CHARLES KIRK
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Full Name: |
Charles Kirk |
Nationality: |
British |
Organization: |
Foreign Office Intelligence |
Occupation |
Spymaster |
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Creator: |
John Blackburn
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Time Span: |
1958 - 1973 |
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ABOUT THE SERIES
General Charles Kirk is the head of the British Foreign Office Intelligence, Europe. In this capacity, it is his role to decide which jobs his agents will handle and which of his numerous qualified people he will send. He has been in this position for a fair number of years prior to the start of the series. Amusingly, he has a much put upon secretary of many years by the name of Miss Bond.
A short, rotund man of advancing years, Kirk bears more than a few scars from action during WWII, and possibly before. This includes missing three fingers below the first knuckle on his left hand.
Tough and ruthless when he has to be, he has the ability to show compassion and concern. When it comes to his enemies, however, he has no qualms about ordering death, or causing it himself. No longer a field agent, he still at times goes close to the action.
Kirk is still every bit committed to his job as he ever was but he does, at times, realize that it has taken a toll. At one point he laments to a colleague, "we've sat in this dusty, unknown building that nobody normal ever comes to for a great many years." More telling is his comment "when we do retire we'll have ... few old friends to talk to because we've sent most of our friends to their deaths."
Several of the missions in which Kirk and his people become involved have a decided occult feel to them as the adversaries are either trying to use strange forces or uncommon events take place to cause sane people to blanche. Science also plays a major role making the dangers more apparently horrific. Interestingly, Kirk is both bothered and fascinated by many of the events he uncovers and the fact that his mind can unravel the clues to come to the conclusions they do can worry some of his acquaintances.
MOVIES
Number of Movies: | 2 |
First Appearance: | 1969 |
Last Appearance: | 1973 |
Two movies were made of the Charles Kirk series, the first was made for television while the second was a theatrical release.
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1 |
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Destiny Of A Spy
Also known as The Gaunt Woman
Director: Boris Sagal
Writers: Stanford Whitmore, John Blackburn
Actors: Lorne Greene as Peter Vanin, Rachel Roberts as Megan Thoman, Anthong Quayle as Col Malendin, Harry Andrews as Charles Kirk, James Donald as Sir Martin Rolfe, Patrick Magee as John Flack
Released: 1969
Airing 10/27/1969, a retired Soviet agent is brought back for yet another job in England but he has the misfortune to fall in love with a double agent there.
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2 |
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Nothing But The Night
Director: Peter Sasdy
Writers: Brian Hayles, John Blackburn
Actors: Christopher Lee as Charles Bingham [Kirk], Peter Cushing as Sir Mark Ashley, Diana Dors as Anna Harb, Georgia Brown as Joan Foster
Released: 1973
The search for immortality by a mysterious organization is tied to several strange deaths and an orphanage.
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YOUR OPINIONS
Andy Boot
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5/10/2013 12:04:23 AM
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Interesting comparisons - a fair point, except that Blackburn is a far better writer than Wheatley. Some of these are being republished, which is excellent as they are quite hard to find. Kirk is a very strong character, but never overshadows the supporting players, who are all finely drawn in their own right. Both The Gaunt Woman and The Young Man From Lima are populated by characters who draw you into their lives. At times, this does threaten the pace of the tales,but Blackburn juggles his elements well. And, it should be noted, he ploughed the furrow of the early sixties downbeat spy world with an admirable disregard for 'Bonding-up' his world and trying to appeal to the mass audience, preferring to refine his craft. He deserves rediscovery.
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