Randall and Hopkirk (Deceased) - Filming Randall and Hopkirk

Filming Randall and Hopkirk

Hopkirk's appearances were achieved by the simplest and cheapest of means, which had been in use since the earliest days of cinema. While the camera remained static, the other actors would freeze, Kenneth Cope would enter the scene and the other actors would unfreeze. Cutting out the extraneous footage in between was all that was necessary. Disappearances used the same method in reverse. Optical effects, which were prohibitively expensive and time consuming at the time, were largely avoided, although superimposition or bluescreen travelling matte shots were very occasionally used. In at least one scene, the Victorian theatrical illusion Pepper's Ghost was used.

The final episode, "The Ghost Talks" (actually released as the 21st to be filmed) contained extended flashbacks of Hopkirk alone solving a case – Jeff being out of town – before his death. This was necessitated by Mike Pratt having been injured in a fall from a drainpipe while trying to get into his locked flat. Pratt broke both his legs, rendering him bedridden in a real hospital bed (Pratt also had a nurse in attendance) on the set of a hospital room for duration of filming for that episode. Jeff's incapacity in the episode was explained by his having fallen off a balcony whilst in pursuit of a safe-cracker.

Although Marty is not supposed to have a physical presence, beds and armchairs can sometimes be seen sagging under his weight. He blows a cabinet door open in "When the Spirit Moves You" and, in another episode, he actually pushes aside a bead curtain. It is never explained why he has a shadow.

Except for some brief exterior scenes in the pilot episode and original opening titles, most of the scenes featuring the principal cast were shot in the studio. Exterior scenes were usually either simulated using blue screen, shot using body doubles or made use of the Associated British Elstree Studios lot. Unusually for an ITC series however, one episode had a significant amount of location shooting with principal cast members - at Woburn Abbey.

Cars used by the main characters were a white Vauxhall Victor 2000 FD registration RXD 996F and a red Austin Seven/Mini registration BAP 245B. The Victor was one of six loaned by Vauxhall Motors for filming the series and viewers may sometimes catch the second unit continuity out as some scenes of Jeff Randall's Victor show the car with a burgundy interior and others a black cabin. The actual car bearing the RXD 996F plate was last seen in a scrap yard in 1976. The red Mini was used by all three characters, but was Marty Hopkirk's car and driven by Jeannie Hopkirk after his death. The car was also used briefly for a scene in one episode of The Persuaders! when Tony Curtis shows up in disguise as a butler at Lord Brett Sinclair's country abode. The current whereabouts of this Mini remain unknown.