"Today's mystery, for instance, it takes place in Europe, the Europe of modern times; a world of intrigue and suspense, where a man's life can count for very little...when a country's future is at stake.
Hot on the heels of the Basil Rathbone personality piece, Tales of Fatima, we have another series to which he lends his outstanding presence. Europe Confidential was a colourful 1950's suspense-adventure series, hosted by Rathbone, who introduced each story with that flair that his many fans had come to expect. The show was very much in the mold of great radio dramas such as Night Beat, Box 13, & The Lives of Harry Lime (in fact, EC apparently recycled some scripts from the latter), and fans of those shows will enjoy the dry noir-type delivery here that made such dramas as Dragnet great classics of old time radio.
Although Rathbone was the big-name draw of the show, it's star was actually British-Canadian character actor Lionel Murton. Murton played bit parts in dozens of British television series, including such notables as Danger Man, Ghost Squad, Man in a Suitcase, an The Persuaders, as well as making a few pointed blips on the international radar with small roles in films such as The Mouse That Roared, The Dirty Dozen, and Patton.
In Europe Confidential, Murton played Mike Connoy, a reporter based in "the Paris office of a famous American newspaper", because it's "where the news is made". Connoy is a serious but very human character; behind his world-weary presentation, he always seems mildly bemused by the intensity of each situation he's in. He's primarily an observer; very rarely are there Sam Spade-type moments where Connoy tussles with a villain. His specialty is awareness, and that's Mike Connoy's secret weapon.
As an artifact of the the post-WWII Cold War era, Europe Confidential is interesting from a modern perspective. That idea that Europe was the center of all manner of international intrigue is less valid today, after the collapse of the U.S.S.R. and rise of the United States as the top world power. Back then, Europe was the staging ground for hundreds of very real and dangerous games of political chess, and Mike Connoy was in the thick of it.
This is a very enjoyable suspense programme, and I commend it to you highly; if you enjoy the two episodes available below, there are more available free on the web.
Download Europe Confidential: The Whiplash Steele Affair HERE
Download Europe Confidential: The Time Machine Affair HERE
In Europe Confidential, Murton played Mike Connoy, a reporter based in "the Paris office of a famous American newspaper", because it's "where the news is made". Connoy is a serious but very human character; behind his world-weary presentation, he always seems mildly bemused by the intensity of each situation he's in. He's primarily an observer; very rarely are there Sam Spade-type moments where Connoy tussles with a villain. His specialty is awareness, and that's Mike Connoy's secret weapon.
As an artifact of the the post-WWII Cold War era, Europe Confidential is interesting from a modern perspective. That idea that Europe was the center of all manner of international intrigue is less valid today, after the collapse of the U.S.S.R. and rise of the United States as the top world power. Back then, Europe was the staging ground for hundreds of very real and dangerous games of political chess, and Mike Connoy was in the thick of it.
This is a very enjoyable suspense programme, and I commend it to you highly; if you enjoy the two episodes available below, there are more available free on the web.
Download Europe Confidential: The Whiplash Steele Affair HERE
Download Europe Confidential: The Time Machine Affair HERE
