renowned independent commercial recording studio located at 117 Church Road, Barnes, South West London, England. The studio is best known for the huge number of famous rock and pop recordings made there from the late 1960s onward....
in London from 2 pm to 6 pm. The piano recital by the character of Igor Sladek was performed by English pianist Robert Docker
Robert Docker
Robert Docker was an English composer, arranger and pianist, especially noted for his orchestral arrangements and original light music compositions...
. The hands seen in the live-action close-up shots of Joe's hands playing the piano belonged to the son of composer Barry Gray
Barry Gray
Barry Gray was a British musician and composer who is best known for his work for Gerry Anderson.-Life:...
, Simon.