The Man from U.N.C.L.E.
Encyclopedia
The Man from U.N.C.L.E. is an American television series that was broadcast on NBC
from September 22, 1964, to January 15, 1968. It follows the exploits of two secret agents, played by Robert Vaughn
and David McCallum
, who work for a fictitious secret international espionage and law-enforcement agency called U.N.C.L.E.
. Originally co-creator Sam Rolfe
wanted to leave the meaning of UNCLE ambiguous so it could be viewed as either referring to "Uncle Sam
" or the United Nations
. Concerns by the MGM Legal department about possible New York
law violations for using the abbreviation "U.N." for commercial purposes resulted in the producers clarifying that U.N.C.L.E. was an acronym for the United Network Command for Law and Enforcement. Each episode of the television show had an "acknowledgement" credit to the U.N.C.L.E. on the end titles.
and 1968
produced by Arena Productions using the studio facilities of Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer
. The first season was broadcast in black-and-white.
When approached by the other co-creator, Norman Felton
, James Bond
creator Ian Fleming
contributed to the show's creation. The book The James Bond Films reveals that Fleming's TV concept had two characters: Napoleon Solo
and April Dancer (The Girl from U.N.C.L.E.
). ("Mr. Solo" was originally the name of a crime boss in Fleming's Goldfinger.) Robert Towne
, Sherman Yellen
and Harlan Ellison
wrote scripts for the series, which was originally to have been titled Solo. Author Michael Avallone
, who wrote the first original novelisation based upon the series (see below), is sometimes incorrectly cited as the show's creator (such as in the January 1967 issue of The Saint Magazine
). At one point, Fleming's name was to have been connected more directly with the series. The cover of the original prospectus
for the series showed the title Ian Fleming's Solo.
Solo was originally slated to be the "solo" star of the series, the only "Man." But a small scene by a Russian agent named Illya Kuryakin
caught fire with the fans, and the two were permanently paired.
(Robert Vaughn
), and Russian Illya Kuryakin
(David McCallum
). Leo G. Carroll
played Alexander Waverly
, the British head of the organization (Number One of Section One). Lisa Rogers (Barbara Moore) joined the cast as a female regular in the fourth season.
The series, though fictional, achieved such a high status as to have artifacts (props, costumes and documents, and a video clip) from the show included in the Ronald Reagan Presidential Library's
exhibit on spies and counterspies. Similar exhibits can be found in the museums of the Central Intelligence Agency
and other agencies and organizations involved with intelligence gathering.
U.N.C.L.E.'s archenemy was a vast organization known as THRUSH (originally named WASP in the series pilot movie). The original series never explained what the acronym THRUSH stood for, but in several of the U.N.C.L.E. novels written by David McDaniel
, it was expanded as the Technological Hierarchy for the Removal of Undesirables and the Subjugation of Humanity, and described by him as having been founded by Col. Sebastian Moran
after the death of Professor Moriarty
at the Reichenbach Falls
in the Sherlock Holmes
story "The Final Problem." Later, an alternate—and more plausible—explanation was offered, with THRUSH rising out of the fall of Nazism and founded by high-ranking Nazi officials—including Martin Bormann
--who fled to Argentina when defeat was seen as inevitable, taking with them enormous financial wealth, including gold and precious works of art.
THRUSH's aim was to conquer the world. Napoleon Solo said, in "The Green Opal Affair," "THRUSH believes in the two-party system: the masters and the slaves,", adding in another episode ("The Vulcan Affair") that THRUSH will "kill people the way people kill flies: a careless flick of the wrist--reflex action." So dangerous was the threat from THRUSH that governments, even those most ideologically opposed such as the United States and the USSR
, cooperated in the formation and operation of U.N.C.L.E. Similarly, if Solo and Kuryakin held opposing political views, the writers allowed little to show in their interactions.
Though executive producer Norman Felton
and Ian Fleming
had developed the character of Napoleon Solo, it was producer Sam Rolfe
who created the organization of U.N.C.L.E. Unlike the nationalistic organizations of the CIA and James Bond
's MI.6
, U.N.C.L.E. was a worldwide organization composed of agents from all corners of the globe. The character of Illya Kuryakin was created by Rolfe as a Russian U.N.C.L.E. agent.
The creators of the series decided that the involvement of an innocent character would be part of each episode, giving the audience someone with whom it could identify. Through all the changes in series in the course of four seasons, this element remained a factor—from a suburban housewife in the pilot, "The Vulcan Affair" (film version: "To Trap a Spy"), to the various people kidnapped in the final episode, "The Seven Wonders of the World Affair."
soap factory in California, the show was originally titled Ian Fleming's Solo and later just Solo. However, in February 1964 a law firm representing James Bond
movie producers Harry Saltzman
and Albert R. Broccoli
sent a cease-and-desist letter demanding an immediate end to the use of Fleming’s name in connection with the planned Solo series, and an end to all use of the name and character "Solo," "Napoleon Solo" and "Mr. Solo". At that time filming was underway for the Bond movie Goldfinger
, where Martin Benson
was playing a supporting character named "Mr. Solo". The claim was the name "Solo" had already been sold to them by Fleming, and Fleming could not again use it. Within five days Fleming had signed an affidavit
that nothing in the Solo pilot infringed on any of his Bond characters, but the threat of continued legal action resulted in a settlement where the character name of Napoleon Solo could be kept, but the title of the show had to change.
The role of the head of UNCLE in the pilot was Mr. Allison played by Will Kuluva rather than Mr. Waverley played by Leo G. Carroll, and David McCallum's Illya Kuryakin only had a brief role. Revisions to some scenes were shot for television, including those needed to feature Leo G. Carroll. The pilot episode was thereafter re-edited to fit a one hour time slot, converted to black and white, and shown on televison as The Vulcan Affair.
Additional color sequences with Luciana Paluzzi
were shot in April of 1964 and added to the pilot in order for MGM to release it outside the United States as a second feature titled To Trap a Spy
. It premiered in Hong Kong
in November 1964. The extra scenes were further reedited (including to tone down the overt sexuality) and later used in the regular series of the episode "The Four-Steps Affair".
Beyond the extra scenes for the feature film, and the revised scenes shot and edits made for the television episode, there are other differences among the three versions of the story. Before the show went into full production there was concern from the MGM legal department that the name of THRUSH for the pilot's international criminal organization sounded too much like SMERSH
, the international criminal organization in Fleming's Bond series. The studio instead suggested names such as Raven, Shark, Squid, Vulture, Tarantula, Snipe, Sphinx, Dooom [sic], and Maggot (the latter used in some early first draft scripts). Although no formal legal action took place, the organization's name was redubbed as "WASP" in the feature version "To Trap a Spy". The original pilot itself was not modified and kept THRUSH (presumably as it was not intended to be released to the public in that version). By May, 1964 the issue had been cleared up, and THRUSH was retained for the television episode edit of the pilot. Despite this, the name WASP was used in the feature film when released in Japan in late 1964 and left as WASP in the U.S. release in 1966. Another change among the three versions of the pilot story was the cover name for the character of Elaine May Donaldson. In the original pilot it was Elaine Van Nessen; in the television version as well as the feature version it was redubbed to Elaine Van Every. Illya Kuryakin's badge number is 17 in the pilot rather than his typical number 2 during the run of the series. And one more difference was Solo's hair style, which after new footage was added changed back and forth from a slicked back style to the less severe style he wore throughout the series.
With the popularity of the show and the spy craze, To Trap a Spy and the second UNCLE feature The Spy with My Face
were released in the USA as an MGM double feature
in early 1966.
. Rolfe created a kind of Alice's Adventures In Wonderland world, where mundane everyday life would intermittently intersect with the looking-glass fantasy of international espionage which lay just beyond. The U.N.C.L.E. universe was one where the weekly "innocent" would get caught up in a series of fantastic adventures, in a battle of good and evil. Rolfe also blended deadly suspense with a light touch, reminiscent of Hitchcock. In fact, U.N.C.L.E. owes just as much to Alfred Hitchcock as it does to Ian Fleming, the touchstone being North by Northwest
, where an innocent man is mistaken for an agent of a top-secret organization, one of whose top members is played by Leo G. Carroll. This role led directly to Carroll being cast as Mr. Waverly in the show.
U.N.C.L.E. headquarters in New York City was most frequently entered by a secret entrance
in Del Floria's Tailor Shop. Another entrance was through The Masque Club. Mr. Waverly had his own secret entrance. Unlike the competing TV series I Spy however, the shows were overwhelmingly shot on the MGM back lot. The same building with an imposing exterior staircase was used for episodes set throughout the Mediterranean and Latin America, and the same dirt road lined with eucalyptus
trees on the back lot in Culver City stood in for virtually every continent of the globe. The episodes followed a naming convention where each title was in the form of "The ***** Affair", such as "The Vulcan Affair," "The Mad, Mad, Tea Party Affair," and "The Waverly Ring Affair." The only exceptions being, "Alexander the Greater Affair," parts 1 & 2. The first season episode "The Green Opal Affair" establishes that U.N.C.L.E. itself uses the term "Affair" to refer to its different missions.
Rolfe endeavored to make the implausibility of it all seem not only feasible but entertaining. In the series, frogmen emerge from wells in Iowa
, shootouts occur between U.N.C.L.E. and THRUSH agents in a crowded Manhattan
movie theater, and top-secret organizations are hidden behind innocuous brownstone
facades.
The series also began to dabble in science fiction-based plots
, beginning with "The Double Affair" in which a THRUSH agent, made to look like Solo through plastic surgery, infiltrates a secret U.N.C.L.E. facility where an immensely powerful weapon called "Project Earthsave" is stored; according to the dialogue, the weapon was developed to protect against a potential alien threat to Earth. The Spy with My Face
was the film version of this episode (see following).
In its first season The Man from U.N.C.L.E. competed against The Red Skelton Show
on CBS
and Walter Brennan
's short-lived The Tycoon
on ABC
. During this time producer Norman Felton told Alan Caillou
and several of the series writers to make the show more tongue in cheek.
, U.N.C.L.E. continued to enjoy huge popularity, but succeeding Rolfe, who left the show at the conclusion of the first season, David Victor, the new producer, read articles that called the show a spoof
and that is what it became. Over the next three seasons, five different show runner
s would supervise the U.N.C.L.E. franchise, and each one took the show in a direction that differed considerably from that of the first season. Furthermore, U.N.C.L.E. had spawned a swarm of imitators. In 1964, it was the only American spy show on U.S. TV; by 1966, there were nearly a dozen. In an attempt to emulate the success of ABC
's mid-season hit, Batman
, which had proven hugely popular on its debut in early 1966, U.N.C.L.E. moved swiftly towards self-parody and slapstick.
This campiness
was most in evidence during the third season, when the producers made a conscious decision to increase the level of humor, though season two had moved in this direction in episodes such as "The Yukon Affair" and "The Indian Affairs Affair." With episodes like "The My Friend the Gorilla Affair" (which featured a scene in which Solo is shown dancing with a gorilla) the show tested the loyalties of its followers and this new direction resulted in a severe ratings
drop, and nearly resulted in the show's cancellation. It was renewed for a fourth season and an attempt was made to go back to serious storytelling, but the ratings never recovered and U.N.C.L.E. was cancelled midway through the season.
, changed slightly each season. Goldsmith only provided three original scores and was replaced by Morton Stevens
, who composed four scores for the series. After Stevens, Walter Scharf
did six scores, and Lalo Schifrin
(who later wrote the Mission: Impossible
theme) did two. Gerald Fried
was composer from season two through the beginning of season four. The final composers were Robert Drasnin
(who also scored episodes of Mission: Impossible
, as did Schifrin, Scharf and Fried), Nelson Riddle
and Richard Shores. The music reflected the show's changing seasons—Goldsmith, Stevens and Scharf composed dramatic scores in the first season using brass, unusual time signatures and martial rhythms, Gerald Fried and Robert Drasnin opted for a lighter approach in the second, employing harpsichords and bongos and by the third season, the music, like the show, had become more camp, exemplified by an R&B organ and saxophone version of the theme. The fourth season's attempt at seriousness was duly echoed by Richard Shores' somber scores.
(ironically, Montenegro never worked on the series itself but did score an episode of Mission: Impossible
), and many orchestras did cover version
s of the title theme, it wouldn't be until 2002 that the first of three double-disc albums of original music from the series would be released through Film Score Monthly
.
The Man From U.N.C.L.E.
Disc 1:
Disc 2:
The Man From U.N.C.L.E. Volume 2
Disc 1:
Disc 2:
The Man From U.N.C.L.E. Volume 3: Featuring The Girl From U.N.C.L.E.
Disc 1:
Disc 2:
Tracks 9–13 Jerry Goldsmith, ad. and arr. Robert Armbruster:
FSM also released The Spy With My Face: Music From The Man From U.N.C.L.E. Movies, a disc of music specifically written for the feature film versions culled from episodes of the series (One Of Our Spies Is Missing and The Karate Killers are particularly strongly represented, due to the original TV episodes – "The Bridge Of Lions Affair" and "The Five Daughters Affair" respectively – having been tracked with music written for other episodes).
To Trap A Spy (Jerry Goldsmith):
1. Main Title/Solo Strikes Again (Main Title) (1:19)
2. The Kiss Off/Main Title (Meet Mr. Solo/End Title) (1:54)
The Spy With My Face (Morton Stevens):
3. Main Title (4:09)
4. Phase Two/Sub Male/Bugged Bobo (3:09)
5. New Alps/Impostor's First Test/Cyanide Cigarette (2:52)
6. Incarcerated Swinging (5:01)
7. The Real McCoy/End Title (2:17)
One Spy Too Many (Gerald Fried):
8. Dog Fight on Wheels (Main Title) – Goldsmith, arr. Fried (2:56)
9. Briefcase/Follow That Spy (:55)
10. The Three Alexanders/The Great Design (2:45)
11. Farm/Skip Loader/Wrong Driver (2:28)
12. End Title – Goldsmith, arr. Schifrin (:31)
One Of Our Spies Is Missing (Gerald Fried):
13. Main Title – Goldsmith, arr. Fried (3:08)
14. Go-Go in Soho/Cat Jam (1:46)
15. Duel by Flashlight/Fat Vat/Bridge of Lions (3:36)
16. Love With the Proper Mannequin/Thrush Cycle (1:29)
17. Thrush Guards/The Sacrifice/Jordin's Demise (2:31)
18. Hot Tie (1:58)
19. End Title – Goldsmith, arr. Fried (:37)
The Spy In The Green Hat (Nelson Riddle):
20. Main Title – Goldsmith, arr. Fried/Robert Armbruster (2:09)
21. Sicilian Style/Sacre! (1:22)
22. Stilletto Tango/Wrong Uncle (1:52)
23. Von Kronen/Kit Kat Klub (1:29)
24. Mr. Impeccable/I Sure Do/Right! (1:38)
25. End Title – Goldsmith, arr. Fried/Armbruster (:32)
The Karate Killers (Gerald Fried):
26. Main Title – Goldsmith, arr. Fried/Search Party (2:46)
27. Coliseum a Go Go/Arrivederci/Drain Pipe (3:08)
28. Along the Seine/Anyone for Venice (2:45)
29. Snow Goons/Touchdown (02:30)
30. Sidewalks of Japan (1:40)
31. Karate & Stick Game (1:24)
32. Mod Wedding/End Cast (1:03)
The Helicopter Spies (Jerry Goldsmith, arr. Armbruster):
33. Main Title (2:01)
34. End Title (:25)
How To Steal The World (Richard Shores):
35. Crazy Airport (Main Title) (2:08)
36. Trouble in Hong Kong (End Title) (:37)
William Shatner
and Leonard Nimoy
appeared together in a 1964 episode, "The Project Strigas Affair," a full two years before Star Trek
aired for the first time. Shatner played a heroic civilian recruited for an U.N.C.L.E. mission, and Nimoy played a rival of the villain's henchman. The villain is played by Werner Klemperer
. James Doohan
appeared in multiple episodes, each time as a different character.
Barbara Feldon played an U.N.C.L.E. translator eager for field work in "The Never-Never Affair," one year before becoming one of the stars of the very different spy series Get Smart
. Robert Culp
played the villain in 1964's "The Shark Affair."
Woodrow Parfrey
appeared five times as a guest performer, although he never received an opening-title credit. Usually cast as a scientist, he played the primary villain in only one episode, "The Cherry Blossom Affair." Another five-time guest star was Jill Ireland
, who at the time was married to David McCallum
. "The Five Daughters Affair" featured a cameo appearance by Joan Crawford
. Janet Leigh
and Jack Palance
appeared in "The Concrete Overcoat Affair" and Sonny and Cher made an appearance in the third season episode "The Hot Number Affair". Other notable guest stars included: Richard Anderson
, Joan Blondell
, Roger C. Carmel, Joan Collins
, Walter Coy
, Yvonne Craig
, Kim Darby
, Ivan Dixon
, Anne Francis
, Allen Jenkins
, Richard Kiel
, Angela Lansbury
, Julie London
, Leslie Nielsen
, William Marshall, Carroll O'Connor
, Eleanor Parker
, Slim Pickens
, Vincent Price
, Dorothy Provine
, Cesar Romero
, Kurt Russell
, Nancy Sinatra
, Terry-Thomas
and Fritz Weaver
.
, also had a range of useful spy
equipment, including handheld satellite
communicators to keep in contact with UNCLE headquarters. A catchphrase often heard was "Open Channel D" when agents used their pocket radios; these were originally disguised as cigarette
packs, later as a cigarette case
, and in following seasons, as pens. One of the original pen communicators now resides in the museum of the Central Intelligence Agency. The museum is not accessible to the public. Replicas have been made over the years for other displays, and this is the second-most-identifiable prop from the series (closely following the U.N.C.L.E. Special pistol).
, often referred to as "The Gun," drew so much attention that it actually spurred considerable fan mail, often so addressed. Internally designated the "U.N.C.L.E. Special," it featured a modular semi-automatic
weapon, originally based on the Mauser Model 1934 Pocket Pistol, but it was unreliable, jamming constantly, and considered so small that it was dwarfed by the carbine accessories. It was soon replaced by the larger and more reliable Walther P38 pistol
. The basic pistol could still be converted into a longer-range carbine
by attaching a long barrel, extendable shoulder stock, Bushnell telescopic sight, and extended magazine
. In its carbine mode, the pistol could fire on full automatic. This capability brought authorities to the set early on to investigate reports that the studio was manufacturing machine guns illegally. They threatened to confiscate the prop guns. It took a tour of the prop room to convince them that these were actually "dummy" pistols incapable of firing live ammunition.
