"That's what's so ingenious about it. The Guardians won't be expecting an escape aboard the Stoneboat!"
"Stoneboats don't float!"
"Yes that's right, they sink!"
"Number Sixty-six told me that he'd sailed the Stoneboat many a time. That she's good in any weather."
"You know Number Six, I do believe you're next to an idiot!"
"A pair of idiots! There have been boats and ships made out of concrete since the 1800's."
"That might be so, but this one's attached to the quayside!"
"I've got that covered. I've stolen a pick axe, a shovel, and a pneumatic drill!"
"You must be mad!"
"I wish I was back in my shop!"
BCNU
Whenever I think about this particular episode "Checkmate" I find it a bit strange that and how the character of the "Man with the stick" has such a strong initial presence and, so it seems, importance too. But then he almost disappears into nothingness as the action moves on. Shouldn't he who instructs No. 6 about using psychology in order to tell prisoners and warders apart know better, be able to apply all this knowledge for himself? Instead he becomes virtually invisible, a mere follower of the group of potential fugitives. Is it that in reality he's one of "those", a stool pigeon working for the Village? Somebody who'd mingle with people as an undercover agent. We weren't discussing this topic before, were we? - BCNU!
ReplyDeleteHello Arno,
DeleteYes I agree with your comment. The only way I can account for the fact that the "Man with the walking stick" is a strong character at the outset, and yet disolves into unimportance, is possibly that no-one in the Village, or rather no-one must appear to be as important, or as strong a character as Number 6.
I agree with you, "Shouldn't he who instructs No. 6 about using psychology in order to tell prisoners and warders apart know better, be able to apply all this knowledge for himself?" And that knowledge should have made him the leader of the reliable men. But I think Number 6's character is so strong, I don't think it possible for Number 6 to play second fiddle to anyone!
No, as it happens we have never discused this topic before, it's an interesting one. You may recall how No.2's butler was to have been a man over six feet in height, handsome, as quick witted, and intelligent as Number 6, and with a voice. That character, McGoohan thought, would have over shadowed the character of Number 6. Patrick McGoohan couldn't have that, so he changed the butler for that of Angelo Muscat. Personally I think that was a good decision. So in that thinking, I feel that Number 6 would always have to be in charge of any venture. I've always been of the opinion that in the Village no-one is more important than Number 6!
You mentioned a "stool pigeon" working for the Village. Originally in the script for 'Checkmate,' when Number 2 becomes suspicious of Number 6's activity, Number 2 assigns a plant amongst Number 6's reliable men. But that was cut from the finished episode.
Very kind regards
David
BCNU
Hello Arno, hello David,
ReplyDeleteI'd like to see the fact that the Man with the Stick didn't interfere with Number 6s plans as a sign that he indeed already knew better. Maybe he understood what Number 6 had failed to see because he had already tried. He was able to tell prisoners and warders apart and therefore able to play their games of chess, but he prefered to limit the use of this abilities to the game to stay fit in mind. Less responsibility, less danger, more "freedom" within their boundaries. But why he disappeared.. interesting question.
Best wishes
BCNU
Jana
Hello Jana,
DeleteI like the reasoning behind your comment. The Chess champion No.14, must have been in the Village for a very long time, sinCe he was a young man. Was he the first to be able to distinguish between the blacks and the whites, or did he, like No.6, learn it from someone else? Yes, No.14 had probbaly learned that even when you've distinguished between the prisoners and the warders, escape is still not easy to achieve, in fact it's damned near impossible. So he sat back, and allowed No.6 to get on with it, take the responsibility in fact. Because if No.6 had managsed to escape, then No.14 would have escaped with him, along with the rest of No.6's conferderates. But should things go pear shaped, as they did, then No.6 would have to take the brunt of the responsibility for the attempted escape.
Kind regards
David
BCNU
For the sake of the discussion: He disappeared from the action because he was a Village plant who'd mingle with people in order to obtain information of any kind right in time for the Village to take precautionary measures. That's why he'd stay in the background trying not to attract to much attention on himself. Perhaps the man wasn't a real warder but a prisoner who'd turned in to the Village because of certain benefits he'd have received. - BCNU!
ReplyDeleteHello Arno,
DeleteAn interesting thought, the chess champion No.14 a plant! Originally the script did call for a plant within the group of No.6's reliable men. But No.6 found him out, and had him expelled from the group. But this was cut from the finished episode.
But for discussions sake, if No.14 was a plant, then there would have been no need for the Rook to betray No.6 in the way he did. Or perhaps that was good fortune for No.14, in the fact that he didn't have to reveal himself as a plant, because the Rook did the job for him, but I'm not sure about this line at all, simply because I've read that there was to have been a plant within the group, put there by No.2, but found out by No.6, and not used in the script.
Kind regards
David
BCNU
Hi David, hi Arno,
ReplyDeletethat's an interesting point, that the original scripts had included a plant. So we have that plant that was removed from the script and Number 14 that disappears from the plot. In my opinion it seems likely that No14 was meant to be the plant. This could explain his disappearance.
But I don't think that it would have affected the Rooks behaviour if there would have been a plant in the group, unless the Rook had known his identity. While it could have saved the Rooks trust in Number 6 if Number 6 had removed the plant from the group.
Kind regards,
Jana
Hello Jana,
DeleteIt wasn't the "Man with the stick" who was the plant, but No.269. May I draw your attention to 'The Prisoner Under The Spotlight' which I posted today. The scene with No.269 was deleted from the finished episode.
We all like to interpret certain situations in 'the Prisoner,' but in this case the interpretation is way off beam I'm afraid.
Kind regards
David
BCNU
Hello David,
ReplyDeleteI agree, you are right. Thank you for The Prisoner On Spotlight, it is very interesting! I have to admit, that I hadn't even recognized the Man With The Stick amongst the reliable men.
Best wishes,
Jana
BCNU
Hello Jana,
DeleteIt's improbable, but not impossible if you take 'the Prisoner' as a whole, as there is a man at Madam Professor's art seminar, who sits with his back to the camera. He's wearing a straw boater, and identical piped blazer who looks like the "Man with the stick", I like to think that he is the "Man with the stick." As I say, it's improbable, but not impossible. An effect of my overactive imagination!
Kind regards
David
BCNU