Ep# 49 - The Man From U.N.C.L.E. in the 60s
How to Steal the World (1968)
If you were a teenager in the 1960s chances are you loved three things: The Beatles, Yo-Yos and The Man From UNCLE. Okay, likely you enjoyed a variety of other things, but the adventures of Napoleon Solo and Illya Kuryakin sure captured the hearts and minds of the many during their four year television run. But this is cinema60 so we’re exploring the eight Man From UNCLE movies that were released (not to be confused with the surprisingly charming Guy Ritchie movie) largely for foreign audiences and cash-ins for spy-fever (aka UNCLEitis mania, scientifically).
In this episode Bart complains about this being another Bootleg Bond episode and Jenna gushes about how much she likes Man From UNCLE but not so much these movies. Which isn’t to say they’re bad movies since they’re basically overlong television episodes but well… that’s kind of the issue. Either way, watching Vaughn and McCallum run around California national parks, midcentury dream offices and indoor rocket launch pads is anything but boring*.
*Bart disagrees with this statement.
The following films are discussed:
• To Trap A Spy (1964)
Directed by Don Medford
Starring Robert Vaughn, Luciana Paluzzi, Pat Crowley
• The Spy With My Face (1965)
Directed by John Newland
Starring David McCallum, Senta Berger, Leo G. Carroll
• One Spy Too Many (1966)
Directed by Joseph Sargent
Starring Rip Torn, Dorothy Provine, Yvonne Craig
• One of Our Spies is Missing (1966)
Directed by E. Darrell Hallenbeck
Starring Vera Miles, Ann Elder, Bernard Fox
• The Spy in the Green Hat (1967)
Directed by Joseph Sargent
Starring Jack Palance, Janet Leigh, Letícia Román
• The Karate Killers (1967)
Directed by Barry Shear
Starring Kim Darby, Herbert Lom, Joan Crawford
• The Helicopter Spies (1968)
Directed by Boris Sagal
Starring Carol Lynley, Bradford Dillman, Lola Albright
• How To Steal the World (1968)
Directed by Sutton Roley
Starring Barry Sullivan, Eleanor Parker, Leslie Nielsen
Also mentioned:
• The Public Enemy (1931)
Directed by William A. Wellman
Starring James Cagney, Jean Harlow, Joan Blondell
• Muscle Beach Party (1964)
Directed by William Asher
Starring Frankie Avalon, Annette Funicello, Luciana Paluzzi
• Mickey One (1965)
Directed by Sutton Roley
Starring Warren Beatty, Alexandra Stewart, Donna Michelle
• Thunderball (1965)
Directed by Sutton Roley
Starring Sean Connery, Claudine Auger, Luciana Paluzzi
• Our Man Flint (1966)
Directed by Daniel Mann
Starring James Coburn, Lee J. Cobb, Gila Golan
• The Ambushers (1967)
Directed by Henry Levin
Starring Dean Martin, Senta Berger, Janice Rule
• The Green Slime (1968)
Directed by Kinji Fukasaku
Starring Robert Horton, Luciana Paluzzi, Richard Jaeckel
• OSS 117 Murder for Sale (1968)
Directed by André Hunebelle
Starring John Gavin, Luciana Paluzzi, Curd Jürgens
• White Lightning (1973)
Directed by Joseph Sargent
Starring Burt Reynolds, Jennifer Billingsley, Ned Beatty
• The Taking of Pelham One Two Three (1974)
Directed by Joseph Sargent
Starring Walter Matthau, Robert Shaw, Martin Balsam
• Mission: Impossible (1996)
Directed by Brian De Palma
Starring Tom Cruise, Jon Voight, Emmanuelle Béart
• “The Man from U.N.C.L.E.” (1964-1968)
• “Hogan's Heroes” (1965-1971)
• “The Wild Wild West” (1965-1969)
• “Batman” (1966-1968)
• “Mission: Impossible” (1966-1973)
• “Star Trek” (1966-1969)
• “Columbo” (1971-2003)