The long magazine was actually a standard magazine with a dummy extension on it, but it inspired several manufacturers to begin making long magazines for various pistols. While many of these continue to be available 40 years later, long magazines were not available for the P-38 for some years. However, they are now being custom made, as are reproduction parts for the U.N.C.L.E. carbine, and sold at "TheUncleGun.com." Pictures of their U.N.C.L.E. gun reproductions can also be seen on the official "Man From U.N.C.L.E. DVD set." The "U.N.C.L.E. Special"-configured Walther P38 would later become the distinctive alternate mode for the Transformers
character Megatron, the evil leader of the Decepticon
s.
The P-38 fired the standard 9 mm bullet, although sometimes it was loaded with a special dart tipped with a fast-acting tranquilizer when it was preferable to have a live prisoner. The drug lasted, according to Solo, about two hours. THRUSH never bothered. As Solo commented in the pilot, "...THRUSH kills people like people kill flies. A careless gesture. A flick of the wrist...."
THRUSH had a range of weaponry, much of it only in development before being destroyed by the heroes; a notable item was the infra-red sniperscope, enabling them to target gunfire in darkness. A major design defect of the sniperscope (in the TV series) was that its image tube's power supply emitted a distinctive whining sound when operating and (in reality) relied on a searchlight to illuminate the target. It also required a heavy battery and cable arrangement to power the scope. This weapon was built around a U.S. Army-surplus M1 carbine
with a vertical foregrip and barrel compensator, and using real Army surplus infrared scopes. The fully equipped carbines were seen only once, in "The Iowa Scuba Affair." After that, a mock-up of the scope was used to make handling easier.
A few of the third-and fourth-season episodes featured an "U.N.C.L.E. car," which was a modified "Piranha Coupe," a Chevrolet Corvair-based plastic-bodied car built in limited numbers by custom car designer Gene Winfield
.
German small arms were well-represented in the series. Not only were P-38s popular (both as basis for the U.N.C.L.E. Special and in standard configuration), but also the Luger P-08 pistol. In the pilot episode "The Vulcan Affair," Illya Kuryakin is carrying a standard Army .45 pistol. The "Broomhandle" Mauser carbines
and MP40
machine pistols were favored by opponents, both THRUSH and non-THRUSH. U.N.C.L.E. also used the MP-40. Beginning in the third season, both U.N.C.L.E and THRUSH used rifles which were either the Spanish CETME
or the Heckler & Koch G3
, which was based on the CETME.
There were also an assortment of other weapons, ranging from sniper and military rifles to pistols of various caliber, plus swords, knives, bludgeons, staffs, chains, and the like.
Golden Globes Awards
Grammy Awards
Logie Awards
The "girl" was first introduced during "The Moonglow Affair" (February 25, 1966) an episode of The Man From U.N.C.L.E. and was then played by Mary Ann Mobley
. The Girl from U.N.C.L.E.
spin-off series ran for one season, starring Stefanie Powers
as agent "April Dancer," a character name credited to Ian Fleming
. There was some crossover between the two shows, and Leo G. Carroll
played Mr. Waverly in both programs, becoming the second actor in American television to star as the same character in two separate series. (The first had been Frank Cady
, who played General Store owner Sam Drucker on Petticoat Junction
, Green Acres
, and The Beverly Hillbillies
.)
Spin-offs included a Man from U.N.C.L.E. digest size
d story magazine, board game
s, action-figures, and toy weapons.
and also from the first season, "The Double Affair" retitled as The Spy with My Face
. Both had added sex and violence, new sub-plots and guest stars not in the original TV episodes. They were released in early 1966 as an U.N.C.L.E. double-feature program first run in neighborhood theaters, bypassing the customary downtown movie palaces which were still thriving in the mid-'60s and where new movies usually played for weeks and even months before coming to outlying screens.
A selling point to seeing these films on the big screen back then was that they were being shown in color, at a time when most people had only black and white TVs (and indeed the two first-season episodes that were expanded to feature length, while filmed in color, were only broadcast in black and white). The words IN COLOR featured prominently on the trailers, TV spots, and posters for the film releases. The episodes used to make UNCLE films were not included in the episodes in the packages of television episodes screened outside the United States.
Subsequent two-part episodes, beginning with the second season premiere, "Alexander The Greater Affair," retitled One Spy Too Many for its theatrical release, were developed into one complete feature film with only occasional extra sexy and violent footage added to them, sometimes as just inserts. In the case of One Spy Too Many, a subplot featuring Yvonne Craig
as an U.N.C.L.E. operative carrying on a flirtatious relationship with Solo was also added to the film; Craig does not appear in the television episodes.
All of the films were successful in many parts of the world, even those where the TV show did not air, sometimes surpassing box office receipts of the most recent Bond film. The later films were not released in America, only overseas, but the first few did well in American theaters and remain one of the rare examples of a television show released in paid theatrical engagements. With the exception of the two-part episode "The Five Daughters Affair," shown as part of Granada Plus
's run of the series, the episodes which became movies have never aired on British television.
Among the films in this series:
comic book series (one based on the show), which ran for about a dozen issues. Entertainment Publishing released an eleven issue series of one- and two-part stories from January 1987 to September 1988 that updated U.N.C.L.E. to the Eighties, while largely ignoring the reunion TV-movie. A two-part comics story, "The Birds of Prey Affair," was put out by Millennium Publications
in 1993, which showcased the return of a smaller, much more streamlined version of THRUSH, controlled by Dr. Egret, who had melded with the Ultimate Computer. The script was written by Mark Ellis
and Terry Collins
with artwork by Nick Choles, and transplanted the characters into the present day.
Two Man from U.N.C.L.E. strips were originated for the British market in the 1960s (some Gold Key material was also reprinted), the most notable for Lady Penelope comic, which launched in January 1966. This was replaced by a Girl from U.N.C.L.E. strip in January 1967. Man from U.N.C.L.E. also featured in the short-lived title Solo (published between February and September 1967) and some text stories appeared in TV Tornado.
and Dark Shadows
with its 30 or so novels published between 1966 and 1971, though there have now been more original novels published based upon Alias
and Buffy the Vampire Slayer.) Freed from the limitations of network television, these novels were generally grittier and more violent than the televised episodes. The series sold in the millions, and was the largest TV-novel tie-in franchise until surpassed by Dark Shadows and later by Star Trek
.
Another volume, The Final Affair, also by David McDaniel, was completed but not published. Copies of the manuscript have circulated among fans for decades. Written after the series was cancelled, it was intended to provide a definitive conclusion to Solo and Illya's adventures. At one time there were plans to publish The Final Affair in a limited deluxe edition, but the project failed. Another book, The Catacombs and Dogma Affair, has been mentioned in some sources, but it is not listed as one of the official U.N.C.L.E. novels. (It is possible that it may be one of the above volumes, retitled, or it may be the unpublished second U.N.C.L.E. novel by J. Hunter Holly, which has been circulated in mimeographed form among fans.) Volumes 10–15 and 17 of the series were only published in the United States.
Two science-fiction novels – Genius Unlimited by John Rackham (a pseudonym used by Phillifent) and The Arsenal Out of Time by McDaniel – appear to be rewrites of "orphaned" U.N.C.L.E novel outlines or manuscripts.
The Rainbow Affair is notable for its thinly disguised cameo appearances by The Saint
, Miss Marple
, John Steed
, Emma Peel
, Tommy Hambledon (at whose flat Solo and Ilya encounter Steed and Peel), Neddie Seagoon
, Father Brown
, a retired, elderly Sherlock Holmes
, and Dr. Fu Manchu. The novel uses the same chapter title format that Leslie Charteris
used in his Saint novels. (The title of one of the theatrical versions of U.N.C.L.E. episodes, The Spy in the Green Hat
, is very close to the title of The Man in the Green Hat, one of the "Hambledon" novels by "Manning Coles
.")
Whitman Books also published three hardcover novels aimed at young readers and based upon the series. The first two books break the naming convention "The .... Affair" used by all other U.N.C.L.E. fiction and episodes:
A children's storybook written by Walter Gibson
entitled The Coin of El Diablo Affair was also published.
The aforementioned digest magazine based upon Man from U.N.C.L.E. and often featured original novella
s that were not published anywhere else. These novellas, published under the house name "Robert Hart Davis," were actually written by such authors as John Jakes, Dennis Lynds, and Bill Pronzini. There were 24 issues running monthly from February 1966 till January 1968, inclusive.
Science fiction writer Jack Jardine (writing as Larry Maddock) originally came up with an idea for a "Man From U.N.C.L.E." novel called "The Flying Saucer Affair," but it was A) deemed too sci-fi for the series' concept, and B) written shortly before the series' cancellation. He later adapted this novel into his "Agent of T.E.R.R.A." series, which enjoyed a brief run of four titles altogether, and were published by ACE Books. They are:
in America on April 5, 1983, with Vaughn and McCallum reprising their roles, and Patrick Macnee
replacing Leo G. Carroll
as the head of U.N.C.L.E. A framed picture of Carroll appeared on his desk. The movie included a tribute to Ian Fleming via a cameo appearance by an unidentified secret agent with the initials "J.B." The part was played by one-time James Bond George Lazenby
who was shown driving Bond's trademark vehicle, an Aston Martin DB5
. One character, identifying him, says that it is "just like On Her Majesty's Secret Service
", which was Lazenby's only Bond film.
The movie, written by Michael Sloan and directed by Ray Austin
, briefly filled in the missing years. THRUSH has been put out of business, and the remaining leader was in prison. (His escape begins the story.) Illya, who quit U.N.C.L.E. after a mission went sour and an innocent woman was killed, now designs women's clothing at Vanya's in New York, whilst Napoleon was pushed out of U.N.C.L.E. now is employed selling computers. However he still carries his U.N.C.L.E. pen radio for sentimental reasons and this is how the organization is able to contact him after so many years.
Solo and Kuryakin are recalled to recapture the escapee and defeat THRUSH once and for all, but the movie misfired on a key point: instead of reuniting the agents on the mission and showcasing their witty interaction, the agents were separated and paired with younger agents. Like most similar reunion films, this production was considered a trial balloon for a possible new series.
Although some personnel from the original series were involved (like composer Gerald Fried
and director of photography Fred Koenekamp), the movie was not produced by Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer but by Michael Sloan Productions in association with Viacom Productions
- Sloan, Vaughn and McCallum are pictured in the Michael Sloan Productions logo at the end of the movie.
is currently in discussion to possibly remake the Man from U.N.C.L.E. TV series as a movie, to which George Clooney
was attached. As of August 30, 2011, Clooney has dropped out of the project. Soderbergh is the man behind the "Oceans" series of films starring Brad Pitt, Matt Damon and George Clooney. Reports are saying that Soderbergh is interested with actor Channing Tatum
who directed Tatum in Magic Mike
for the role.
---UPDATE--- Steven Soderbergh
has dropped out of the project, though Warner Bros. remains interested in making a new Man from U.N.C.L.E. movie. They would like to franchise it as a trilogy.
, Time-Life
released a 41 DVD set (region 1) for direct order, with sales through stores scheduled for fall 2008. An earlier release by Anchor Bay
, allegedly set for 2006, was apparently scuttled because of a dispute over the rights to the series with Warner Brothers.
A region 2 DVD (PAL
for Europe) release of The Man from U.N.C.L.E. movies was released on September 8, 2003. The DVD contains five of the eight movies, missing the following: To Trap a Spy (1964), The Spy in the Green Hat (1966) and One of Our Spies is Missing (1966).
On Oct. 21, 2008, the Time-Life set was released to retail outlets in Region 1 (North America) in a special all-seasons box set contained within a small briefcase. The complete-series set consists of 41 DVDs, including two discs of special features included exclusively with the box set. Included in the set was the Solo pilot episode, as well as one of the films, One Spy Too Many.
Paramount Pictures
and CBS Home Entertainment released The Return of the Man from U.N.C.L.E. to DVD in Region 1 on March 3, 2009.
On August 23, 2011, Warner Archive Collection
made The Man from U.N.C.L.E. 8-Movie Collection available from their "manufacture on demand" service.
, fittingly titled "The Man from My Uncle." In this episode, Rob Petrie (Van Dyke) allows his suburban house to be used as a stakeout for an unnamed government agency. They want to spy on one of his neighbors who has a deported nephew that may be back in the country illegally. Comedian Godfrey Cambridge guest stars as an agent whose name is Mr. Bond, a recurring joke in the episode. In the show's final scene, referred to in sitcom circles as the "tag," Rob is playing with the agent's walkie talkie and fantasizes that he is negotiating a hostage exchange with THRUSH. The show was also parodied by MGM itself on "The Mouse from H.U.N.G.E.R.
", an episode of Tom and Jerry
. The British TV series The Avengers
featured an episode titled "The Girl from AUNTIE," a double in-joke in the UK, where "Auntie" was a nickname for the BBC.
An episode of "Get Smart
" connects to "The Man From U.N.C.L.E". In "The Reluctant Redhead", an agent named Gruvnik, the Spoiler, had worked for THRUSH before joining KAOS.
The fourth season of Angry Beavers has an episode entitled "The Mom From U.N.C.L.E" in which the main character's mother is a secret agent.
Robert Vaughn makes an uncredited cameo appearance
as Napoleon Solo in a dinner party scene in the Doris Day
film, The Glass Bottom Boat
. Solo is shown at the bar (complete with U.N.C.L.E. theme music), operating his pen radio and giving Paul Lynde
(as Homer Cripps) a smiling, almost lecherous look as he walks by in drag. Day's film plot is about an Earth-based secret zero-gravity test laboratory built to train astronauts.
Both Vaughn and David McCallum made brief appearances in character in a Please Don't Eat the Daisies
TV episode titled "Cry UNCLE." The star of the show Patricia Crowley had costarred in the original UNCLE pilot The Vulcan Affair. The end credits of the episode, like The Man from U.N.C.L.E., thanked the United Network Command for its co-operation. McCallum also hosted an episode of the popular 1960's TV variety show Hullabaloo
as Illya Kuryakin.
Maxwell Smart of "Get Smart" was once paired with Israel's Agent 498, The Man from YENTA
In the late 1960's and early 1970's, the makers of Glad brand plastic bags released a series of commercials starring the "Man from GLAD", a trench coat wearing agent who flew around in his combination boat/helicopter demonstrating Glad products to suburban housewives and saving the day. (Not to mention, leftover food.)
Leo G. Carroll had a cameo on the first episode of Laugh-In
broadcast on Jan. 22, 1968, in which he spoofed U.N.C.L.E. Ironically, that was the show that took over U.N.C.L.E.'s timeslot when it was cancelled. A bartender at one of Laugh-In's standing comedy sketch locations, a go-go party scene, he suddenly turns as he pulls out an U.N.C.L.E. pen radio and intones into it, "Kuryakin, Get over here fast, I think I’ve found THRUSH Headquarters at last!"
A British secret agent who always survived through ingenuity despite being ineffectual-looking and short-sighted appeared as 'The Man From B.U.N.G.L.E.' in the 1964 UK comic Wham!
.
A season five episode of the 1980s adventure series The A-Team
was entitled "The Say U.N.C.L.E. Affair" and featured both Vaughn and McCallum. Vaughn had a recurring role as a member of The A-Team's cast at this point, playing Hunt Stockwell, presumably a United States Army G-2 general officer, while McCallum appeared as Stockwell's former espionage partner, Ivan. The episode was loaded with in-jokes referencing the 1960s series. The signature bongo drums & pan from The Man From U.N.C.L.E. was used whenever scenes changed in that episode. McCallum played one of the few characters ever to have been killed in an A-Team episode.
In an episode of Tales from the Darkside
titled "The Impressionist," a government organization named U.N.C.L.E. hires an impersonator to talk with an alien.
A few brief references to U.N.C.L.E. are made in The League of Extraordinary Gentlemen: Black Dossier
, along with appearances by characters from The Avengers
, Danger Man
, and The Prisoner
. U.N.C.L.E. is never referred to by name in the story, although Waverly is mentioned, albeit by his last name only, as a schoolmate of Billy Bunter
's at Greyfriars
and also a member of a Cambridge Five
.
In the audiobook Judgement of the Judoon
, a main character is a crime lord known as "Uncle" to enemies and underlings alike. Towards the end of the story, a rival crime lord orders her communication technician to "Open Channel D and get me Uncle!"
In his 1980 album Get Happy!!, Elvis Costello wrote the track "Man Called Uncle". Although the lyrics do not make any references to the show, the song has a Sixties upbeat feel connected with the original "Man from U.N.C.L.E" soundtrack. An Argentinian Funk duo was named Illya Kuryaki and the Valderramas
honoring the fictitious spy. Alma Cogan
paid a similar tribute to the Russian agent in her single "Love Ya Illya," released in 1966 under the pseudonym "Angela and the Fans." In the 1980s, Cleaners From Venus penned "Ilya Kuryakin Looked at Me;" the song was later covered by The Jennifers
. The English 2 Tone
band The Specials
made an instrumental song called "Napoleon Solo." It was also the name of a Danish 2 Tone band. Space–surf band Man or Astro-man?
covered the theme song for their 1994 EP Astro Launch
.
The Pet Shop Boys
song "Building A Wall," from their 2009 album Yes
, contains the lyric "Jesus
and the Man From U.N.C.L.E."
In the video game Duke Nukem 3D
, there is a secret military base, and hidden on a telephone booth it says "U.N.C.L.E." rather than the typical "PHONE." Using this phone leads to a hidden area.
In the Randall Garrett
novel Too Many Magicians
, character Tia Einzig's father's brother Neapeler is said to come from the Isle of Mann, and thus is the Uncle from Mann. "Neapeler Einzig" is recognizably a variant of "Napoleon Solo;" "Neapel" is the German name for Naples; "einzig" is German for "only" or "unique." And Tia's Uncle has a friend, "Colin MacDavid," whose name is recognizably a variant of the actor's name "David McCallum."
The British comedian Ben Elton
starred in two series of his own stand-up comedy and sketch show entitled The Man from Auntie, in 1990 and 1994. The title of the show was a play on the title of The Man from UNCLE and the fact that "Auntie" is a nickname for the BBC.
Forty years after the debut of this series, its stars appeared on TV, Vaughn in the British caper series Hustle
and McCallum as the in-house forensic pathologist Dr. Donald "Ducky" Mallard in the American military crime investigation series NCIS
. In the season two NCIS episode "The Meat Puzzle," 30-something Kate asks Leroy Gibbs
what Ducky Mallard looked like when he was younger. To this, Gibbs responds, "Illya Kuryakin."
In an interview for a retrospective television special, David McCallum told of a visit to the White House
during which, while he was being escorted to meet the President, a Secret Service
agent told him, "You're the reason I got this job."
On the popular morning drive time radio show Bob and Brian
morning show, out of Milwaukee WI, Brian has made himself the Man from U.N.C.L.E regarding sports. In his case he "rules" on all sports Uniforms Nicknames Colors Logos and Emblems and deems them appropriate or not.
In the video game Team Fortress 2
, one of the achievements for the Spy, The Man from P.U.N.C.T.U.R.E, is a reference to the show.
