Hammer Into Anvil
Encyclopedia
"Hammer into Anvil" is an episode of the 1960s television program The Prisoner
. It is one of the minority of episodes that do not deal with Number Six
attempting to escape
or the Village authorities attempting to coerce him into revealing information.
interrogates a female prisoner (Number Seventy-Three) in the Village
hospital
. The woman rebuffs him and steadfastly refuses to cooperate. Frustrated by this, Number Two attacks her. Hearing her screams through the window, Number Six
rushes to her aid. As he bursts through the door, the momentary commotion gives the girl a chance to leap from her bed and commit suicide by leaping from the window, escaping Number Two's torture.
Number Six vows to destroy Number Two. Already aware that he is being watched by the Village's hidden camera and spies at every turn, Six begins acting in a highly suspicious manner, as if he were some sort of spy or double agent.
He takes six copies of the same record
of Bizet's
L'Arlésienne Suites at the music store and plays them, eyeing his watch. Later on, he asks the town band to play the same piece. He sends out a carrier pigeon with a message from "D-6" to "XO4", referencing the Bizet records and stating that he will send out a visual signal. This pigeon is intercepted by Number Two's forces, who intercept the visual signal (in light-flash Morse code
) - a nursery rhyme with no apparent hidden meaning.
When the other keepers of the village can not discern the hidden meaning in Six's messages, Number Two suspects everyone working for him of being part of a conspiracy
. In the end, Number Six confronts Number Two, who expresses the belief that Number Six is really "D-6", a man sent by "XO4" to test his security. Feeding on Number Two's paranoia, Number Six charges Number Two with treason: if Number Two's belief was true, then he would be duty-bound not to interfere. At Number Six's insistence, Number Two calls the hotline to Number One to report his own failures and ask that he be replaced.
The Prisoner
The Prisoner is a 17-episode British television series first broadcast in the UK from 29 September 1967 to 1 February 1968. Starring and co-created by Patrick McGoohan, it combined spy fiction with elements of science fiction, allegory and psychological drama.The series follows a British former...
. It is one of the minority of episodes that do not deal with Number Six
Number Six (The Prisoner)
Number Six is the central fictional character in the 1960s television series The Prisoner, played by Patrick McGoohan. In the AMC remake, the character is played by Jim Caviezel, renamed "Six"....
attempting to escape
Prison escape
A prison escape or prison break is the act of an inmate leaving prison through unofficial or illegal ways. Normally, when this occurs, an effort is made on the part of authorities to recapture them and return them to their original detainers...
or the Village authorities attempting to coerce him into revealing information.
Plot summary
Number TwoNumber Two (The Prisoner)
Number Two was the title of the chief administrator of The Village in the 1967-68 British television series The Prisoner. More than 17 different actors appeared as holders of the office during the 17-episode series .The first...
interrogates a female prisoner (Number Seventy-Three) in the Village
The Village (The Prisoner)
The Village is the fictional setting of the 1960s UK television series The Prisoner where the main character, Number Six, is held with other former spies and operatives...
hospital
Hospital
A hospital is a health care institution providing patient treatment by specialized staff and equipment. Hospitals often, but not always, provide for inpatient care or longer-term patient stays....
. The woman rebuffs him and steadfastly refuses to cooperate. Frustrated by this, Number Two attacks her. Hearing her screams through the window, Number Six
Number Six (The Prisoner)
Number Six is the central fictional character in the 1960s television series The Prisoner, played by Patrick McGoohan. In the AMC remake, the character is played by Jim Caviezel, renamed "Six"....
rushes to her aid. As he bursts through the door, the momentary commotion gives the girl a chance to leap from her bed and commit suicide by leaping from the window, escaping Number Two's torture.
Number Six vows to destroy Number Two. Already aware that he is being watched by the Village's hidden camera and spies at every turn, Six begins acting in a highly suspicious manner, as if he were some sort of spy or double agent.
He takes six copies of the same record
Gramophone record
A gramophone record, commonly known as a phonograph record , vinyl record , or colloquially, a record, is an analog sound storage medium consisting of a flat disc with an inscribed, modulated spiral groove...
of Bizet's
Georges Bizet
Georges Bizet formally Alexandre César Léopold Bizet, was a French composer, mainly of operas. In a career cut short by his early death, he achieved few successes before his final work, Carmen, became one of the most popular and frequently performed works in the entire opera repertory.During a...
L'Arlésienne Suites at the music store and plays them, eyeing his watch. Later on, he asks the town band to play the same piece. He sends out a carrier pigeon with a message from "D-6" to "XO4", referencing the Bizet records and stating that he will send out a visual signal. This pigeon is intercepted by Number Two's forces, who intercept the visual signal (in light-flash Morse code
Morse code
Morse code is a method of transmitting textual information as a series of on-off tones, lights, or clicks that can be directly understood by a skilled listener or observer without special equipment...
) - a nursery rhyme with no apparent hidden meaning.
When the other keepers of the village can not discern the hidden meaning in Six's messages, Number Two suspects everyone working for him of being part of a conspiracy
Conspiracy (civil)
A civil conspiracy or collusion is an agreement between two or more parties to deprive a third party of legal rights or deceive a third party to obtain an illegal objective....
. In the end, Number Six confronts Number Two, who expresses the belief that Number Six is really "D-6", a man sent by "XO4" to test his security. Feeding on Number Two's paranoia, Number Six charges Number Two with treason: if Number Two's belief was true, then he would be duty-bound not to interfere. At Number Six's insistence, Number Two calls the hotline to Number One to report his own failures and ask that he be replaced.
Additional guest cast
- Band Master: Victor MaddernVictor MaddernVictor Jack Maddern was an English actor.Born in Seven Kings, Ilford, Essex, Maddern was one of large group of dependable supporting actors that British film produced over the years....
- Number Fourteen: Basil HoskinsBasil Hoskins-Biography:Hoskins, a native of Edmonton, London was educated at the Edmonton County School. The popular British actor who also had a distinguished career on the London stage, Hoskins studied acting at RADA and later joined the Nottingham Playhouse company...
- Psychiatric director: Derek Smee
- New supervisor: Derek Aylward
- Number Seventy-Three: Hilary DwyerHilary DwyerHilary Dwyer is a former actress, businessperson and film producer.-Early life:Dwyer is the daughter of an Orthopaedic Surgeon. As a youth, she practiced ballet and became a talented pianist...
- Control room supervisor: Arthur Gross
- Supervisor: Peter SwanwickPeter SwanwickPeter Swanwick was a British actor best remembered as the "Supervisor" in the 1967 TV series, The Prisoner...
- Shop assistant: Victor Woolf
- Laboratory technician: Michael Segal
- Shop kiosk girl: Margo Andrew
- Female code expert: Susan Sheers
- Guardian: Jackie Cooper
- Guardian: Fred Haggerty
- Guardian: Eddie PowellEddie PowellEddie Powell was a British stuntman.Powell performed stuntwork in several films for Hammer Studios, serving as a regular stunt double for Christopher Lee. His credits during this time included portraying Dracula in Dracula: Prince of Darkness and the Mummy in The Mummy's Shroud...
- Guardian: George Leech