User Reviews

O'Brien, a somewhat shady art dealer and owner of The Florentine Gallery, has invited March to his gallery and tells him that he has the original "Second Mona Lisa," painted six months after the famous painting. Even after O'Brien shows him the painting, March has his doubts saying that it is well known that renown collector and art expert Mathew Constable owns the painting. They get Constable himself to look at the painting and to his and March's surprise authenticates it as being the original. There are two bidders for the painting, one an Arabian Emir (played as a buffoon by Pohlmann) and the other a wealthy American. Stereotypically, the wealthy American turns out to be a Texas oilman who wouldn't know a da Vinci from a Monet but only wants the painting for the centerpiece in a museum named after him back in Texas. The Texan wins the bid but later claims that the painting was switched for a copy. March sorts it all out. The highlight of this episode was seeing Alan Wheatley as O'Brien. I fondly remember Wheatley as the Sheriff of Nottingham in the wonderful Robin Hood television show. This episode is very entertaining.

Very much a what If story, what if there were two Mona Lisa's, how much would a private collector be prepared to pay.

This was an enjoyable episode, with Colonel March in place to prevent a crime, as opposed to dealing with a crime after the fact.

You know some sort of swizz is going to take place, you just don't know how, or who is on hand, fortunately the incredibly clever Colonel is on hand, with a rather unexpected device.

I have literally just watched Eric Pohlmann in an episode where he played a Detective, he had a lot more to do here.

It's a different format, as there's no murder, and no mystery to solve, this one's more a chance for March to show off his cleverness.

I thought this episode was rather fun, 7/10.

An episode of the Colonel March show with a self-explanatory title. THE SECOND MONA LISA explores the situation that arises when a second copy of the Mona Lisa is found, raising questions as to the authenticity of the first. March somehow shows up and is involved with the ensuing debate, but things get complex - and murderous - when two rival bidders, an American and a Sheikh, show up and both are intent on getting their hands on the true masterpiece.

This is a lively and tightly-plotted little story that benefits from a very fast pace and a plot with which it's difficult to keep up. Karloff is the calm and soothing presence to hold everything together while Eric Pohlmann once again appears and is almost unrecognisable playing the Arab character. THE SECOND MONA LISA is a lot of fun and has plenty of laughs to go along with the mystery.

One year after three pilot shows were filmed, the series proper began production November 9, 1953, starting with episode 4, "The Second Mona Lisa," shooting all 23 in England through April 1954. In place of Ewan Roberts' Inspector Ames, Alan Wheatley receives co-star billing with Boris Karloff, a mystery since his O'Brien character never made a repeat appearance, an art dealer for The Florentine Gallery. Resembling an early episode of THE AVENGERS, O'Brien calls upon Colonel March to provide insurance for his upcoming sale of The Second Mona Lisa (painted six months after the first), one bidder being The Emir of a Middle Eastern nation (Eric Pohlmann), the other a Texas oil magnate, Wyatt (Robert Ayres), who wants to purchase it for his personal museum. O'Brien sends for Matthew Constable (Frederick Leister), the owner of the original, because only he can authenticate which is which, confirming that O'Brien's copy is the genuine article. Wyatt swiftly concludes the purchase, immediately returning to his hotel with his bodyguard Rogers (George Margo), only to have an intruder apparently pull a timely switch, as The Emir now proudly displays what appears to be the original on his own wall. It's up to Colonel March to ferret out the truth, vindicating O'Brien as the culprit is revealed. Eric Pohlmann makes his first of five appearances on the show, with the other four playing the same role, Inspector Goron of the French Surete, first seen in "Passage at Arms."

The Second Mona Lisa is the one painted by Da Vinci, six months after the original.

O'Brien is a shady art dealer who has acquired it and has several interested parties willing to bid for it.

Colonel March has been called in to make sure everything is above board.

However March is aware that another art expert has been known to own the second Mona Lisa, Matthew Constable.

Before the bidding takes place. Constable has been brought into authenticate O'Brien's painting which means his would be a copy.

Texas oil magnate Wyatt wins the bid but later he thinks that the original painting has been switched with the copy.

The story ends up like a three card monte as March tries to find the lady with all the switcheroos.

There are no murders or even a queer mystery. The art game is more of a fraud game in this so-so story.