In a fourth-season episode of Mad Men
, "The Chrysanthemum and the Sword," Sally Draper masturbates
while watching a scene involving Illya Kuryakin on The Man from U.N.C.L.E. episode "The Hong Kong Shilling Affair" (broadcast on March 15, 1965) at a sleepover
.
In the HBO movie Temple Grandin
, a film biography of Dr. Temple Grandin
in which actress Claire Danes
impersonated her, the title character is a big fan of the show, and she refers to it several times. In the opening sequence, Temple describes for her Aunt a scene in the show where a man with a shotgun says to Illya Kuryakin, "Would you like for me to open the gate?" Temple finds the line to be hilarious. Later, while she is in college, she joins other students in her dorm in the common room to watch the show. Short clips from the show are shown.
In the film Restless Natives
a highly serious, bossy, American detective is thought to share similarities with "The Man From U.N.C.L.E."
NBC
The National Broadcasting Company is an American commercial broadcasting television network and former radio network headquartered in the GE Building in New York City's Rockefeller Center with additional major offices near Los Angeles and in Chicago...
from September 22, 1964, to January 15, 1968. It follows the exploits of two secret agents, played by Robert Vaughn
Robert Vaughn
Robert Francis Vaughn, , is an American actor noted for stage, film and television work. His best known roles include the suave spy Napoleon Solo in the 1960s television series The Man from U.N.C.L.E., wealthy detective Harry Rule in the 1970s television series The Protectors, Albert Stroller in...
and David McCallum
David McCallum
David Keith McCallum, Jr. is a Scottish actor and musician. He is best known for his roles as Illya Kuryakin, a Russian-born secret agent, in the 1960s television series The Man from U.N.C.L.E., as interdimensional operative Steel in Sapphire & Steel, and Dr...
, who work for a fictitious secret international espionage and law-enforcement agency called U.N.C.L.E.
U.N.C.L.E.
U.N.C.L.E. is an acronym for the fictional United Network Command for Law and Enforcement, a secret international intelligence agency featured in the TV series The Man from U.N.C.L.E. and The Girl from U.N.C.L.E.. Both were 1960s TV series produced in the United States.U.N.C.L.E. is an organization...
. Originally co-creator Sam Rolfe
Sam Rolfe
Samuel Harris Rolfe was an American screenwriter best known for his work on 1960s television series The Man from U.N.C.L.E. and The Eleventh Hour, both on NBC.-Background:Rolfe was born in New York...
wanted to leave the meaning of UNCLE ambiguous so it could be viewed as either referring to "Uncle Sam
Uncle Sam
Uncle Sam is a common national personification of the American government originally used during the War of 1812. He is depicted as a stern elderly man with white hair and a goatee beard...
" or the United Nations
United Nations
The United Nations is an international organization whose stated aims are facilitating cooperation in international law, international security, economic development, social progress, human rights, and achievement of world peace...
. Concerns by the MGM Legal department about possible New York
New York
New York is a state in the Northeastern region of the United States. It is the nation's third most populous state. New York is bordered by New Jersey and Pennsylvania to the south, and by Connecticut, Massachusetts and Vermont to the east...
law violations for using the abbreviation "U.N." for commercial purposes resulted in the producers clarifying that U.N.C.L.E. was an acronym for the United Network Command for Law and Enforcement. Each episode of the television show had an "acknowledgement" credit to the U.N.C.L.E. on the end titles.
Background
The series consisted of 105 episodes screened between 19641964 in television
The year 1964 in television involved some significant events.Below is a list of television-related events in 1964.For the American TV schedule, see: 1964-65 American network television schedule.-Events:...
and 1968
1968 in television
The year 1968 in television involved some significant events.Below is a list of television-related events in 1968.For the American TV schedule, see: 1968-69 American network television schedule.-Events:...
produced by Arena Productions using the studio facilities of Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer
Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer
Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Inc. is an American media company, involved primarily in the production and distribution of films and television programs. MGM was founded in 1924 when the entertainment entrepreneur Marcus Loew gained control of Metro Pictures, Goldwyn Pictures Corporation and Louis B. Mayer...
. The first season was broadcast in black-and-white.
When approached by the other co-creator, Norman Felton
Norman Felton
Norman Felton is a British-born American television producer, best known for his involvement in shows such as The Man from U.N.C.L.E. and Dr. Kildare, both on NBC.-Background:...
, James Bond
James Bond
James Bond, code name 007, is a fictional character created in 1953 by writer Ian Fleming, who featured him in twelve novels and two short story collections. There have been a six other authors who wrote authorised Bond novels or novelizations after Fleming's death in 1964: Kingsley Amis,...
creator Ian Fleming
Ian Fleming
Ian Lancaster Fleming was a British author, journalist and Naval Intelligence Officer.Fleming is best known for creating the fictional British spy James Bond and for a series of twelve novels and nine short stories about the character, one of the biggest-selling series of fictional books of...
contributed to the show's creation. The book The James Bond Films reveals that Fleming's TV concept had two characters: Napoleon Solo
Napoleon Solo
Napoleon Solo is a fictional character from the 1960s TV spy series The Man from U.N.C.L.E. The series was remarkable for pairing the American Solo, played by Robert Vaughn, and the Russian Illya Kuryakin as two spies who work together for an international espionage organisation at the height of...
and April Dancer (The Girl from U.N.C.L.E.
The Girl from U.N.C.L.E.
The Girl from U.N.C.L.E. is an American spy-fi TV series that aired on NBC for one season from September 16, 1966 to April 11, 1967. The series was a spin-off from The Man from U.N.C.L.E. and used the same theme music composed by Jerry Goldsmith, which was rearranged into a slightly different,...
). ("Mr. Solo" was originally the name of a crime boss in Fleming's Goldfinger.) Robert Towne
Robert Towne
Robert Towne is an American screenwriter and director. His most notable work may be his Academy Award-winning original screenplay for Roman Polanski's Chinatown .-Film:...
, Sherman Yellen
Sherman Yellen
Sherman Yellen is a playwright and screenwriter.- Biography :Sherman Yellen was born in 1932 to Nathan and Lillian Yellen. He attended the High School of Music & Art in Harlem and graduated from Bard College on the Hudson in 1953 where he met his future wife, Joan Fuhr...
and Harlan Ellison
Harlan Ellison
Harlan Jay Ellison is an American writer. His principal genre is speculative fiction.His published works include over 1,700 short stories, novellas, screenplays, teleplays, essays, a wide range of criticism covering literature, film, television, and print media...
wrote scripts for the series, which was originally to have been titled Solo. Author Michael Avallone
Michael Avallone
Michael Avallone was a prolific American author of mystery and secret agent fiction, as well as many novels based upon various television series and films...
, who wrote the first original novelisation based upon the series (see below), is sometimes incorrectly cited as the show's creator (such as in the January 1967 issue of The Saint Magazine
Simon Templar
Simon Templar is a British fictional character known as The Saint featured in a long-running series of books by Leslie Charteris published between 1928 and 1963. After that date, other authors collaborated with Charteris on books until 1983; two additional works produced without Charteris’s...
). At one point, Fleming's name was to have been connected more directly with the series. The cover of the original prospectus
Prospectus
Prospectus may refer to:* Prospectus * Prospectus * Prospectus * Parkland College's newspaper...
for the series showed the title Ian Fleming's Solo.
Solo was originally slated to be the "solo" star of the series, the only "Man." But a small scene by a Russian agent named Illya Kuryakin
Illya Kuryakin
Illya Nickovetch Kuryakin is a fictional character from the 1960s TV spy series The Man from U.N.C.L.E..The series was remarkable for pairing an American Napoleon Solo and the Russian Kuryakin as two spies who work together for an international espionage organisation at the height of the Cold War...
caught fire with the fans, and the two were permanently paired.
Premise
The series centered on a two-man troubleshooting team working for U.N.C.L.E.: American Napoleon SoloNapoleon Solo
Napoleon Solo is a fictional character from the 1960s TV spy series The Man from U.N.C.L.E. The series was remarkable for pairing the American Solo, played by Robert Vaughn, and the Russian Illya Kuryakin as two spies who work together for an international espionage organisation at the height of...
(Robert Vaughn
Robert Vaughn
Robert Francis Vaughn, , is an American actor noted for stage, film and television work. His best known roles include the suave spy Napoleon Solo in the 1960s television series The Man from U.N.C.L.E., wealthy detective Harry Rule in the 1970s television series The Protectors, Albert Stroller in...
), and Russian Illya Kuryakin
Illya Kuryakin
Illya Nickovetch Kuryakin is a fictional character from the 1960s TV spy series The Man from U.N.C.L.E..The series was remarkable for pairing an American Napoleon Solo and the Russian Kuryakin as two spies who work together for an international espionage organisation at the height of the Cold War...
(David McCallum
David McCallum
David Keith McCallum, Jr. is a Scottish actor and musician. He is best known for his roles as Illya Kuryakin, a Russian-born secret agent, in the 1960s television series The Man from U.N.C.L.E., as interdimensional operative Steel in Sapphire & Steel, and Dr...
). Leo G. Carroll
Leo G. Carroll
Leo Gratten Carroll was an English-born actor. He was best known for his roles in several Hitchcock films and The Man from U.N.C.L.E. and Topper.-Early life:...
played Alexander Waverly
Alexander Waverly
Alexander Waverly is a fictional character from the 1960s television show The Man from U.N.C.L.E. and its spin-off series The Girl from U.N.C.L.E.....
, the British head of the organization (Number One of Section One). Lisa Rogers (Barbara Moore) joined the cast as a female regular in the fourth season.
The series, though fictional, achieved such a high status as to have artifacts (props, costumes and documents, and a video clip) from the show included in the Ronald Reagan Presidential Library's
Ronald Reagan Presidential Library
The Ronald Reagan Presidential Library and Center for Public Affairs is the presidential library and final resting place of Ronald Wilson Reagan, the 40th President of the United States. Designed by Hugh Stubbins and Associates, the library is located in Simi Valley, California, about northwest of...
exhibit on spies and counterspies. Similar exhibits can be found in the museums of the Central Intelligence Agency
Central Intelligence Agency
The Central Intelligence Agency is a civilian intelligence agency of the United States government. It is an executive agency and reports directly to the Director of National Intelligence, responsible for providing national security intelligence assessment to senior United States policymakers...
and other agencies and organizations involved with intelligence gathering.
U.N.C.L.E.'s archenemy was a vast organization known as THRUSH (originally named WASP in the series pilot movie). The original series never explained what the acronym THRUSH stood for, but in several of the U.N.C.L.E. novels written by David McDaniel
David McDaniel
David Edward McDaniel was a US science fiction author, who also wrote spy fiction, including several novels based upon the television series The Man from U.N.C.L.E..- Biography :...
, it was expanded as the Technological Hierarchy for the Removal of Undesirables and the Subjugation of Humanity, and described by him as having been founded by Col. Sebastian Moran
Sebastian Moran
Colonel Sebastian Moran is a fictional character, an enemy of Sherlock Holmes and the villain of the Sherlock Holmes short story The Adventure of the Empty House...
after the death of Professor Moriarty
Professor Moriarty
Professor James Moriarty is a fictional character and the archenemy of the detective Sherlock Holmes in the fiction of Sir Arthur Conan Doyle. Moriarty is a criminal mastermind, described by Holmes as the "Napoleon of Crime". Doyle lifted the phrase from a real Scotland Yard inspector who was...
at the Reichenbach Falls
Reichenbach Falls
The Reichenbach Falls are a series of waterfalls on the River Aar near Meiringen in Bern canton in central Switzerland. They have a total drop of 250 m . At 90 m , the Upper Reichenbach Falls is one of the highest cataracts in the Alps...
in the Sherlock Holmes
Sherlock Holmes
Sherlock Holmes is a fictional detective created by Scottish author and physician Sir Arthur Conan Doyle. The fantastic London-based "consulting detective", Holmes is famous for his astute logical reasoning, his ability to take almost any disguise, and his use of forensic science skills to solve...
story "The Final Problem." Later, an alternate—and more plausible—explanation was offered, with THRUSH rising out of the fall of Nazism and founded by high-ranking Nazi officials—including Martin Bormann
Martin Bormann
Martin Ludwig Bormann was a prominent Nazi official. He became head of the Party Chancellery and private secretary to Adolf Hitler...
--who fled to Argentina when defeat was seen as inevitable, taking with them enormous financial wealth, including gold and precious works of art.
THRUSH's aim was to conquer the world. Napoleon Solo said, in "The Green Opal Affair," "THRUSH believes in the two-party system: the masters and the slaves,", adding in another episode ("The Vulcan Affair") that THRUSH will "kill people the way people kill flies: a careless flick of the wrist--reflex action." So dangerous was the threat from THRUSH that governments, even those most ideologically opposed such as the United States and the USSR
Soviet Union
The Soviet Union , officially the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics , was a constitutionally socialist state that existed in Eurasia between 1922 and 1991....
, cooperated in the formation and operation of U.N.C.L.E. Similarly, if Solo and Kuryakin held opposing political views, the writers allowed little to show in their interactions.
Though executive producer Norman Felton
Norman Felton
Norman Felton is a British-born American television producer, best known for his involvement in shows such as The Man from U.N.C.L.E. and Dr. Kildare, both on NBC.-Background:...
and Ian Fleming
Ian Fleming
Ian Lancaster Fleming was a British author, journalist and Naval Intelligence Officer.Fleming is best known for creating the fictional British spy James Bond and for a series of twelve novels and nine short stories about the character, one of the biggest-selling series of fictional books of...
had developed the character of Napoleon Solo, it was producer Sam Rolfe
Sam Rolfe
Samuel Harris Rolfe was an American screenwriter best known for his work on 1960s television series The Man from U.N.C.L.E. and The Eleventh Hour, both on NBC.-Background:Rolfe was born in New York...
who created the organization of U.N.C.L.E. Unlike the nationalistic organizations of the CIA and James Bond
James Bond
James Bond, code name 007, is a fictional character created in 1953 by writer Ian Fleming, who featured him in twelve novels and two short story collections. There have been a six other authors who wrote authorised Bond novels or novelizations after Fleming's death in 1964: Kingsley Amis,...
's MI.6
Secret Intelligence Service
The Secret Intelligence Service is responsible for supplying the British Government with foreign intelligence. Alongside the internal Security Service , the Government Communications Headquarters and the Defence Intelligence , it operates under the formal direction of the Joint Intelligence...
, U.N.C.L.E. was a worldwide organization composed of agents from all corners of the globe. The character of Illya Kuryakin was created by Rolfe as a Russian U.N.C.L.E. agent.
The creators of the series decided that the involvement of an innocent character would be part of each episode, giving the audience someone with whom it could identify. Through all the changes in series in the course of four seasons, this element remained a factor—from a suburban housewife in the pilot, "The Vulcan Affair" (film version: "To Trap a Spy"), to the various people kidnapped in the final episode, "The Seven Wonders of the World Affair."
The Pilot
Filmed in color from late November to early December 1963 with locations at a Lever BrothersLever Brothers
Lever Brothers was a British manufacturer founded in 1885 by William Hesketh Lever and his brother, James Darcy Lever . The brothers had invested in and promoted a new soap making process invented by chemist William Hough Watson, it was a huge success...
soap factory in California, the show was originally titled Ian Fleming's Solo and later just Solo. However, in February 1964 a law firm representing James Bond
James Bond
James Bond, code name 007, is a fictional character created in 1953 by writer Ian Fleming, who featured him in twelve novels and two short story collections. There have been a six other authors who wrote authorised Bond novels or novelizations after Fleming's death in 1964: Kingsley Amis,...
movie producers Harry Saltzman
Harry Saltzman
Harry Saltzman was a Canadian theatre and film producer best known for his mega-gamble which resulted in his co-producing the James Bond film series with Albert R...
and Albert R. Broccoli
Albert R. Broccoli
Albert Romolo Broccoli, CBE , nicknamed "Cubby", was an American film producer, who made more than 40 motion pictures throughout his career, most of them in the United Kingdom, and often filmed at Pinewood Studios. Co-founder of Danjaq, LLC and EON Productions, Broccoli is most notable as the...
sent a cease-and-desist letter demanding an immediate end to the use of Fleming’s name in connection with the planned Solo series, and an end to all use of the name and character "Solo," "Napoleon Solo" and "Mr. Solo". At that time filming was underway for the Bond movie Goldfinger
Goldfinger (film)
Goldfinger is the third spy film in the James Bond series and the third to star Sean Connery as the fictional MI6 agent James Bond. Released in 1964, it is based on the novel of the same name by Ian Fleming. The film also stars Honor Blackman as Bond girl Pussy Galore and Gert Fröbe as the title...
, where Martin Benson
Martin Benson
Martin Benson was an English churchman, archdeacon of Berkshire and bishop of Gloucester.-Life:He was the son of the Rev. J. Benson, rector of Cradley, Herefordshire, and was born there on 23 April 1689. He was educated at Charterhouse School and at Christ Church, Oxford, of which he became a...
was playing a supporting character named "Mr. Solo". The claim was the name "Solo" had already been sold to them by Fleming, and Fleming could not again use it. Within five days Fleming had signed an affidavit
Affidavit
An affidavit is a written sworn statement of fact voluntarily made by an affiant or deponent under an oath or affirmation administered by a person authorized to do so by law. Such statement is witnessed as to the authenticity of the affiant's signature by a taker of oaths, such as a notary public...
that nothing in the Solo pilot infringed on any of his Bond characters, but the threat of continued legal action resulted in a settlement where the character name of Napoleon Solo could be kept, but the title of the show had to change.
The role of the head of UNCLE in the pilot was Mr. Allison played by Will Kuluva rather than Mr. Waverley played by Leo G. Carroll, and David McCallum's Illya Kuryakin only had a brief role. Revisions to some scenes were shot for television, including those needed to feature Leo G. Carroll. The pilot episode was thereafter re-edited to fit a one hour time slot, converted to black and white, and shown on televison as The Vulcan Affair.
Additional color sequences with Luciana Paluzzi
Luciana Paluzzi
Luciana Paluzzi is an Italian actress. She is best known for playing SPECTRE assassin Fiona Volpe in the fourth James Bond film, Thunderball.-Career:...
were shot in April of 1964 and added to the pilot in order for MGM to release it outside the United States as a second feature titled To Trap a Spy
To Trap a Spy
To Trap a Spy is the feature length film version of the pilot episode of The Man from U.N.C.L.E. starring Robert Vaughn and David McCallum. It is the third and longest version of the same story. The original U.N.C.L.E. pilot "Solo" was filmed in color and, as was standard at the time for U.S...
. It premiered in Hong Kong
Hong Kong
Hong Kong is one of two Special Administrative Regions of the People's Republic of China , the other being Macau. A city-state situated on China's south coast and enclosed by the Pearl River Delta and South China Sea, it is renowned for its expansive skyline and deep natural harbour...
in November 1964. The extra scenes were further reedited (including to tone down the overt sexuality) and later used in the regular series of the episode "The Four-Steps Affair".
