The Saint on TV

Episode 23: Marcia

"MARCIA"

A beautiful film actress takes her own life after her face has been
disfigured, and the Saint steps in when her successor is threatened with a
similar fate.

Marcia Landon's suicide presents a big opportunity to the lovely young
actress, Claire Avery (SAMANTHA EGGAR), who is asked to take over the lead
in the picture Marcia was about to begin. Claire accepts with mixed
feelings, knowing this is the chance of stardom but wishing it hadn't
happened this way. Marcia was a friend, and Claire is one of the few to know
what led to her death. She confides in Simon Templar (ROGER MOORE).

"She was murdered", she tells the Saint. "Legally and actually it was
suicide. But just the same...... she was murdered".

It happened in the studio. Marcia was about to leave when a man, standing in
the shadow, called her name. She turned - and in a fraction of a second she
was disfigured for life. He'd thrown acid in her face.

Now producer Mike Sentinal (KENNETH MACKINTOSH) intends to groom Claire as
Marcia's successor, though his wife Sheila (MARION MATHIE) doesn't approve.
Sheila didn't approve of Marcia, either: she was jealous of her husband's
close interest in his star.

Barry Aldon (TONY BECKLEY), the leading man, doesn't approve, either. He
objuects to being co-starred with an unknown. The casting also creates
jealousy on the part of actress Irene Cromwell (JILL MELFORD), but one man
who is wholeheartedly enthusiastic is the third assistant, John Desmond
(JOHNNY BRIGGS).

To Claire's hooror, she receives a note warning her: "What happened to
Marcia Landon will happen to you unless you leave five thousand pounds in
five pound notes in the script compartment of your own chair on the set.....
by 6 o'clock tomorrow night. And if you call the police I'll make you wish
you were dead."

Terrified, she calls the Saint. She is so scared that her performance
suffers. The Saint sets a trap, but it fails. A further warning tells Claire
to leave the money in another part of the studio - a warning emphasised by
an attempt on her life.

But even when, after a cat-and-nouse game in the deserted studio, the Saint
catches the person responsible, he still has to find out who threw the acid
at Marcia Landon......

CAST

Starring

ROGER MOORE as SIMON TEMPLAR

Guest Star:
SAMANTHA EGGAR as CLAIRE AVERY

With
KENNETH MACKINTOSH as MIKE SENTINAL
MARION MATHIE as SHEILA SENTINAL

and
JOHN BRIGGS as JOHNNY DESMOND
JILL MELFORD as IRENE CROMWELL
PHILLIP STONE as INSPECTOR CARLTON
STANLEY MEADOWS as FRANK LANDON
TONY BECKLEY as BARRY ALDON
JANET DAVIES as PEARL
PHILIP ANTHONY as ASSISTANT DIRECTOR
VIRGINIA CLAY as NURSE
PETER DUGUID as PROP MAN

Produced by Robert S. Baker and Monty Berman
Directed by John Krish
Screenplay by Harry W. Junkin