Debuting in 1957, Murder Bag introduced Raymond Francis as Detective Superintendent Tom Lockhart of Scotland Yard.
Apart from good old George Dixon, Lockhart became probably the most respected television policeman in Britain over the next decade as Murder Bag begat Crime Sheet which in turn begat No Hiding Place.
Lockhart was assisted in his investigations by different police officers each week, but always present was the ‘murder bag’ – a black leather briefcase used on murder enquiries, which contained 42 items of equipment needed to gather forensic evidence.
Items in the bag ranged from airtight jars to tweezers, and each week it was called into play in pursuit of yet another murderer.
Lockhart’s trademark was taking snuff, something Francis enjoyed also. On the series, he used a snuffbox given to him by Kenneth More.
The show was broadcast live and Francis had a habit of hiding his lines all over the set. One such crib card was inside his desk drawer, and Francis used to open it slightly and glance down.
One day, a technician played a joke on him by replacing the card with one which read ‘You will dry now’. And sure enough, he did.