Beyond the extra scenes for the feature film, and the revised scenes shot and edits made for the television episode, there are other differences among the three versions of the story. Before the show went into full production there was concern from the MGM legal department that the name of THRUSH for the pilot's international criminal organization sounded too much like SMERSH
SMERSH
SMERSH was the counter-intelligence agency in the Red Army formed in late 1942 or even earlier, but officially founded on April 14, 1943. The name SMERSH was coined by Joseph Stalin...
, the international criminal organization in Fleming's Bond series. The studio instead suggested names such as Raven, Shark, Squid, Vulture, Tarantula, Snipe, Sphinx, Dooom [sic], and Maggot (the latter used in some early first draft scripts). Although no formal legal action took place, the organization's name was redubbed as "WASP" in the feature version "To Trap a Spy". The original pilot itself was not modified and kept THRUSH (presumably as it was not intended to be released to the public in that version). By May, 1964 the issue had been cleared up, and THRUSH was retained for the television episode edit of the pilot. Despite this, the name WASP was used in the feature film when released in Japan in late 1964 and left as WASP in the U.S. release in 1966. Another change among the three versions of the pilot story was the cover name for the character of Elaine May Donaldson. In the original pilot it was Elaine Van Nessen; in the television version as well as the feature version it was redubbed to Elaine Van Every. Illya Kuryakin's badge number is 17 in the pilot rather than his typical number 2 during the run of the series. And one more difference was Solo's hair style, which after new footage was added changed back and forth from a slicked back style to the less severe style he wore throughout the series.
With the popularity of the show and the spy craze, To Trap a Spy and the second UNCLE feature The Spy with My Face
The Spy with My Face
The Spy with My Face is a 1965 spy-fi spy film based on The Man from U.N.C.L.E. television series. Robert Vaughn and David McCallum reprised their roles as secret agents Napoleon Solo and Illya Kuryakin respectively. THRUSH tries to steal a super weapon by substituting a double for Solo.It is the...
were released in the USA as an MGM double feature
Double feature
The double feature, also known as a double bill, was a motion picture industry phenomenon in which theatre managers would exhibit two films for the price of one, supplanting an earlier format in which one feature film and various short subject reels would be shown.The double feature, also known as...
in early 1966.
Season 1
The show's first season was in black and whiteBlack-and-white
Black-and-white, often abbreviated B/W or B&W, is a term referring to a number of monochrome forms in visual arts.Black-and-white as a description is also something of a misnomer, for in addition to black and white, most of these media included varying shades of gray...
. Rolfe created a kind of Alice's Adventures In Wonderland world, where mundane everyday life would intermittently intersect with the looking-glass fantasy of international espionage which lay just beyond. The U.N.C.L.E. universe was one where the weekly "innocent" would get caught up in a series of fantastic adventures, in a battle of good and evil. Rolfe also blended deadly suspense with a light touch, reminiscent of Hitchcock. In fact, U.N.C.L.E. owes just as much to Alfred Hitchcock as it does to Ian Fleming, the touchstone being North by Northwest
North by Northwest
North by Northwest is a 1959 American thriller film directed by Alfred Hitchcock, starring Cary Grant, Eva Marie Saint and James Mason, and featuring Leo G. Carroll and Martin Landau...
, where an innocent man is mistaken for an agent of a top-secret organization, one of whose top members is played by Leo G. Carroll. This role led directly to Carroll being cast as Mr. Waverly in the show.
U.N.C.L.E. headquarters in New York City was most frequently entered by a secret entrance
Secret passage
Secret passages, also commonly referred to as hidden passages or secret tunnels, are hidden routes used for stealthy travel. Such passageways are sometimes inside buildings leading to secret rooms. Others allow occupants to enter or exit buildings without being seen...
in Del Floria's Tailor Shop. Another entrance was through The Masque Club. Mr. Waverly had his own secret entrance. Unlike the competing TV series I Spy however, the shows were overwhelmingly shot on the MGM back lot. The same building with an imposing exterior staircase was used for episodes set throughout the Mediterranean and Latin America, and the same dirt road lined with eucalyptus
Eucalyptus
Eucalyptus is a diverse genus of flowering trees in the myrtle family, Myrtaceae. Members of the genus dominate the tree flora of Australia...
trees on the back lot in Culver City stood in for virtually every continent of the globe. The episodes followed a naming convention where each title was in the form of "The ***** Affair", such as "The Vulcan Affair," "The Mad, Mad, Tea Party Affair," and "The Waverly Ring Affair." The only exceptions being, "Alexander the Greater Affair," parts 1 & 2. The first season episode "The Green Opal Affair" establishes that U.N.C.L.E. itself uses the term "Affair" to refer to its different missions.
Rolfe endeavored to make the implausibility of it all seem not only feasible but entertaining. In the series, frogmen emerge from wells in Iowa
Iowa
Iowa is a state located in the Midwestern United States, an area often referred to as the "American Heartland". It derives its name from the Ioway people, one of the many American Indian tribes that occupied the state at the time of European exploration. Iowa was a part of the French colony of New...
, shootouts occur between U.N.C.L.E. and THRUSH agents in a crowded Manhattan
Manhattan
Manhattan is the oldest and the most densely populated of the five boroughs of New York City. Located primarily on the island of Manhattan at the mouth of the Hudson River, the boundaries of the borough are identical to those of New York County, an original county of the state of New York...
movie theater, and top-secret organizations are hidden behind innocuous brownstone
Brownstone
Brownstone is a brown Triassic or Jurassic sandstone which was once a popular building material. The term is also used in the United States to refer to a terraced house clad in this material.-Types:-Apostle Island brownstone:...
facades.
The series also began to dabble in science fiction-based plots
Spy-fi
-Definition and characteristics:It often uses a secret agent or superspy whose mission is a showcase of science fiction elements such as technology and ideas used for extortion, plots for world domination or world destruction, futuristic weapons, gadgets and fast vehicles that can travel on land,...
, beginning with "The Double Affair" in which a THRUSH agent, made to look like Solo through plastic surgery, infiltrates a secret U.N.C.L.E. facility where an immensely powerful weapon called "Project Earthsave" is stored; according to the dialogue, the weapon was developed to protect against a potential alien threat to Earth. The Spy with My Face
The Spy with My Face
The Spy with My Face is a 1965 spy-fi spy film based on The Man from U.N.C.L.E. television series. Robert Vaughn and David McCallum reprised their roles as secret agents Napoleon Solo and Illya Kuryakin respectively. THRUSH tries to steal a super weapon by substituting a double for Solo.It is the...
was the film version of this episode (see following).
In its first season The Man from U.N.C.L.E. competed against The Red Skelton Show
The Red Skelton Show
The Red Skelton Show is an American variety show that was a television staple for two decades, from 1951 to 1971. It was second to Gunsmoke and third to The Ed Sullivan Show in the ratings during that time. Skelton, who had previously been a radio star, had appeared in several motion pictures as...
on CBS
CBS
CBS Broadcasting Inc. is a major US commercial broadcasting television network, which started as a radio network. The name is derived from the initials of the network's former name, Columbia Broadcasting System. The network is sometimes referred to as the "Eye Network" in reference to the shape of...
and Walter Brennan
Walter Brennan
Walter Brennan was an American actor. Brennan won the Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor on three separate occasions, which is currently the record for most wins.-Early life:...
's short-lived The Tycoon
The Tycoon (TV series)
The Tycoon is a 32-episode American situation comedy television series broadcast by ABC. It starred Walter Brennan as the fictitious businessman Walter Andrews...
on ABC
American Broadcasting Company
The American Broadcasting Company is an American commercial broadcasting television network. Created in 1943 from the former NBC Blue radio network, ABC is owned by The Walt Disney Company and is part of Disney-ABC Television Group. Its first broadcast on television was in 1948...
. During this time producer Norman Felton told Alan Caillou
Alan Caillou
Alan Caillou was the nom de plume of Alan Samuel Lyle-Smythe M.B.E., M.C. , an author, actor, screenwriter, soldier, policeman and professional hunter.-Biography:...
and several of the series writers to make the show more tongue in cheek.
Seasons 2–4
Switching to colorColor
Color or colour is the visual perceptual property corresponding in humans to the categories called red, green, blue and others. Color derives from the spectrum of light interacting in the eye with the spectral sensitivities of the light receptors...
, U.N.C.L.E. continued to enjoy huge popularity, but succeeding Rolfe, who left the show at the conclusion of the first season, David Victor, the new producer, read articles that called the show a spoof
Parody
A parody , in current usage, is an imitative work created to mock, comment on, or trivialise an original work, its subject, author, style, or some other target, by means of humorous, satiric or ironic imitation...
and that is what it became. Over the next three seasons, five different show runner
Show runner
Showrunner is a term of art originating in the United States and Canadian television industry referring to the person who is responsible for the day-to-day operation of a television seriesalthough such persons generally are credited as an executive producer...
s would supervise the U.N.C.L.E. franchise, and each one took the show in a direction that differed considerably from that of the first season. Furthermore, U.N.C.L.E. had spawned a swarm of imitators. In 1964, it was the only American spy show on U.S. TV; by 1966, there were nearly a dozen. In an attempt to emulate the success of ABC
American Broadcasting Company
The American Broadcasting Company is an American commercial broadcasting television network. Created in 1943 from the former NBC Blue radio network, ABC is owned by The Walt Disney Company and is part of Disney-ABC Television Group. Its first broadcast on television was in 1948...
's mid-season hit, Batman
Batman (TV series)
Batman is an American television series, based on the DC comic book character of the same name. It stars Adam West as Batman and Burt Ward as Robin — two crime-fighting heroes who defend Gotham City. It aired on the American Broadcasting Company network for three seasons from January 12, 1966 to...
, which had proven hugely popular on its debut in early 1966, U.N.C.L.E. moved swiftly towards self-parody and slapstick.
This campiness
Camp (style)
Camp is an aesthetic sensibility that regards something as appealing because of its taste and ironic value. The concept is closely related to kitsch, and things with camp appeal may also be described as being "cheesy"...
was most in evidence during the third season, when the producers made a conscious decision to increase the level of humor, though season two had moved in this direction in episodes such as "The Yukon Affair" and "The Indian Affairs Affair." With episodes like "The My Friend the Gorilla Affair" (which featured a scene in which Solo is shown dancing with a gorilla) the show tested the loyalties of its followers and this new direction resulted in a severe ratings
Nielsen Ratings
Nielsen ratings are the audience measurement systems developed by Nielsen Media Research, in an effort to determine the audience size and composition of television programming in the United States...
drop, and nearly resulted in the show's cancellation. It was renewed for a fourth season and an attempt was made to go back to serious storytelling, but the ratings never recovered and U.N.C.L.E. was cancelled midway through the season.
Theme music
The theme music, written by Jerry GoldsmithJerry Goldsmith
Jerrald King Goldsmith was an American composer and conductor most known for his work in film and television scoring....
, changed slightly each season. Goldsmith only provided three original scores and was replaced by Morton Stevens
Morton Stevens
Morton Stevens was an American film score composer from Newark, New Jersey. In 1965 Stevens became director of music for CBS West Coast operations...
, who composed four scores for the series. After Stevens, Walter Scharf
Walter Scharf
Walter Scharf was an American film composer.Born in New York, he was the son of Yiddish theatre comic Bessie Zwerling...
did six scores, and Lalo Schifrin
Lalo Schifrin
Lalo Schifrin is an Argentine composer, pianist and conductor. He is best known for his film and TV scores, such as the "Theme from Mission: Impossible". He has received four Grammy Awards and six Oscar nominations...
(who later wrote the Mission: Impossible
Mission: Impossible
Mission: Impossible is an American television series which was created and initially produced by Bruce Geller. It chronicled the missions of a team of secret American government agents known as the Impossible Missions Force . The leader of the team was Jim Phelps, played by Peter Graves, except in...
theme) did two. Gerald Fried
Gerald Fried
Gerald Fried is an American musician, well known for his compositions in film and television.Born and raised in the Bronx, New York City, Fried attended Juilliard School of Music...
was composer from season two through the beginning of season four. The final composers were Robert Drasnin
Robert Drasnin
Robert Drasnin is a composer and clarinet player.Robert Drasnin was born on 17 November 1927 in Charleston, West Virginia. At an early age Drasnin was interested in the Clarinet so he took lessons but when his family moved to Los Angeles he wasn't to start until 1938...
(who also scored episodes of Mission: Impossible
Mission: Impossible
Mission: Impossible is an American television series which was created and initially produced by Bruce Geller. It chronicled the missions of a team of secret American government agents known as the Impossible Missions Force . The leader of the team was Jim Phelps, played by Peter Graves, except in...
, as did Schifrin, Scharf and Fried), Nelson Riddle
Nelson Riddle
Nelson Smock Riddle, Jr. was an American arranger, composer, bandleader and orchestrator whose career stretched from the late 1940s to the mid 1980s...
and Richard Shores. The music reflected the show's changing seasons—Goldsmith, Stevens and Scharf composed dramatic scores in the first season using brass, unusual time signatures and martial rhythms, Gerald Fried and Robert Drasnin opted for a lighter approach in the second, employing harpsichords and bongos and by the third season, the music, like the show, had become more camp, exemplified by an R&B organ and saxophone version of the theme. The fourth season's attempt at seriousness was duly echoed by Richard Shores' somber scores.
Soundtrack albums
Although album recordings of the series had been made by Hugo MontenegroHugo Montenegro
Hugo Montenegro was an American orchestra leader and composer of film soundtracks. His best known work is derived from interpretations of the music from Spaghetti westerns, especially his cover version of the main theme from the 1966 film The Good, the Bad and the Ugly...
(ironically, Montenegro never worked on the series itself but did score an episode of Mission: Impossible
Mission: Impossible
Mission: Impossible is an American television series which was created and initially produced by Bruce Geller. It chronicled the missions of a team of secret American government agents known as the Impossible Missions Force . The leader of the team was Jim Phelps, played by Peter Graves, except in...
), and many orchestras did cover version
Cover version
In popular music, a cover version or cover song, or simply cover, is a new performance or recording of a contemporary or previously recorded, commercially released song or popular song...
s of the title theme, it wouldn't be until 2002 that the first of three double-disc albums of original music from the series would be released through Film Score Monthly
Film Score Monthly
Film Score Monthly is an online magazine founded by editor-in-chief and executive producer Lukas Kendall in June 1990 as The Soundtrack Correspondence List...
.
The Man From U.N.C.L.E.
Disc 1:
- First Season Main Title (:45) – Jerry GoldsmithJerry GoldsmithJerrald King Goldsmith was an American composer and conductor most known for his work in film and television scoring....
- The Vulcan Affair (14:01) – Jerry Goldsmith
- The Deadly Games Affair (11:48) – Jerry Goldsmith
- The Double Affair (6:51) – Morton StevensMorton StevensMorton Stevens was an American film score composer from Newark, New Jersey. In 1965 Stevens became director of music for CBS West Coast operations...
- The Project Strigas Affair (7:14) – Walter ScharfWalter ScharfWalter Scharf was an American film composer.Born in New York, he was the son of Yiddish theatre comic Bessie Zwerling...
- The King of Knaves Affair (12:22) – Jerry Goldsmith
- The Fiddlesticks Affair (6:30) – Lalo SchifrinLalo SchifrinLalo Schifrin is an Argentine composer, pianist and conductor. He is best known for his film and TV scores, such as the "Theme from Mission: Impossible". He has received four Grammy Awards and six Oscar nominations...
- Meet Mr. Solo (2:05) – Jerry Goldsmith
- First Season End Title (:49) – Jerry Goldsmith
- Second Season End Title (:49) – Jerry Goldsmith, arranged by Lalo Schifrin
- Alexander the Greater Affair (13:12) – Gerald FriedGerald FriedGerald Fried is an American musician, well known for his compositions in film and television.Born and raised in the Bronx, New York City, Fried attended Juilliard School of Music...
Disc 2:
- The Foxes and Hounds Affair (5:16) – Robert DrasninRobert DrasninRobert Drasnin is a composer and clarinet player.Robert Drasnin was born on 17 November 1927 in Charleston, West Virginia. At an early age Drasnin was interested in the Clarinet so he took lessons but when his family moved to Los Angeles he wasn't to start until 1938...
- The Discothèque Affair (8:49) – Gerald Fried
- The Re-Collectors Affair (6:29) – Robert Drasnin
- The Arabian Affair (5:29) – Gerald Fried
- The Tigers Are Coming Affair (4:20) – Robert Drasnin
- The Cherry Blossom Affair (5:12) – Gerald Fried
- The Dippy Blonde Affair (7:50) – Robert Drasnin
- Third Season End Title (:39) – Jerry Goldsmith, arr. Gerald Fried
- The Her Master's Voice Affair (4:50) – Gerald Fried
- The Monks of St. Thomas Affair (7:37) – Gerald Fried
- The Pop Art Affair (4:50) – Robert Drasnin
- Fourth Season Main Title (:32) – Jerry Goldsmith, arr. unknown
- The Summit-Five Affair (5:52) – Richard Shores
- The "J" for Judas Affair (8:03) – Richard Shores
The Man From U.N.C.L.E. Volume 2
Disc 1:
- First Season End Title (1:16) – Jerry Goldsmith
- The Vulcan Affair suite No.2 (9:59) – Jerry Goldsmith
- The Iowa Scuba Affair (6:54) – Morton Stevens
- The Shark Affair (7:55) – Walter Scharf
- The Deadly Games Affair suite No.2 (3:40) – Jerry Goldsmith
- Meet Mr. Solo (1:45) – Jerry Goldsmith
- The Giuoco Piano Affair (3:23) – Walter Scharf
- The King of Knaves Affair suite No.2 (3:40) – Jerry Goldsmith
- First Season Main Title (revised) (:56) – Jerry Goldsmith, arr. Morton Stevens
- The Deadly Decoy Affair (4:32) – Walter Scharf
- The Spy With My Face (5:12) – Morton Stevens
- Second Season Main Title (:37) – Jerry Goldsmith, arr. Lalo Schifrin
- Alexander the Greater Affair (1:25) – Gerald Fried
- The Ultimate Computer Affair (5:00) – Lalo Schifrin
- The Very Important Zombie Affair (4:10) – Gerald Fried
- The Dippy Blonde Affair (2:01) – Robert Drasnin
- The Deadly Goddess Affair (2:31) – Gerald Fried
- The Moonglow Affair (7:09) – Gerald Fried
Disc 2:
- One of Our Spies is Missing (3:08) – Jerry Goldsmith, arr. Gerald Fried
- Third Season Main Title (:31) – Jerry Goldsmith, arr. Gerald Fried
- The Sort of Do-It-Yourself Dreadful Affair (6:39) – Gerald Fried
- The Galatea Affair (5:36) – Robert Drasnin
- The Pop Art Affair (4:34) – Robert Drasnin
- The Come With Me to the Casbah Affair (4:16) – Gerald Fried
- The Off-Broadway Affair (7:12) – Gerald Fried
- The Concrete Overcoat Affair (6:48) – Nelson Riddle
- The Napoleon's Tomb Affair (5:17) – Gerald Fried
- Fourth Season Main Title (alternate) (:37) – Jerry Goldsmith, arr. Gerald Fried
- Fourth Season End Title (:36) – Jerry Goldsmith, arr. Robert Armbruster?
