The Saint on TV

Episode 55: The Inescapable Word

"THE INESCAPABLE WORD"

Terror on the Scottish moors faces the Saint in "The Inescapable Word" - the
terror of eerie events in and outside a remote research laboratory where
scientists are working on top secret experiments in the sphere of radiation
weapons.

One man dies mysteriously. The Saint is attacked. One scientist is murdered.
An attempt is made on the life of a beautiful girl.

Roger Moore has the support of Ann Bell, James Maxwell, Maurice Hedley,
Robert McLeod and many other outstanding players in this episode.

The first indication Simon Templar, the Saint (ROGER MOORE) has that
something strange is happening in a remote part of the Scottish Highlands,
when he is on a grouse-shooting visit, is when he decides to walk back to
the house where he is staying and, through the darkening mist, light rays
suddenly beam across the moors. Foliage dies. So does a rabbit.

The light is accompanied by a high-pitched whine adding to the eeriness of
it all.

Then, without warning, Simon is hit on the head from behind. He falls
unconscious. When he comes round, he manages to make his way back to the
house, where he is a guest of Ivor North (MAURICE HEDLEY) and his attractive
daughter Marjorie (ANN BELL). Col. North is very much of the "country
gentleman" and is also the local Chief Constable.

They are not only shocked at Simon's appearance; they are worried because
Simms (KIP DONALD BISSET), an old family retainer who had been acting as
leader with the shooting party and had remained on the moors to search for
one of the dogs which disappeared, has not returned. Simon joins the search
party, and Simms is found dead. Mystery surrounds his death. The doctor who
examines him says that the man's whole skeletal structor (sic) seems to have
become calcified.

These incidents stir the Saint's interest in a building he has seen on the
moors. He is told that it is a research laboratory where scientists are
working on top secret experiments.

He meets two members of the laboratory at Col. North's house. One is a
scientist, Professor Oakridge (ROBERT McLEOD), an American of Russian
origin; the other is the security officer, Jock Ingram (JAMES MAXWELL). The
Professor is obviously worried about the nature of the experiments, which
are later revealed as the development of radiation weapons.

Soon afterwards, Oakridge is found dead in a pool of blood at the
laboratory. The man who finds him is Jock Ingram, and the finger of guilt
points in his direction. Oakbridge has always called him "Copper" - and his
last dying movements were to try to write the name of his murderer with his
own blood. He gets as far as "COP."

As Chief Constable, Col. North is allowed in the laboratory, and he takes
Simon with him. They meet the principal scientists there - Professor Walter
Rand (RONALD IBBS) and Professor Soren (ROBERT DEAN).

The Saint's inquiries and search of the building lead him to believe that
something more deadly than the official scientific work being carried out by
someone..... something horrifying and terrifying.

But who? And is the man carrying out these research activities the man who
has killed Oakridge? Yet the case against Jock Ingram looks so clear-cut.
The Saint calls for Marjorie North to help him with a long-shot guess on his
part. It leads to her being attacked. In the end, it is the Saint's
linguistic knowledge that puts him on the right track and explains the
mystery of the blood-written "COP."



PRODUCED BY ROBERT S. BAKER and MONTY BERMAN
DIRECTED BY ROY BAKER
SCRIPT SUPERVISION HARRY W. JUNKIN

ROGER MOORE SIMON TEMPLAR
ANN BELL MARJORIE NORTH
JAMES MAXWELL JOCK INGRAM
MAURICE HEDLEY IVOR NORTH
ROBERT DEAN PROFESSOR SOREN

ROBERT McLEOD PROFESSOR OAKRIDGE
RONALD IBBS PROFESSOR WALTER RAND
DONALD BISSET SIMMS
JAMES COPELAND DR. CAREY
RUSSELL WATERS THOMPSON