- The Test Tube Killer Affair (7:05) – Gerald Fried
- The Prince of Darkness Affair (11:39) – Richard Shores
- The Seven Wonders of the World Affair (11:46) – Richard Shores
The Man From U.N.C.L.E. Volume 3: Featuring The Girl From U.N.C.L.E.
Disc 1:
- First Season Main Title (revised/extended) (1:00) – Jerry Goldsmith, arr. Morton Stevens
- Jerry Goldsmith Medley (2:57)
- The Quadripartite Affair (3:27) – Walter Scharf
- The Double Affair, suite no. 2 (6:20) – Morton Stevens
- Belly Laughs (2:21) – Jerry Goldsmith
- The Finny Foot Affair (4:51) – Morton Stevens
- The Fiddlesticks Affair, suite no. 2 (5:17) – Lalo Schifrin
- The Yellow Scarf Affair (3:35) – Morton Stevens
- Meet Mr. Solo (3:03) – Jerry Goldsmith
- The Spy with my Face (4:09) – Morton Stevens
- The Discothèque Affair, suite no. 2 (4:31) – Gerald Fried
- The Nowhere Affair (2:48) – Robert Drasnin
- U.N.C.L.E. A Go Go (3:05) – Gerald Fried
- The Bat Cave Affair (4:42) – Gerald Fried
- One of Our Spies is Missing (1:09) – Gerald Fried
- The Monks of St. Thomas Affair, suite no. 2 (3:46) – Gerald Fried
- The Spy in the Green Hat (3:19) – Jerry Goldsmith, arr. Gerald Fried and Robert Armbruster
- Gerald Fried Medley (7:21)
- The Karate Killers (1:51) – Gerald Fried
- Richard Shores Medley (6:37)
Disc 2:
- The Girl From U.N.C.L.E. Main Title (:34) – Jerry Goldsmith, arr. Dave GrusinDave GrusinDavid Grusin is an American composer, arranger and pianist. Grusin has composed many scores for feature films and television, and has won numerous awards for his soundtrack and record work, including an Academy award and 12 Grammys...
- The Dog-gone Affair (5:28) – Dave Grusin
- The Prisoner of Zalamar Affair (6:32) – Richard Shores
- The Mother Muffin Affair (10:59) – Dave Grusin
- The Mata Hari Affair (7:44) – Dave Grusin
- The Montori Device Affair (5:31) – Richard Shores
- The Horns-of-the-Dilemma Affair (2:05) – Jack Marshall
- The Girl From U.N.C.L.E. End Title (:39) – Jerry Goldsmith, arr. Dave Grusin
- The Deadly Quest Affair: Teaser (3:57)
- The Deadly Quest Affair: Act I (7:48)
- The Deadly Quest Affair: Act II (9:07)
- The Deadly Quest Affair: Act III (7:24)
- The Deadly Quest Affair: Act IV (8:06)
Tracks 9–13 Jerry Goldsmith, ad. and arr. Robert Armbruster:
FSM also released The Spy With My Face: Music From The Man From U.N.C.L.E. Movies, a disc of music specifically written for the feature film versions culled from episodes of the series (One Of Our Spies Is Missing and The Karate Killers are particularly strongly represented, due to the original TV episodes – "The Bridge Of Lions Affair" and "The Five Daughters Affair" respectively – having been tracked with music written for other episodes).
To Trap A Spy (Jerry Goldsmith):
1. Main Title/Solo Strikes Again (Main Title) (1:19)
2. The Kiss Off/Main Title (Meet Mr. Solo/End Title) (1:54)
The Spy With My Face (Morton Stevens):
3. Main Title (4:09)
4. Phase Two/Sub Male/Bugged Bobo (3:09)
5. New Alps/Impostor's First Test/Cyanide Cigarette (2:52)
6. Incarcerated Swinging (5:01)
7. The Real McCoy/End Title (2:17)
One Spy Too Many (Gerald Fried):
8. Dog Fight on Wheels (Main Title) – Goldsmith, arr. Fried (2:56)
9. Briefcase/Follow That Spy (:55)
10. The Three Alexanders/The Great Design (2:45)
11. Farm/Skip Loader/Wrong Driver (2:28)
12. End Title – Goldsmith, arr. Schifrin (:31)
One Of Our Spies Is Missing (Gerald Fried):
13. Main Title – Goldsmith, arr. Fried (3:08)
14. Go-Go in Soho/Cat Jam (1:46)
15. Duel by Flashlight/Fat Vat/Bridge of Lions (3:36)
16. Love With the Proper Mannequin/Thrush Cycle (1:29)
17. Thrush Guards/The Sacrifice/Jordin's Demise (2:31)
18. Hot Tie (1:58)
19. End Title – Goldsmith, arr. Fried (:37)
The Spy In The Green Hat (Nelson Riddle):
20. Main Title – Goldsmith, arr. Fried/Robert Armbruster (2:09)
21. Sicilian Style/Sacre! (1:22)
22. Stilletto Tango/Wrong Uncle (1:52)
23. Von Kronen/Kit Kat Klub (1:29)
24. Mr. Impeccable/I Sure Do/Right! (1:38)
25. End Title – Goldsmith, arr. Fried/Armbruster (:32)
The Karate Killers (Gerald Fried):
26. Main Title – Goldsmith, arr. Fried/Search Party (2:46)
27. Coliseum a Go Go/Arrivederci/Drain Pipe (3:08)
28. Along the Seine/Anyone for Venice (2:45)
29. Snow Goons/Touchdown (02:30)
30. Sidewalks of Japan (1:40)
31. Karate & Stick Game (1:24)
32. Mod Wedding/End Cast (1:03)
The Helicopter Spies (Jerry Goldsmith, arr. Armbruster):
33. Main Title (2:01)
34. End Title (:25)
How To Steal The World (Richard Shores):
35. Crazy Airport (Main Title) (2:08)
36. Trouble in Hong Kong (End Title) (:37)
Guest stars and other actors
Apart from Solo, Kuryakin and Waverly, very few characters appeared on the show with any regularity. As a result, The Man from U.N.C.L.E. featured a large number of high-profile guest performers during its three and a half year run.William Shatner
William Shatner
William Alan Shatner is a Canadian actor, musician, recording artist, and author. He gained worldwide fame and became a cultural icon for his portrayal of James T...
and Leonard Nimoy
Leonard Nimoy
Leonard Simon Nimoy is an American actor, film director, poet, musician and photographer. Nimoy's most famous role is that of Spock in the original Star Trek series , multiple films, television and video game sequels....
appeared together in a 1964 episode, "The Project Strigas Affair," a full two years before Star Trek
Star Trek
Star Trek is an American science fiction entertainment franchise created by Gene Roddenberry. The core of Star Trek is its six television series: The Original Series, The Animated Series, The Next Generation, Deep Space Nine, Voyager, and Enterprise...
aired for the first time. Shatner played a heroic civilian recruited for an U.N.C.L.E. mission, and Nimoy played a rival of the villain's henchman. The villain is played by Werner Klemperer
Werner Klemperer
Werner Klemperer was a comedic and dramatic actor, best known for his role as Colonel Klink on the CBS television sitcom, Hogan's Heroes.-Early life:...
. James Doohan
James Doohan
James Montgomery "Jimmy" Doohan was a Canadian character and voice actor best known for his role as Montgomery "Scotty" Scott in the television and film series Star Trek...
appeared in multiple episodes, each time as a different character.
Barbara Feldon played an U.N.C.L.E. translator eager for field work in "The Never-Never Affair," one year before becoming one of the stars of the very different spy series Get Smart
Get Smart
Get Smart is an American comedy television series that satirizes the secret agent genre. Created by Mel Brooks with Buck Henry, the show starred Don Adams , Barbara Feldon , and Edward Platt...
. Robert Culp
Robert Culp
Robert Martin Culp was an American actor, scriptwriter, voice actor and director, widely known for his work in television. Culp first earned an international reputation for his role as Kelly Robinson on I Spy , the espionage series in which he and co-star Bill Cosby played a pair of secret agents...
played the villain in 1964's "The Shark Affair."
Woodrow Parfrey
Woodrow Parfrey
Woodrow Parfrey was an American film and television actor from the 1950s to the early 1980s. e appeared on Broadway in Advise and Consent .-Biography:...
appeared five times as a guest performer, although he never received an opening-title credit. Usually cast as a scientist, he played the primary villain in only one episode, "The Cherry Blossom Affair." Another five-time guest star was Jill Ireland
Jill Ireland
Jill Dorothy Ireland was an English actress, best known for her many films with her second husband, Charles Bronson.-Life and career:Born in London, England, Ireland was the daughter of a wine importer...
, who at the time was married to David McCallum
David McCallum
David Keith McCallum, Jr. is a Scottish actor and musician. He is best known for his roles as Illya Kuryakin, a Russian-born secret agent, in the 1960s television series The Man from U.N.C.L.E., as interdimensional operative Steel in Sapphire & Steel, and Dr...
. "The Five Daughters Affair" featured a cameo appearance by Joan Crawford
Joan Crawford
Joan Crawford , born Lucille Fay LeSueur, was an American actress in film, television and theatre....
. Janet Leigh
Janet Leigh
Janet Leigh , born Jeanette Helen Morrison, was an American actress. She was the wife of actor Tony Curtis from June 1951 to September 1962 and the mother of Kelly Curtis and Jamie Lee Curtis....
and Jack Palance
Jack Palance
Jack Palance , was an American actor. During half a century of film and television appearances, Palance was nominated for three Academy Awards, all as Best Actor in a Supporting Role, winning in 1991 for his role in City Slickers.-Early life:Palance, one of five children, was born Volodymyr...
appeared in "The Concrete Overcoat Affair" and Sonny and Cher made an appearance in the third season episode "The Hot Number Affair". Other notable guest stars included: Richard Anderson
Richard Anderson
Richard Norman Anderson is an American actor in film and television, known to TV audiences as Steve Austin's and Jaime Sommers' boss, Oscar Goldman, in both The Six Million Dollar Man and The Bionic Woman TV series and their three subsequent TV movies: The Return of the Six-Million-Dollar Man...
, Joan Blondell
Joan Blondell
Rose Joan Blondell was an American actress who performed in movies and on television for five decades as Joan Blondell.After winning a beauty pageant, Blondell embarked upon a film career...
, Roger C. Carmel, Joan Collins
Joan Collins
Joan Henrietta Collins, OBE , is an English actress, author, and columnist. Born in Paddington and raised in Maida Vale, Collins grew up during the Second World War. At the age of nine, she made her stage debut in A Doll's House and after attending school, she was classically trained as an actress...
, Walter Coy
Walter Coy
Walter Darwin Coy was an American stage, radio, film, and, principally, television actor, originally from Great Falls, Montana. He was best known for narrating the NBC western anthology series, Frontier, which aired early Sunday evenings in the 1955-1956 season.-Career:Coy performed on Broadway...
, Yvonne Craig
Yvonne Craig
Yvonne Joyce Craig is an American actress best known for her role as Batgirl from the 1960s TV series Batman, and as the Orion Marta in the Star Trek: The Original Series episode “Whom Gods Destroy”.-Early life and career:...
, Kim Darby
Kim Darby
Kim Darby is an American actress perhaps best known for co-starring with John Wayne and country singer/actor Glen Campbell in the 1969 western True Grit.-Early life and film career:...
, Ivan Dixon
Ivan Dixon
Ivan Dixon was an American actor, director, and producer best known for his series role in the 1960s sitcom Hogan's Heroes, for his role in the 1967 telefilm The Final War of Olly Winter, and for directing hundreds of episodes of television series...
, Anne Francis
Anne Francis
Anne Lloyd Francis was an American actress, best known for her role in the science fiction film classic Forbidden Planet , and as the female private detective in the television series Honey West . She won a Golden Globe and was nominated for an Emmy award for her role in Honey West...
, Allen Jenkins
Allen Jenkins
Allen Jenkins was an American character actor of stage, screen and television.-Early life:He was born David Allen Curtis Jenkins in Staten Island, New York on April 9, 1900.-Career:...
, Richard Kiel
Richard Kiel
Richard Dawson Kiel is an American actor best known for his role as the steel-toothed Jaws in the James Bond movies The Spy Who Loved Me and Moonraker as well as the video game Everything or Nothing, and Mr. Larson in Happy Gilmore...
, Angela Lansbury
Angela Lansbury
Angela Brigid Lansbury CBE is an English actress and singer in theatre, television and motion pictures, whose career has spanned eight decades and earned her more performance Tony Awards than any other individual , with five wins...
, Julie London
Julie London
Julie London was an American singer and actress. She was best known for her smoky, sensual voice. London was at her singing career's peak in the 1950s. Her acting career lasted more than 35 years...
, Leslie Nielsen
Leslie Nielsen
Leslie William Nielsen, OC was a Canadian and naturalized American actor and comedian. Nielsen appeared in more than one hundred films and 1,500 television programs over the span of his career, portraying more than 220 characters...
, William Marshall, Carroll O'Connor
Carroll O'Connor
John Carroll O'Connor best known as Carroll O'Connor, was an American actor, producer and director whose television career spanned four decades...
, Eleanor Parker
Eleanor Parker
Eleanor Jean Parker is an American screen actress. Her versatility led to her being dubbed Woman of a Thousand Faces, the title of her biography by Doug McClelland.- Early life :...
, Slim Pickens
Slim Pickens
Louis Burton Lindley, Jr. , better known by the stage name Slim Pickens, was an American rodeo performer and film and television actor who epitomized the profane, tough, sardonic cowboy, but who is best remembered for his comic roles, notably in Dr...
, Vincent Price
Vincent Price
Vincent Leonard Price, Jr. was an American actor, well known for his distinctive voice and serio-comic attitude in a series of horror films made in the latter part of his career.-Early life and career:Price was born in St...
, Dorothy Provine
Dorothy Provine
Dorothy Michelle Provine was an American singer, dancer, actress, and comedienne.-Career:Provine was born in Deadwood, South Dakota, to Virgil and Kathleen Provine. She attended the University of Washington, where she majored in drama. In Washington she handed out prizes for a local television...
, Cesar Romero
Cesar Romero
Cesar Julio Romero, Jr. was an American film and television actor who was active in film, radio, and television for almost sixty years...
, Kurt Russell
Kurt Russell
Kurt Vogel Russell is an American television and film actor. His first acting roles were as a child in television series, including a lead role in the Western series The Travels of Jaimie McPheeters...
, Nancy Sinatra
Nancy Sinatra
Nancy Sandra Sinatra is an American singer and actress. She is the daughter of singer/actor Frank Sinatra, and remains best known for her 1966 signature hit "These Boots Are Made for Walkin'"....
, Terry-Thomas
Terry-Thomas
Thomas Terry Hoar Stevens was a distinctive English comic actor, known as Terry-Thomas. He was famous for his portrayal of disreputable members of the upper classes, especially cads and toffs, with the trademark gap in his front teeth, cigarette holder, smoking jacket, and catch-phrases such as...
and Fritz Weaver
Fritz Weaver
Fritz William Weaver is an American actor and voice actor.-Life and career:Weaver was born in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, the son of Elsa W. and John Carson Weaver. His mother was of Italian descent and his father was a social worker from Pittsburgh. Weaver attended Peabody High School...
.
Props
Solo and Kuryakin, trained in martial artsMartial arts
Martial arts are extensive systems of codified practices and traditions of combat, practiced for a variety of reasons, including self-defense, competition, physical health and fitness, as well as mental and spiritual development....
, also had a range of useful spy
Secret Agent
Secret Agent is a British film directed by Alfred Hitchcock, loosely based on two stories in Ashenden: Or the British Agent by W. Somerset Maugham. The film starred John Gielgud, Peter Lorre, Madeleine Carroll, and Robert Young...
equipment, including handheld satellite
Satellite
In the context of spaceflight, a satellite is an object which has been placed into orbit by human endeavour. Such objects are sometimes called artificial satellites to distinguish them from natural satellites such as the Moon....
communicators to keep in contact with UNCLE headquarters. A catchphrase often heard was "Open Channel D" when agents used their pocket radios; these were originally disguised as cigarette
Cigarette
A cigarette is a small roll of finely cut tobacco leaves wrapped in a cylinder of thin paper for smoking. The cigarette is ignited at one end and allowed to smoulder; its smoke is inhaled from the other end, which is held in or to the mouth and in some cases a cigarette holder may be used as well...
packs, later as a cigarette case
Cigarette case
A cigarette case or cigarette box is a sturdy, most commonly metal container to store small numbers of cigarettes safely from crushing. In modern times they are also made of plastic....
, and in following seasons, as pens. One of the original pen communicators now resides in the museum of the Central Intelligence Agency. The museum is not accessible to the public. Replicas have been made over the years for other displays, and this is the second-most-identifiable prop from the series (closely following the U.N.C.L.E. Special pistol).
Weaponry
One propTheatrical property
A theatrical property, commonly referred to as a prop, is an object used on stage by actors to further the plot or story line of a theatrical production. Smaller props are referred to as "hand props". Larger props may also be set decoration, such as a chair or table. The difference between a set...
, often referred to as "The Gun," drew so much attention that it actually spurred considerable fan mail, often so addressed. Internally designated the "U.N.C.L.E. Special," it featured a modular semi-automatic
Semi-automatic firearm
A semi-automatic, or self-loading firearm is a weapon which performs all steps necessary to prepare the weapon to fire again after firing—assuming cartridges remain in the weapon's feed device or magazine...
weapon, originally based on the Mauser Model 1934 Pocket Pistol, but it was unreliable, jamming constantly, and considered so small that it was dwarfed by the carbine accessories. It was soon replaced by the larger and more reliable Walther P38 pistol
Pistol
When distinguished as a subset of handguns, a pistol is a handgun with a chamber that is integral with the barrel, as opposed to a revolver, wherein the chamber is separate from the barrel as a revolving cylinder. Typically, pistols have an effective range of about 100 feet.-History:The pistol...
. The basic pistol could still be converted into a longer-range carbine
Carbine
A carbine , from French carabine, is a longarm similar to but shorter than a rifle or musket. Many carbines are shortened versions of full rifles, firing the same ammunition at a lower velocity due to a shorter barrel length....
by attaching a long barrel, extendable shoulder stock, Bushnell telescopic sight, and extended magazine
Magazine (firearm)
A magazine is an ammunition storage and feeding device within or attached to a repeating firearm. Magazines may be integral to the firearm or removable . The magazine functions by moving the cartridges stored in the magazine into a position where they may be loaded into the chamber by the action...
. In its carbine mode, the pistol could fire on full automatic. This capability brought authorities to the set early on to investigate reports that the studio was manufacturing machine guns illegally. They threatened to confiscate the prop guns. It took a tour of the prop room to convince them that these were actually "dummy" pistols incapable of firing live ammunition.
The long magazine was actually a standard magazine with a dummy extension on it, but it inspired several manufacturers to begin making long magazines for various pistols. While many of these continue to be available 40 years later, long magazines were not available for the P-38 for some years. However, they are now being custom made, as are reproduction parts for the U.N.C.L.E. carbine, and sold at "TheUncleGun.com." Pictures of their U.N.C.L.E. gun reproductions can also be seen on the official "Man From U.N.C.L.E. DVD set." The "U.N.C.L.E. Special"-configured Walther P38 would later become the distinctive alternate mode for the Transformers
Transformers
A transformer is a device that transfers electrical energy from one circuit to another by magnetic coupling.Transformer may also refer to:* ASUS Eee Pad Transformer, an Android 3.2 Honeycomb tablet computer manufacturer by Asus...
character Megatron, the evil leader of the Decepticon
Decepticon
The Decepticons are usually depicted as the antagonists in the fictional universes of the Transformers stoyline and related comics and cartoons, and the enemies of the Autobots and the University of California Davis Aggies...
s.
The P-38 fired the standard 9 mm bullet, although sometimes it was loaded with a special dart tipped with a fast-acting tranquilizer when it was preferable to have a live prisoner. The drug lasted, according to Solo, about two hours. THRUSH never bothered. As Solo commented in the pilot, "...THRUSH kills people like people kill flies. A careless gesture. A flick of the wrist...."
THRUSH had a range of weaponry, much of it only in development before being destroyed by the heroes; a notable item was the infra-red sniperscope, enabling them to target gunfire in darkness. A major design defect of the sniperscope (in the TV series) was that its image tube's power supply emitted a distinctive whining sound when operating and (in reality) relied on a searchlight to illuminate the target. It also required a heavy battery and cable arrangement to power the scope. This weapon was built around a U.S. Army-surplus M1 carbine
M1 Carbine
The M1 carbine is a lightweight, easy to use semi-automatic carbine that became a standard firearm for the U.S. military during World War II, the Korean War and the Vietnam War, and was produced in several variants. It was widely used by U.S...
with a vertical foregrip and barrel compensator, and using real Army surplus infrared scopes. The fully equipped carbines were seen only once, in "The Iowa Scuba Affair." After that, a mock-up of the scope was used to make handling easier.
A few of the third-and fourth-season episodes featured an "U.N.C.L.E. car," which was a modified "Piranha Coupe," a Chevrolet Corvair-based plastic-bodied car built in limited numbers by custom car designer Gene Winfield
Gene Winfield
Gene Winfield is an American automotive customizer. In the mid-1960s, his designs caught the attention of the film community, resulting in a large body of his work being seen on screen, including in the iconic 1982 film Blade Runner...
.
German small arms were well-represented in the series. Not only were P-38s popular (both as basis for the U.N.C.L.E. Special and in standard configuration), but also the Luger P-08 pistol. In the pilot episode "The Vulcan Affair," Illya Kuryakin is carrying a standard Army .45 pistol. The "Broomhandle" Mauser carbines
Mauser C96
The Mauser C96 is a semi-automatic pistol that was originally produced by German arms manufacturer Mauser from 1896 to 1937...
and MP40
MP40
The MP 38 and MP 40 , often called Schmeisser, were submachine guns developed in Nazi Germany and used extensively by paratroopers, tank crews, platoon and squad leaders, and other troops during World War II.-Development:The MP 40 descended from its predecessor, the MP 38, which was in turn based...
machine pistols were favored by opponents, both THRUSH and non-THRUSH. U.N.C.L.E. also used the MP-40. Beginning in the third season, both U.N.C.L.E and THRUSH used rifles which were either the Spanish CETME
CETME
CETME is an acronym for Centro de Estudios Técnicos de Materiales Especiales , a Spanish government design and development establishment. While being involved in many projects CETME was mostly known for its small arms research and development...
or the Heckler & Koch G3
Heckler & Koch G3
The G3 is a 7.62mm battle rifle developed in the 1950s by the German armament manufacturer Heckler & Koch GmbH in collaboration with the Spanish state-owned design and development agency CETME ....
, which was based on the CETME.
There were also an assortment of other weapons, ranging from sniper and military rifles to pistols of various caliber, plus swords, knives, bludgeons, staffs, chains, and the like.
Awards and nominations
Emmy Awards- 1965: Outstanding Individual Achievements in Entertainment – Actors and Performers (Nominated) – David McCallum
- 1965: Outstanding Program Achievements in Entertainment (Nominated) – Sam Rolfe
- 1966: Outstanding Continued Performance by an Actor in a Leading Role in a Dramatic Series (Nominated) – David McCallum
- 1966: Outstanding Dramatic Series (Nominated) – Norman Felton
- 1966: Outstanding Performance by an Actor in a Supporting Role in a Drama (Nominated) – Leo G. Carroll
- 1966: Individual Achievements in Music – Composition (Nominated) – Jerry Goldsmith
- 1967: Outstanding Performance by an Actor in a Supporting Role in a Drama (Nominated) – Leo G. Carroll
Golden Globes Awards
- 1965: Best TV Star – Male (Nominated) – Robert Vaughn
- 1966: Best TV Star – Male (Nominated) – Robert Vaughn
- 1966: Best TV Star – Male (Nominated) – David McCallum
- 1966: Best TV Show (Won)
- 1967: Best TV Show (Nominated)
Grammy Awards
- 1966: Best Original Score Written for a Motion Picture or Television Show (Nominated)- Lalo Schifrin, Morton Stevens, Walter Scharf, Jerry Goldsmith
Logie Awards
- 1966: Best Overseas Show (Won)
Spin-offs
The series was popular enough to generate a spin-off series, The Girl from U.N.C.L.E.The Girl from U.N.C.L.E.
The Girl from U.N.C.L.E. is an American spy-fi TV series that aired on NBC for one season from September 16, 1966 to April 11, 1967. The series was a spin-off from The Man from U.N.C.L.E. and used the same theme music composed by Jerry Goldsmith, which was rearranged into a slightly different,...
The "girl" was first introduced during "The Moonglow Affair" (February 25, 1966) an episode of The Man From U.N.C.L.E. and was then played by Mary Ann Mobley
Mary Ann Mobley
Mary Ann Mobley is a former Miss America, actress, and television personality.-Career:After serving her reign as Miss America 1959, Mobley embarked on a career in both film and television...
. The Girl from U.N.C.L.E.
The Girl from U.N.C.L.E.
The Girl from U.N.C.L.E. is an American spy-fi TV series that aired on NBC for one season from September 16, 1966 to April 11, 1967. The series was a spin-off from The Man from U.N.C.L.E. and used the same theme music composed by Jerry Goldsmith, which was rearranged into a slightly different,...
spin-off series ran for one season, starring Stefanie Powers
Stefanie Powers
Stefanie Powers is an American actress best known for her role as Jennifer Hart in the 1980s television series Hart to Hart.-Early life:...
as agent "April Dancer," a character name credited to Ian Fleming
Ian Fleming
Ian Lancaster Fleming was a British author, journalist and Naval Intelligence Officer.Fleming is best known for creating the fictional British spy James Bond and for a series of twelve novels and nine short stories about the character, one of the biggest-selling series of fictional books of...
. There was some crossover between the two shows, and Leo G. Carroll
Leo G. Carroll
Leo Gratten Carroll was an English-born actor. He was best known for his roles in several Hitchcock films and The Man from U.N.C.L.E. and Topper.-Early life:...
played Mr. Waverly in both programs, becoming the second actor in American television to star as the same character in two separate series. (The first had been Frank Cady
Frank Cady
Frank Cady is an American actor best known for his recurring and popular role as storekeeper Sam Drucker in three US television series during the 1960s: Petticoat Junction, Green Acres and The Beverly Hillbillies.-Career:...
, who played General Store owner Sam Drucker on Petticoat Junction
Petticoat Junction
Petticoat Junction is an American situation comedy produced by Filmways which originally aired on CBS from 1963 to 1970. The series is one of three interrelated shows about rural characters created by Paul Henning; the others are The Beverly Hillbillies and Green Acres.The setting for the series...
, Green Acres
Green Acres
Green Acres is an American television series starring Eddie Albert and Eva Gabor as a couple who move from New York City to a country farm...
, and The Beverly Hillbillies
The Beverly Hillbillies
The Beverly Hillbillies is an American situation comedy originally broadcast for nine seasons on CBS from 1962 to 1971, starring Buddy Ebsen, Irene Ryan, Donna Douglas, and Max Baer, Jr....
.)
Spin-offs included a Man from U.N.C.L.E. digest size
Digest size
Digest size is a magazine size, smaller than a conventional or "journal size" magazine but larger than a standard paperback book, approximately 5½ x 8¼ inches, but can also be 5⅜ x 8⅜ inches and 5½ x 7½ inches. These sizes have evolved from the printing press operation end...
d story magazine, board game
Board game
A board game is a game which involves counters or pieces being moved on a pre-marked surface or "board", according to a set of rules. Games may be based on pure strategy, chance or a mixture of the two, and usually have a goal which a player aims to achieve...
s, action-figures, and toy weapons.
Feature films
The Man From U.N.C.L.E. rated so highly in America and the UK that MGM and the producers decided to film extra footage (often more adult to evoke Bond films) for two of the first season episodes and release them to theaters after they had aired on TV. The episodes with the extra footage that made it to theaters were the original pilot, "The Vulcan Affair," retitled To Trap a SpyTo Trap a Spy
To Trap a Spy is the feature length film version of the pilot episode of The Man from U.N.C.L.E. starring Robert Vaughn and David McCallum. It is the third and longest version of the same story. The original U.N.C.L.E. pilot "Solo" was filmed in color and, as was standard at the time for U.S...
and also from the first season, "The Double Affair" retitled as The Spy with My Face
The Spy with My Face
The Spy with My Face is a 1965 spy-fi spy film based on The Man from U.N.C.L.E. television series. Robert Vaughn and David McCallum reprised their roles as secret agents Napoleon Solo and Illya Kuryakin respectively. THRUSH tries to steal a super weapon by substituting a double for Solo.It is the...
. Both had added sex and violence, new sub-plots and guest stars not in the original TV episodes. They were released in early 1966 as an U.N.C.L.E. double-feature program first run in neighborhood theaters, bypassing the customary downtown movie palaces which were still thriving in the mid-'60s and where new movies usually played for weeks and even months before coming to outlying screens.
A selling point to seeing these films on the big screen back then was that they were being shown in color, at a time when most people had only black and white TVs (and indeed the two first-season episodes that were expanded to feature length, while filmed in color, were only broadcast in black and white). The words IN COLOR featured prominently on the trailers, TV spots, and posters for the film releases. The episodes used to make UNCLE films were not included in the episodes in the packages of television episodes screened outside the United States.
Subsequent two-part episodes, beginning with the second season premiere, "Alexander The Greater Affair," retitled One Spy Too Many for its theatrical release, were developed into one complete feature film with only occasional extra sexy and violent footage added to them, sometimes as just inserts. In the case of One Spy Too Many, a subplot featuring Yvonne Craig
Yvonne Craig
Yvonne Joyce Craig is an American actress best known for her role as Batgirl from the 1960s TV series Batman, and as the Orion Marta in the Star Trek: The Original Series episode “Whom Gods Destroy”.-Early life and career:...
as an U.N.C.L.E. operative carrying on a flirtatious relationship with Solo was also added to the film; Craig does not appear in the television episodes.
All of the films were successful in many parts of the world, even those where the TV show did not air, sometimes surpassing box office receipts of the most recent Bond film. The later films were not released in America, only overseas, but the first few did well in American theaters and remain one of the rare examples of a television show released in paid theatrical engagements. With the exception of the two-part episode "The Five Daughters Affair," shown as part of Granada Plus
Granada Plus
Plus was a digital channel run by Granada Sky Broadcasting. It was launched on 1 October 1996 under the original name of Granada Plus, and during its availability it underwent successive rebrands as G Plus, G+ and then simply Plus. However, it remained widely referred to by the public at large by...
's run of the series, the episodes which became movies have never aired on British television.
Among the films in this series:
- To Trap a SpyTo Trap a SpyTo Trap a Spy is the feature length film version of the pilot episode of The Man from U.N.C.L.E. starring Robert Vaughn and David McCallum. It is the third and longest version of the same story. The original U.N.C.L.E. pilot "Solo" was filmed in color and, as was standard at the time for U.S...
(1964) - The Spy with My FaceThe Spy with My FaceThe Spy with My Face is a 1965 spy-fi spy film based on The Man from U.N.C.L.E. television series. Robert Vaughn and David McCallum reprised their roles as secret agents Napoleon Solo and Illya Kuryakin respectively. THRUSH tries to steal a super weapon by substituting a double for Solo.It is the...
(1965) - One Spy Too ManyOne Spy Too ManyOne Spy Too Many is the 1966 feature length film version of The Man from U.N.C.L.E.'s two-part season two premiere episode "Alexander the Greater Affair". It, as does the television series, stars Robert Vaughn and David McCallum. It is the third such feature film that used as its basis a reedited...
(1966) - One of Our Spies is Missing (1966)
- The Spy in the Green HatThe Spy in the Green HatThe Spy in the Green Hat is a 1966 film directed by Joseph Sargent. This feature was made up of the The Man from U.N.C.L.E. two-part episode "The Concrete Overcoat Affair."-Plot:...
(1966) - The Karate KillersThe Karate KillersThe Karate Killers is a 1967 film based on the television series The Man from U.N.C.L.E.. The film was based on the two-part episode of the series 'The Five Daughters Affair' which aired in April 1967 by NBC.-Synopsis:...
(1967) - The Helicopter SpiesThe Helicopter SpiesThe Helicopter Spies is a 1968 film based on the television series The Man from U.N.C.L.E.. The film was based on the two-part episode of the series 'The Prince of Darkness Affair' which aired in October 1967 during the show's truncated fourth season....
(1968) - How to Steal the WorldHow to Steal the WorldHow To Steal the World is a 1968 adventure/action film based on the series The Man from U.N.C.L.E., with Robert Vaughn and David McCallum reprising their roles as secret agents Napoleon Solo and Illya Kuryakin. It also stars Barry Sullivan and Eleanor Parker.It was originally telecast as the final...
(1968)
Comic books
Several comic strips based on the series were published. In the US, there was a Gold Key ComicsGold Key Comics
Gold Key Comics was an imprint of Western Publishing created for comic books distributed to newsstands. Also known as Whitman Comics, Gold Key operated from 1962 to 1984.-History:...
comic book series (one based on the show), which ran for about a dozen issues. Entertainment Publishing released an eleven issue series of one- and two-part stories from January 1987 to September 1988 that updated U.N.C.L.E. to the Eighties, while largely ignoring the reunion TV-movie. A two-part comics story, "The Birds of Prey Affair," was put out by Millennium Publications
Millennium Publications
Millennium Productions was an American independent comic book publishing company founded by Mark Ellis, Melissa Martin and Paul Davis. Initially known as a publisher of licensed properties, Millennium adapted works by Arthur Conan Doyle, Lester Dent, Frank Frazetta, Robert E. Howard, Harlan...
in 1993, which showcased the return of a smaller, much more streamlined version of THRUSH, controlled by Dr. Egret, who had melded with the Ultimate Computer. The script was written by Mark Ellis
Mark Ellis (writer)
Mark Ellis is an American novelist and comic-book writer who under the pen name James Axler has written scores of books for the Outlanders paperback novel series and other books, as well as numerous independent comics series....
and Terry Collins
Terry Collins
Terry Lee Collins is the manager for the New York Mets of Major League Baseball. A former minor league shortstop, Collins managed the Albuquerque Dukes of the Pacific Coast League, the Buffalo Bisons of the International League, the Duluth Huskies of the summer collegiate Northwoods League, and...
with artwork by Nick Choles, and transplanted the characters into the present day.
Two Man from U.N.C.L.E. strips were originated for the British market in the 1960s (some Gold Key material was also reprinted), the most notable for Lady Penelope comic, which launched in January 1966. This was replaced by a Girl from U.N.C.L.E. strip in January 1967. Man from U.N.C.L.E. also featured in the short-lived title Solo (published between February and September 1967) and some text stories appeared in TV Tornado.
Novels
Two dozen novels were based upon Man from U.N.C.L.E. and published between 1965 and 1968. (For a time, this was the most of any American-produced television series except for Star TrekStar Trek
Star Trek is an American science fiction entertainment franchise created by Gene Roddenberry. The core of Star Trek is its six television series: The Original Series, The Animated Series, The Next Generation, Deep Space Nine, Voyager, and Enterprise...
and Dark Shadows
Dark Shadows
Dark Shadows is a gothic soap opera that originally aired weekdays on the ABC television network, from June 27, 1966 to April 2, 1971. The show was created by Dan Curtis. The story bible, which was written by Art Wallace, does not mention any supernatural elements...
with its 30 or so novels published between 1966 and 1971, though there have now been more original novels published based upon Alias
Alias (TV series)
Alias is an American action television series created by J. J. Abrams which was broadcast on ABC for five seasons, from September 30, 2001 to May 22, 2006...
and Buffy the Vampire Slayer.) Freed from the limitations of network television, these novels were generally grittier and more violent than the televised episodes. The series sold in the millions, and was the largest TV-novel tie-in franchise until surpassed by Dark Shadows and later by Star Trek
Star Trek
Star Trek is an American science fiction entertainment franchise created by Gene Roddenberry. The core of Star Trek is its six television series: The Original Series, The Animated Series, The Next Generation, Deep Space Nine, Voyager, and Enterprise...
.
- The Man from U.N.C.L.E. (a.k.a. The Thousand Coffins Affair) by Michael AvalloneMichael AvalloneMichael Avallone was a prolific American author of mystery and secret agent fiction, as well as many novels based upon various television series and films...
. When villages in Africa and Scotland are wiped out by a plague of madness, Solo and Kuryakin dig up a graveyard and a monster named Golgotha. - The Doomsday Affair by Harry WhittingtonHarry Whittington (writer)Harry Whittington was an American mystery novelist and one of the original founders of the paperback novel...
. The agents must find the mystery man "Tixe Ylno" before he triggers war between the USA and the USSR. - The Copenhagen Affair by John Oram. "UFOs" are buzzing Europe, and the U.N.C.L.E. agents crisscross Denmark to find the factory before THRUSH launches an armed fleet.
- The Dagger Affair by David McDanielDavid McDanielDavid Edward McDaniel was a US science fiction author, who also wrote spy fiction, including several novels based upon the television series The Man from U.N.C.L.E..- Biography :...
. DAGGER fanatics have an energy damper that can shut down electrical fields, atomic reactions, and human beings, and even THRUSH is panicked. - The Mad Scientist Affair by John T. PhillifentJohn T. PhillifentJohn Thomas Phillifent was an English science fiction author. He wrote as John T. Phillifent and under the pen name John Rackham...
. The agents stop biochemist "King Mike" from poisoning London, then discover his second plan is to contaminate the entire North Sea. - The Vampire Affair by David McDanielDavid McDanielDavid Edward McDaniel was a US science fiction author, who also wrote spy fiction, including several novels based upon the television series The Man from U.N.C.L.E..- Biography :...
. Napoleon and Illya don’t believe in vampires and werewolves, but an U.N.C.L.E. agent died, so they must investigate an ancient castle in Transylvanian Romania. - The Radioactive Camel Affair by Peter Leslie. Solo joins a caravan and Kuryakin threads a war zone to reach a missile base deep in the Sudan hinterlands.
- The Monster Wheel Affair by David McDanielDavid McDanielDavid Edward McDaniel was a US science fiction author, who also wrote spy fiction, including several novels based upon the television series The Man from U.N.C.L.E..- Biography :...
. The agents canvass the globe and infiltrate a remote island to confirm an inexplicable space station belongs to - Egypt? - The Diving Dames Affair by Peter Leslie. The deaths of two merry missionaries leads the agents to the plains of Brazil and a giant dam with no apparent purpose.
- The Assassination Affair by J. Hunter HollyJ. Hunter HollyJoan Carol Holly was a science fiction author who wrote under the pseudonym J. Hunter Holly in the late 1950s until the mid-1970s...
- The Invisibility Affair by Buck Coulson and Gene DeWeeseGene DeWeeseThomas Eugene DeWeese is an American writer of fiction, particularly science fiction but including Gothics, mysteries, romances, suspense, fantasy, and horror; as well as non-fiction books on technology and folk art...
(writing as "Thomas Stratton") - The Mind Twisters Affair by "Stratton"
- The Rainbow Affair by McDaniel
- The Cross of Gold Affair by Ron Ellik and Fredric Langley (writing as "Fredric Davies")
- The Utopia Affair by McDaniel
- The Splintered Sunglasses Affair by Leslie
- The Hollow Crown Affair by McDaniel
- The Unfair Fare Affair by Leslie
- The Power Cube Affair by Phillifent
- The Corfu Affair by Phillifent
- The Thinking Machine Affair by Joel Bernard
- The Stone Cold Dead in the Market Affair by Oram
- The Finger in the Sky Affair by Leslie
Another volume, The Final Affair, also by David McDaniel, was completed but not published. Copies of the manuscript have circulated among fans for decades. Written after the series was cancelled, it was intended to provide a definitive conclusion to Solo and Illya's adventures. At one time there were plans to publish The Final Affair in a limited deluxe edition, but the project failed. Another book, The Catacombs and Dogma Affair, has been mentioned in some sources, but it is not listed as one of the official U.N.C.L.E. novels. (It is possible that it may be one of the above volumes, retitled, or it may be the unpublished second U.N.C.L.E. novel by J. Hunter Holly, which has been circulated in mimeographed form among fans.) Volumes 10–15 and 17 of the series were only published in the United States.
Two science-fiction novels – Genius Unlimited by John Rackham (a pseudonym used by Phillifent) and The Arsenal Out of Time by McDaniel – appear to be rewrites of "orphaned" U.N.C.L.E novel outlines or manuscripts.
The Rainbow Affair is notable for its thinly disguised cameo appearances by The Saint
Simon Templar
Simon Templar is a British fictional character known as The Saint featured in a long-running series of books by Leslie Charteris published between 1928 and 1963. After that date, other authors collaborated with Charteris on books until 1983; two additional works produced without Charteris’s...
, Miss Marple
Miss Marple
Jane Marple, usually referred to as Miss Marple, is a fictional character appearing in twelve of Agatha Christie's crime novels and in twenty short stories. Miss Marple is an elderly spinster who lives in the village of St. Mary Mead and acts as an amateur detective. She is one of the most famous...
, John Steed
John Steed
John Steed is a fictional character and the central protagonist on the popular British series The Avengers and The New Avengers, played by Patrick Macnee and Ralph Fiennes in the movie....
, Emma Peel
Emma Peel
Emma Peel was a fictional spy played by Diana Rigg in the British 1960s adventure television series The Avengers. She was born Emma Knight, the daughter of an industrialist, Sir John Knight.-Casting:...
, Tommy Hambledon (at whose flat Solo and Ilya encounter Steed and Peel), Neddie Seagoon
Neddie Seagoon
Neddie Seagoon was a character in the 1950s British radio comedy show, The Goon Show. He was created and performed by Welshman Harry Secombe....
, Father Brown
Father Brown
Father Brown is a fictional character created by English novelist G. K. Chesterton, who stars in 52 short stories, later compiled in five books. Chesterton based the character on Father John O'Connor , a parish priest in Bradford who was involved in Chesterton's conversion to Catholicism in 1922...
, a retired, elderly Sherlock Holmes
Sherlock Holmes
Sherlock Holmes is a fictional detective created by Scottish author and physician Sir Arthur Conan Doyle. The fantastic London-based "consulting detective", Holmes is famous for his astute logical reasoning, his ability to take almost any disguise, and his use of forensic science skills to solve...
, and Dr. Fu Manchu. The novel uses the same chapter title format that Leslie Charteris
Leslie Charteris
Leslie Charteris , born Leslie Charles Bowyer-Yin, was a half-Chinese, half English author of primarily mystery fiction, as well as a screenwriter. He was best known for his many books chronicling the adventures of Simon Templar, alias "The Saint."-Early life:Charteris was born to a Chinese father...
used in his Saint novels. (The title of one of the theatrical versions of U.N.C.L.E. episodes, The Spy in the Green Hat
The Spy in the Green Hat
The Spy in the Green Hat is a 1966 film directed by Joseph Sargent. This feature was made up of the The Man from U.N.C.L.E. two-part episode "The Concrete Overcoat Affair."-Plot:...
, is very close to the title of The Man in the Green Hat, one of the "Hambledon" novels by "Manning Coles
Manning Coles
Manning Coles is the pseudonym of two British writers, Adelaide Frances Oke Manning and Cyril Henry Coles , who wrote many spy thrillers from the early 40s through the early 60s. The fictional protagonist in 26 of their books was Thomas Elphinstone Hambledon, who works for the Foreign...
.")
Whitman Books also published three hardcover novels aimed at young readers and based upon the series. The first two books break the naming convention "The .... Affair" used by all other U.N.C.L.E. fiction and episodes:
- The Affair of the Gunrunners' Gold – Brandon KeithBrandon KeithBrandon Latrel Keith is an American football offensive tackle for the Arizona Cardinals of the National Football League. He was drafted by the Cardinals in the seventh round of the 2008 NFL Draft...
- The Affair of the Gentle Saboteur – Brandon KeithBrandon KeithBrandon Latrel Keith is an American football offensive tackle for the Arizona Cardinals of the National Football League. He was drafted by the Cardinals in the seventh round of the 2008 NFL Draft...
- The Calcutta Affair – George S. Elrick
A children's storybook written by Walter Gibson
Walter Gibson
Walter Gibson may refer to:*Walter B. Gibson , American author and magician*Walter M. Gibson , English adventurer, Mormon missionary, and government official in the Kingdom of Hawaii...
entitled The Coin of El Diablo Affair was also published.
The aforementioned digest magazine based upon Man from U.N.C.L.E. and often featured original novella
Novella
A novella is a written, fictional, prose narrative usually longer than a novelette but shorter than a novel. The Science Fiction and Fantasy Writers of America Nebula Awards for science fiction define the novella as having a word count between 17,500 and 40,000...
s that were not published anywhere else. These novellas, published under the house name "Robert Hart Davis," were actually written by such authors as John Jakes, Dennis Lynds, and Bill Pronzini. There were 24 issues running monthly from February 1966 till January 1968, inclusive.
Science fiction writer Jack Jardine (writing as Larry Maddock) originally came up with an idea for a "Man From U.N.C.L.E." novel called "The Flying Saucer Affair," but it was A) deemed too sci-fi for the series' concept, and B) written shortly before the series' cancellation. He later adapted this novel into his "Agent of T.E.R.R.A." series, which enjoyed a brief run of four titles altogether, and were published by ACE Books. They are:
- "Agent Of T.E.R.R.A. #1: The Flying Saucer Gambit,"
- "Agent Of T.E.R.R.A. #2: The Golden Goddess Gambit,"
- "Agent Of T.E.R.R.A. #3: The Emerald Elephant Gambit," and
- "Agent Of T.E.R.R.A. #4: The Time Trap Gambit." (This last title dispensed with the "Agent of T.E.R.R.A." moniker.)
Reunion TV movie
A reunion telefilm, The Return of the Man from U.N.C.L.E., subtitled The Fifteen Years Later Affair, was broadcast on CBSCBS
CBS Broadcasting Inc. is a major US commercial broadcasting television network, which started as a radio network. The name is derived from the initials of the network's former name, Columbia Broadcasting System. The network is sometimes referred to as the "Eye Network" in reference to the shape of...
in America on April 5, 1983, with Vaughn and McCallum reprising their roles, and Patrick Macnee
Patrick Macnee
Patrick Macnee is an English actor, best known for his role as the secret agent John Steed in the series The Avengers.-Early life:...
replacing Leo G. Carroll
Leo G. Carroll
Leo Gratten Carroll was an English-born actor. He was best known for his roles in several Hitchcock films and The Man from U.N.C.L.E. and Topper.-Early life:...
as the head of U.N.C.L.E. A framed picture of Carroll appeared on his desk. The movie included a tribute to Ian Fleming via a cameo appearance by an unidentified secret agent with the initials "J.B." The part was played by one-time James Bond George Lazenby
George Lazenby
George Robert Lazenby is an Australian actor and former model, best known for portraying James Bond in the 1969 film On Her Majesty's Secret Service.-Early life:...
who was shown driving Bond's trademark vehicle, an Aston Martin DB5
Aston Martin DB5
The Aston Martin DB5 is a luxury grand tourer that was made by Aston Martin. Released in 1963, it was an evolution of the final series of DB4. The DB series was named honouring David Brown ....
. One character, identifying him, says that it is "just like On Her Majesty's Secret Service
On Her Majesty's Secret Service (film)
On Her Majesty's Secret Service is the sixth spy film in the James Bond series, based on the 1963 novel of the same name by Ian Fleming. Following the decision of Sean Connery to retire from the role after You Only Live Twice, Eon Productions selected an unknown actor and model, George Lazenby...
", which was Lazenby's only Bond film.
The movie, written by Michael Sloan and directed by Ray Austin
Ray Austin
Ray Austin, formally known as Raymond Austin or Baron DeVere-Austin of Delvin, is a British television director...
, briefly filled in the missing years. THRUSH has been put out of business, and the remaining leader was in prison. (His escape begins the story.) Illya, who quit U.N.C.L.E. after a mission went sour and an innocent woman was killed, now designs women's clothing at Vanya's in New York, whilst Napoleon was pushed out of U.N.C.L.E. now is employed selling computers. However he still carries his U.N.C.L.E. pen radio for sentimental reasons and this is how the organization is able to contact him after so many years.
Solo and Kuryakin are recalled to recapture the escapee and defeat THRUSH once and for all, but the movie misfired on a key point: instead of reuniting the agents on the mission and showcasing their witty interaction, the agents were separated and paired with younger agents. Like most similar reunion films, this production was considered a trial balloon for a possible new series.
Although some personnel from the original series were involved (like composer Gerald Fried
Gerald Fried
Gerald Fried is an American musician, well known for his compositions in film and television.Born and raised in the Bronx, New York City, Fried attended Juilliard School of Music...
and director of photography Fred Koenekamp), the movie was not produced by Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer but by Michael Sloan Productions in association with Viacom Productions
Viacom Productions
Viacom Productions was a television production company active from 1974 until 2004.-History:*1971: Viacom Enterprises was reincorporated from CBS Enterprises .*1973: Viacom Enterprises was spun-off from CBS....
- Sloan, Vaughn and McCallum are pictured in the Michael Sloan Productions logo at the end of the movie.
2012 movie remake
Director Steven SoderberghSteven Soderbergh
Steven Andrew Soderbergh is an American film producer, screenwriter, cinematographer, editor, and an Academy Award-winning film director. He is best known for directing commercial Hollywood films like Erin Brockovich, Traffic, and the remake of Ocean's Eleven, but he has also directed smaller less...
is currently in discussion to possibly remake the Man from U.N.C.L.E. TV series as a movie, to which George Clooney
George Clooney
George Timothy Clooney is an American actor, film director, producer, and screenwriter. For his work as an actor, he has received two Golden Globe Awards and an Academy Award...
was attached. As of August 30, 2011, Clooney has dropped out of the project. Soderbergh is the man behind the "Oceans" series of films starring Brad Pitt, Matt Damon and George Clooney. Reports are saying that Soderbergh is interested with actor Channing Tatum
Channing Tatum
Channing Matthew Tatum is an American actor and film producer. He began his career as a fashion model and appearing in television commercials for Pepsi and Mountain Dew before turning to film roles...
who directed Tatum in Magic Mike
Magic Mike
Magic Mike is an upcoming drama film directed by Steven Soderbergh. The film stars Channing Tatum, Alex Pettyfer, and Joe Manganiello.-Premise :Veteran male stripper Magic Mike teaches a new male stripper about the occupation...
for the role.
---UPDATE--- Steven Soderbergh
Steven Soderbergh
Steven Andrew Soderbergh is an American film producer, screenwriter, cinematographer, editor, and an Academy Award-winning film director. He is best known for directing commercial Hollywood films like Erin Brockovich, Traffic, and the remake of Ocean's Eleven, but he has also directed smaller less...
has dropped out of the project, though Warner Bros. remains interested in making a new Man from U.N.C.L.E. movie. They would like to franchise it as a trilogy.
DVD releases
In November 2007, after coming to an agreement with Warner Home VideoWarner Home Video
Warner Home Video is the home video unit of Warner Bros. Entertainment, Inc., itself part of Time Warner. It was founded in 1978 as WCI Home Video . The company launched in the United States with twenty films on VHS and Betamax videocassettes in late 1979...
, Time-Life
Time-Life
Time–Life is a creator and direct marketer of books, music, video/DVD, and multimedia products. Its products are sold throughout North America, Europe, Australia, and Asia through television, print, retail, the Internet, telemarketing, and direct sales....
released a 41 DVD set (region 1) for direct order, with sales through stores scheduled for fall 2008. An earlier release by Anchor Bay
Anchor Bay Entertainment
Anchor Bay Entertainment is a U.S. based home entertainment and production company and is a division of Starz Media, which is a unit of Starz, LLC. It was previously owned by IDT Entertainment until 2006 when IDT was purchased by Starz Media. Anchor Bay markets and sells feature films, series,...
, allegedly set for 2006, was apparently scuttled because of a dispute over the rights to the series with Warner Brothers.
A region 2 DVD (PAL
PAL
PAL, short for Phase Alternating Line, is an analogue television colour encoding system used in broadcast television systems in many countries. Other common analogue television systems are NTSC and SECAM. This page primarily discusses the PAL colour encoding system...
for Europe) release of The Man from U.N.C.L.E. movies was released on September 8, 2003. The DVD contains five of the eight movies, missing the following: To Trap a Spy (1964), The Spy in the Green Hat (1966) and One of Our Spies is Missing (1966).
On Oct. 21, 2008, the Time-Life set was released to retail outlets in Region 1 (North America) in a special all-seasons box set contained within a small briefcase. The complete-series set consists of 41 DVDs, including two discs of special features included exclusively with the box set. Included in the set was the Solo pilot episode, as well as one of the films, One Spy Too Many.
Paramount Pictures
Paramount Pictures
Paramount Pictures Corporation is an American film production and distribution company, located at 5555 Melrose Avenue in Hollywood. Founded in 1912 and currently owned by media conglomerate Viacom, it is America's oldest existing film studio; it is also the last major film studio still...
and CBS Home Entertainment released The Return of the Man from U.N.C.L.E. to DVD in Region 1 on March 3, 2009.
On August 23, 2011, Warner Archive Collection
Warner Archive Collection
The Warner Archive Collection is a manufactured-on-demand DVD series. It was started by Warner Home Video on March 23, 2009 with the intention of putting previously unreleased back catalog films on DVD for the first time ever. Using recordable DVDs, they custom burn discs for each order rather than...
made The Man from U.N.C.L.E. 8-Movie Collection available from their "manufacture on demand" service.
U.N.C.L.E. in popular culture
During the show's original run, The Man from U.N.C.L.E. was parodied in an episode of The Dick Van Dyke ShowThe Dick Van Dyke Show
The Dick Van Dyke Show is an American television sitcom that initially aired on the Columbia Broadcasting System from October 3, 1961, until June 1, 1966. The show was created by Carl Reiner and starred Dick Van Dyke and Mary Tyler Moore. It was produced by Reiner with Bill Persky and Sam Denoff....
, fittingly titled "The Man from My Uncle." In this episode, Rob Petrie (Van Dyke) allows his suburban house to be used as a stakeout for an unnamed government agency. They want to spy on one of his neighbors who has a deported nephew that may be back in the country illegally. Comedian Godfrey Cambridge guest stars as an agent whose name is Mr. Bond, a recurring joke in the episode. In the show's final scene, referred to in sitcom circles as the "tag," Rob is playing with the agent's walkie talkie and fantasizes that he is negotiating a hostage exchange with THRUSH. The show was also parodied by MGM itself on "The Mouse from H.U.N.G.E.R.
The Mouse from H.U.N.G.E.R.
The Mouse from H.U.N.G.E.R. is a 1967 Tom and Jerry cartoon directed by Abe Levitow and produced by Chuck Jones. The title is a pun on the 1964 spy show The Man from U.N.C.L.E. , which was airing on NBC at the time.- Plot :...
", an episode of Tom and Jerry
Tom and Jerry
Tom and Jerry are the cat and mouse cartoon characters that were evolved starting in 1939.Tom and Jerry also may refer to:Cartoon works featuring the cat and mouse so named:* The Tom and Jerry Show...
. The British TV series The Avengers
The Avengers (TV series)
The Avengers is a spy-fi British television series set in the 1960s Britain. The Avengers initially focused on Dr. David Keel and his assistant John Steed . Hendry left after the first series and Steed became the main character, partnered with a succession of assistants...
featured an episode titled "The Girl from AUNTIE," a double in-joke in the UK, where "Auntie" was a nickname for the BBC.
An episode of "Get Smart
Get Smart
Get Smart is an American comedy television series that satirizes the secret agent genre. Created by Mel Brooks with Buck Henry, the show starred Don Adams , Barbara Feldon , and Edward Platt...
" connects to "The Man From U.N.C.L.E". In "The Reluctant Redhead", an agent named Gruvnik, the Spoiler, had worked for THRUSH before joining KAOS.
The fourth season of Angry Beavers has an episode entitled "The Mom From U.N.C.L.E" in which the main character's mother is a secret agent.
Robert Vaughn makes an uncredited cameo appearance
Cameo appearance
A cameo role or cameo appearance is a brief appearance of a known person in a work of the performing arts, such as plays, films, video games and television...
as Napoleon Solo in a dinner party scene in the Doris Day
Doris Day
Doris Day is an American actress, singer and, since her retirement from show business, an animal rights activist. With an entertainment career that spanned through almost 50 years, Day started her career as a big band singer in 1939, but only began to be noticed after her first hit recording,...
film, The Glass Bottom Boat
The Glass Bottom Boat
The Glass Bottom Boat is an 1966 American romantic comedy movie directed by Frank Tashlin; it is also considered by some people to be musical entertainment. This movie features Doris Day and Rod Taylor as the main entertainers, with assistance from actors Arthur Godfrey and Paul Lynde...
. Solo is shown at the bar (complete with U.N.C.L.E. theme music), operating his pen radio and giving Paul Lynde
Paul Lynde
Paul Edward Lynde was an American comedian and actor. A noted character actor, Lynde was well known for his roles as Uncle Arthur on Bewitched and Harry MacAfee, the befuddled father in Bye Bye Birdie...
(as Homer Cripps) a smiling, almost lecherous look as he walks by in drag. Day's film plot is about an Earth-based secret zero-gravity test laboratory built to train astronauts.
Both Vaughn and David McCallum made brief appearances in character in a Please Don't Eat the Daisies
Please Don't Eat the Daisies (TV series)
Please Don't Eat the Daisies is an American sitcom that aired on NBC from September 14, 1965 to April 22, 1967. The series was based upon the 1957 book by Jean Kerr and 1960 film starring Doris Day and David Niven....
TV episode titled "Cry UNCLE." The star of the show Patricia Crowley had costarred in the original UNCLE pilot The Vulcan Affair. The end credits of the episode, like The Man from U.N.C.L.E., thanked the United Network Command for its co-operation. McCallum also hosted an episode of the popular 1960's TV variety show Hullabaloo
Hullabaloo (TV series)
Hullabaloo is an American musical variety series that ran on NBC from January 12, 1965 through August 29, 1966. Similar to Shindig! it ran in prime time in contrast to ABC's American Bandstand.-Overview:...
as Illya Kuryakin.
Maxwell Smart of "Get Smart" was once paired with Israel's Agent 498, The Man from YENTA
Yenta
Yenta or Yente is a Yiddish female name which is used generically for an old gossip.In the age of Yiddish theater, it started referring to a busybody or gossipmonger. The word has since become Yinglish . In the 1920s Yenta was first popularized by a famous humorist, Jacob Adler, writing under his...
In the late 1960's and early 1970's, the makers of Glad brand plastic bags released a series of commercials starring the "Man from GLAD", a trench coat wearing agent who flew around in his combination boat/helicopter demonstrating Glad products to suburban housewives and saving the day. (Not to mention, leftover food.)
Leo G. Carroll had a cameo on the first episode of Laugh-In
Rowan & Martin's Laugh-In
Rowan & Martin's Laugh-In is an American sketch comedy television program which ran for 140 episodes from January 22, 1968, to May 14, 1973. It was hosted by comedians Dan Rowan and Dick Martin and was broadcast over NBC...
broadcast on Jan. 22, 1968, in which he spoofed U.N.C.L.E. Ironically, that was the show that took over U.N.C.L.E.'s timeslot when it was cancelled. A bartender at one of Laugh-In's standing comedy sketch locations, a go-go party scene, he suddenly turns as he pulls out an U.N.C.L.E. pen radio and intones into it, "Kuryakin, Get over here fast, I think I’ve found THRUSH Headquarters at last!"
A British secret agent who always survived through ingenuity despite being ineffectual-looking and short-sighted appeared as 'The Man From B.U.N.G.L.E.' in the 1964 UK comic Wham!
Wham! (comic)
Wham! was a weekly British comic published by Odhams Press. It ran for 187 issues from 20 June 1964 to 13 January 1968, when it merged into its sister title Pow!...
.
A season five episode of the 1980s adventure series The A-Team
The A-Team
The A-Team is an American action adventure television series about a fictional group of ex-United States Army Special Forces personnel who work as soldiers of fortune, while on the run from the Army after being branded as war criminals for a "crime they didn't commit". The A-Team was created by...
was entitled "The Say U.N.C.L.E. Affair" and featured both Vaughn and McCallum. Vaughn had a recurring role as a member of The A-Team's cast at this point, playing Hunt Stockwell, presumably a United States Army G-2 general officer, while McCallum appeared as Stockwell's former espionage partner, Ivan. The episode was loaded with in-jokes referencing the 1960s series. The signature bongo drums & pan from The Man From U.N.C.L.E. was used whenever scenes changed in that episode. McCallum played one of the few characters ever to have been killed in an A-Team episode.
In an episode of Tales from the Darkside
Tales from the Darkside
Tales from the Darkside is an anthology horror TV series produced by George A. Romero; it originally aired from 1983 to 1988. Similar to Amazing Stories, The Twilight Zone, Night Gallery, The Outer Limits, and Tales From The Crypt, each episode was an individual short story that ended with a plot...
titled "The Impressionist," a government organization named U.N.C.L.E. hires an impersonator to talk with an alien.
A few brief references to U.N.C.L.E. are made in The League of Extraordinary Gentlemen: Black Dossier
The League of Extraordinary Gentlemen: Black Dossier
The League of Extraordinary Gentlemen: Black Dossier is an original graphic novel in the comic book series The League of Extraordinary Gentlemen, written by Alan Moore and illustrated by Kevin O'Neill. It was the last volume of the series to be published by DC Comics. Although the third book to be...
, along with appearances by characters from The Avengers
The Avengers (TV series)
The Avengers is a spy-fi British television series set in the 1960s Britain. The Avengers initially focused on Dr. David Keel and his assistant John Steed . Hendry left after the first series and Steed became the main character, partnered with a succession of assistants...
, Danger Man
Danger Man
Danger Man is a British television series that was broadcast between 1960 and 1962, and again between 1964 and 1968. The series featured Patrick McGoohan as secret agent John Drake. Ralph Smart created the program and wrote many of the scripts...
, and The Prisoner
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...
. U.N.C.L.E. is never referred to by name in the story, although Waverly is mentioned, albeit by his last name only, as a schoolmate of Billy Bunter
Billy Bunter
William George Bunter , is a fictional character created by Charles Hamilton using the pen name Frank Richards...
's at Greyfriars
Greyfriars School
Greyfriars School is a fictional English public school used as a setting in the long running series of stories by the writer Charles Hamilton, who wrote under the pen-name Frank Richards. Although the stories are focused on the Remove , whose most famous pupil was Billy Bunter, other characters...
and also a member of a Cambridge Five
Cambridge Five
The Cambridge Five was a ring of spies, recruited in part by Russian talent spotter Arnold Deutsch in the United Kingdom, who passed information to the Soviet Union during World War II and at least into the early 1950s...
.
In the audiobook Judgement of the Judoon
Judgement of the Judoon
Judgement of the Judoon is a BBC Books original novel written by Colin Brake and based on the long-running British science fiction television series Doctor Who. It features the Tenth Doctor without an official companion...
, a main character is a crime lord known as "Uncle" to enemies and underlings alike. Towards the end of the story, a rival crime lord orders her communication technician to "Open Channel D and get me Uncle!"
In his 1980 album Get Happy!!, Elvis Costello wrote the track "Man Called Uncle". Although the lyrics do not make any references to the show, the song has a Sixties upbeat feel connected with the original "Man from U.N.C.L.E" soundtrack. An Argentinian Funk duo was named Illya Kuryaki and the Valderramas
Illya Kuryaki and the Valderramas
Illya Kuryaki and the Valderramas was an Argentine funk duo formed in 1991 by Dante Spinetta and Emmanuel Horvilleur. In 2001 Dante and Emmanuel split to continue their solo careers...
honoring the fictitious spy. Alma Cogan
Alma Cogan
Alma Cogan was an English singer of traditional pop music in the 1950s and early 1960s. Dubbed "The Girl With the Laugh/Giggle/Chuckle In Her Voice", she was the highest paid British female entertainer of her era...
paid a similar tribute to the Russian agent in her single "Love Ya Illya," released in 1966 under the pseudonym "Angela and the Fans." In the 1980s, Cleaners From Venus penned "Ilya Kuryakin Looked at Me;" the song was later covered by The Jennifers
The Jennifers
The Jennifers were a short-lived British rock group formed at Wheatley Park School and featuring vocalist Gaz Coombes, guitarist Nic Goffey, drummer Danny Goffey and bassist Andy Davies...
. The English 2 Tone
2 Tone
2 Tone is a music genre created in the United Kingdom in the late 1970s by fusing elements of ska, punk rock, rocksteady, reggae, and New Wave. It was called 2 Tone because most of the bands were signed to 2 Tone Records at some point. Other labels associated with the 2 Tone sound were Stiff...
band The Specials
The Specials
The Specials are an English 2 Tone ska revival band formed in 1977 in Coventry, England. Their music combines a "danceable ska and rocksteady beat with punk's energy and attitude", and had a "more focused and informed political and social stance" than other ska groups...
made an instrumental song called "Napoleon Solo." It was also the name of a Danish 2 Tone band. Space–surf band Man or Astro-man?
Man or Astro-man?
Man or Astro-man? is a surf rock group that formed in Auburn, Alabama, in the early 1990s and came to prominence over the following decade.Primarily instrumental, Man or Astro-man? blended the surf rock style of the early 1960s like that of The Spotnicks with the new wave and punk rock sounds of...
covered the theme song for their 1994 EP Astro Launch
Astro Launch
Astro Launch is one of many 7" EPs Man or Astro-man? released in 1994. It was released on Estrus Records on clear orange vinyl and black vinyl. As the black vinyl copies are pressed onto translucent black vinyl, some discographies list the vinyl color as "rootbeer" or "clear rootbeer"...
.
The Pet Shop Boys
Pet Shop Boys
Pet Shop Boys are an English electronic dance music duo, consisting of Neil Tennant, who provides main vocals, keyboards and occasional guitar, and Chris Lowe on keyboards....
song "Building A Wall," from their 2009 album Yes
Yes (Pet Shop Boys album)
Yes is the tenth studio album by English electronic duo Pet Shop Boys. The album was recorded throughout 2008 and is produced by Brian Higgins and his production team Xenomania. Xenomania also co-wrote three of the tracks. Guitarist Johnny Marr and string arranger Owen Pallett appear as well...
, contains the lyric "Jesus
Jesus
Jesus of Nazareth , commonly referred to as Jesus Christ or simply as Jesus or Christ, is the central figure of Christianity...
and the Man From U.N.C.L.E."
In the video game Duke Nukem 3D
Duke Nukem 3D
Duke Nukem 3D is a first-person shooter computer game developed by 3D Realms and published by GT Interactive Software. The full version was released for the PC . It is a sequel to the platform games Duke Nukem and Duke Nukem II published by Apogee...
, there is a secret military base, and hidden on a telephone booth it says "U.N.C.L.E." rather than the typical "PHONE." Using this phone leads to a hidden area.
In the Randall Garrett
Randall Garrett
Randall Garrett was an American science fiction and fantasy author. He was a prolific contributor to Astounding and other science fiction magazines of the 1950s and 1960s...
novel Too Many Magicians
Too Many Magicians
Too Many Magicians is a novel by Randall Garrett, an American science fiction author. One of several stories starring Lord Darcy, it was first serialized in Analog Science Fiction in 1966 and published in book form the same year by Doubleday...
, character Tia Einzig's father's brother Neapeler is said to come from the Isle of Mann, and thus is the Uncle from Mann. "Neapeler Einzig" is recognizably a variant of "Napoleon Solo;" "Neapel" is the German name for Naples; "einzig" is German for "only" or "unique." And Tia's Uncle has a friend, "Colin MacDavid," whose name is recognizably a variant of the actor's name "David McCallum."
The British comedian Ben Elton
Ben Elton
Benjamin Charles "Ben" Elton is an English comedian, author, playwright and director. He was a leading figure in the British alternative comedy movement of the 1980s, as a writer on such cult series as The Young Ones and Blackadder, as well as also a successful stand-up comedian on stage and TV....
starred in two series of his own stand-up comedy and sketch show entitled The Man from Auntie, in 1990 and 1994. The title of the show was a play on the title of The Man from UNCLE and the fact that "Auntie" is a nickname for the BBC.
Forty years after the debut of this series, its stars appeared on TV, Vaughn in the British caper series Hustle
Hustle (TV series)
Hustle is a British television drama series made by Kudos Film and Television for BBC One in the United Kingdom. Created by Tony Jordan and first broadcast in 2004, the series follows a group of con artists who specialise in "long cons" – extended deceptions which require greater commitment, but...
and McCallum as the in-house forensic pathologist Dr. Donald "Ducky" Mallard in the American military crime investigation series NCIS
NCIS (TV series)
NCIS, formerly known as NCIS: Naval Criminal Investigative Service, is an American police procedural drama television series revolving around a fictional team of special agents from the Naval Criminal Investigative Service, which conducts criminal investigations involving the U.S...
. In the season two NCIS episode "The Meat Puzzle," 30-something Kate asks Leroy Gibbs
Leroy Jethro Gibbs
Leroy Jethro Gibbs is a fictional character and the main protagonist of the CBS TV series NCIS. He is portrayed by Mark Harmon.-Background:...
what Ducky Mallard looked like when he was younger. To this, Gibbs responds, "Illya Kuryakin."
In an interview for a retrospective television special, David McCallum told of a visit to the White House
White House
The White House is the official residence and principal workplace of the president of the United States. Located at 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue NW in Washington, D.C., the house was designed by Irish-born James Hoban, and built between 1792 and 1800 of white-painted Aquia sandstone in the Neoclassical...
during which, while he was being escorted to meet the President, a Secret Service
United States Secret Service
The United States Secret Service is a United States federal law enforcement agency that is part of the United States Department of Homeland Security. The sworn members are divided among the Special Agents and the Uniformed Division. Until March 1, 2003, the Service was part of the United States...
agent told him, "You're the reason I got this job."
On the popular morning drive time radio show Bob and Brian
Bob and Brian
Bob And Brian is a talk radio show based at WHQG in Milwaukee, Wisconsin that broadcasts weekdays from 5:30 a.m. - 10:15 a.m. and repeats as a week-in-review show on Saturday mornings.It is syndicated throughout Wisconsin, and can be heard for free via streaming audio from the official site...
morning show, out of Milwaukee WI, Brian has made himself the Man from U.N.C.L.E regarding sports. In his case he "rules" on all sports Uniforms Nicknames Colors Logos and Emblems and deems them appropriate or not.
In the video game Team Fortress 2
Team Fortress 2
Team Fortress 2 is a free-to-play team-based first-person shooter multiplayer video game developed by Valve Corporation. A sequel to the original mod Team Fortress based on the Quake engine, it was first released as part of the video game compilation The Orange Box on October 10, 2007 for Windows...
, one of the achievements for the Spy, The Man from P.U.N.C.T.U.R.E, is a reference to the show.
In a fourth-season episode of Mad Men
Mad Men
Mad Men is an American dramatic television series created and produced by Matthew Weiner. The series premiered on Sunday evenings on the American cable network AMC and are produced by Lionsgate Television. It premiered on July 19, 2007, and completed its fourth season on October 17, 2010. Each...
, "The Chrysanthemum and the Sword," Sally Draper masturbates
Masturbation
Masturbation refers to sexual stimulation of a person's own genitals, usually to the point of orgasm. The stimulation can be performed manually, by use of objects or tools, or by some combination of these methods. Masturbation is a common form of autoeroticism...
while watching a scene involving Illya Kuryakin on The Man from U.N.C.L.E. episode "The Hong Kong Shilling Affair" (broadcast on March 15, 1965) at a sleepover
Sleepover
A sleepover, also known as a pajama party or a slumber party, is a party most commonly held by children or teenagers, where a guest or guests are invited to stay overnight at the home of a friend, sometimes to celebrate birthdays or other special events...
.
In the HBO movie Temple Grandin
Temple Grandin (film)
Temple Grandin is a 2010 biopic directed by Mick Jackson and starring Claire Danes as Temple Grandin, a woman with autism who revolutionized practices for the humane handling of livestock on cattle ranches and slaughterhouses.-Plot synopsis:...
, a film biography of Dr. Temple Grandin
Temple Grandin
Temple Grandin is an American doctor of animal science and professor at Colorado State University, bestselling author, and consultant to the livestock industry on animal behavior...
in which actress Claire Danes
Claire Danes
Claire Catherine Danes is an American actress of television, stage and film. She has appeared in roles as diverse as Angela Chase in My So-Called Life, as Juliet in Baz Luhrmann's Romeo + Juliet, as Kate Brewster in Terminator 3: Rise of the Machines, as Yvaine in Stardust and as Temple Grandin in...
impersonated her, the title character is a big fan of the show, and she refers to it several times. In the opening sequence, Temple describes for her Aunt a scene in the show where a man with a shotgun says to Illya Kuryakin, "Would you like for me to open the gate?" Temple finds the line to be hilarious. Later, while she is in college, she joins other students in her dorm in the common room to watch the show. Short clips from the show are shown.
In the film Restless Natives
Restless Natives
Restless Natives is a 1985 comedy film directed by Michael Hoffman and starring Vincent Friell, Joe Mullaney, and Ned Beatty.Filmed in Scotland, the story follows the adventures of two young men who don masks and hold up tourist coaches in the Highlands...
a highly serious, bossy, American detective is thought to share similarities with "The Man From U.N.C.L.E."
External links
- Encyclopedia of Television
- CIA Spy Fi Archives including U.N.C.L.E. artifacts
- The Television Tie-In Affair – images of comics, magazines and memorabilia
- Site devoted to Napoleon Solo
- Spywise: "The U.N.C.L.E. Movie That Never Was"
- "The Man from U.N.C.L.E.: A Retrospective" by Kathleen Crighton
- Production history and DVD review of complete series
- Time-Life's Nov. 2007 DVD collection
- A blog detailing a fan's effort to build a functional U.N.C.L.E. Special
- Site with a detailed chronology of the production of the show