Open Channel D. Freshly arrived today at Castel Crivens - my replacement Man From U.N.C.L.E. badge for the one I had in the '60s. It always puzzled me that Napoleon Solo was number 11 and Ilya Kuryakin was number 2, thereby giving the impression that he had superiority in the pecking order over his colleague. Different departments maybe? If you know, don't keep it to yourself.
So I've got the Corgi car, the badge and the ID card - all I need now is the attache case and the fountain pen ('cos I had them as a kid - well, the pen was my brother's). One day perhaps.
Were you a Man From U.N.C.L.E. fan in the '60s? Let's hear all about it, effendis.
Awww that takes me right back. I was indeed a "Man from U.N.C.L.E " Kid, I also had a ring I think that came with the Corgi car???
ReplyDeleteYup, got the car, but not the ring. However, reproductions are available, so I'll get one some day. Meanwhile, I'm thinking of making cardboard reproductions of the badge, which is plastic.
ReplyDeleteI have the corgi car too. But over the time the badge and ring vanished. I suspect in pockets of friends. The TV show was great and the movie stunk. Good stuff.
ReplyDeleteThe movie I am referring to is the one that came out about 5 years ago.
ReplyDeleteI never got any of the paraphernalia, but I think I have most or all of the MAN FROM UNCLE paperbacks, and maybe all of those for THE GIRL FROM UNCLE. Some of them were as wigged out as the show's wilder episodes. Didja know that Doctor Egret, the evil scientist who escapes Napoleon and Illya in the TV show, gets defeated in a GIRL FROM UNCLE adventure? Inquiring trivia-lovers want to know-- maybe.
ReplyDeleteI haven't seen that movie, LH, but I saw the TV movie from the early '80s, starring Vaughn and McCallum back when it was first broadcast in the UK. I bought the DVD a couple or so years back and enjoyed it better than when I first saw it. George Lazenby had a cameo appearance as James Bond, driving an Aston Martin DB5. As you'll know, it was Ian Fleming who created Napoleon Solo, so Bond's appearance was a nice little touch.
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Never read any of the paperbacks, GP, but I've got a MFU Annual from the '60s, plus four TV Tornado Annuals which also featured the characters. Never had them when they were first published, got them decades after the fact. The show started off serious, but then followed Batman's camp approach, which spoiled it.
I was a fan when I was a kiddie who wasn’t ? Those action figures were worth a bundle a few Years ago.
ReplyDeleteThe accessories were particularly hard to find as the shoes would fall off and the gun would get lost.
I had a cheap U.N.C.L.E. action figure, PS, acquired from an end-of-aisle display in Safeway's in the '60s. Can't recall now whether it was Solo or Ilya - both faces seem familiar, so maybe I had both at different times? Anyway, whichever one I had, it was probably a cheap knock-off using a copy of one of the Gilbert heads.
ReplyDeleteMy big sister was a major David McCallum fan, and I still have her scrapbook from the 60s with many pages of cuttings from various magazines of the time.
ReplyDeleteJust finished crushing the complete series late last year, along with the reunion movie. It wasn't much good, but the old shows were wonderful. I found the first season a bit sleepy but once they dropped the seriousness the show really started to tick over. I really grokked why the Kuryakin was such a dreamboat for all the girls. I really liked it when they visited the UNCLE offices filled with all those female agents. So sexist! So fun!
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That must be like a time machine, BS, don't ever throw it out. I assume your sister is no longer with us otherwise she'd still have the scrapbook, so it'll be a nice reminder of her.
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I don't have any DVDs of the original series, RJ, but have a boxed set of the 'movies'. Always loved the theme tune and the slow-motion effects at the beginning of some of them. Yeah, the dames were always easy on the eye, even when I was a kid.
One of my favorite Xmas presents back in the 60's, the MFU gun. So cool, pistol with the add on shoulder stock, scope and barrel extension. I just can't remember if it came with an extended magazine. But it did come with the Uncle badge.
ReplyDeleteThere were two versions of an attache case, RH, which had the gun; one was a better made case (plastic or vinyl perhaps), the other a cardboard one - which is the one I had. Can't remember if it had a badge, but it had the Luger, the shoulder attachment, and the silencer, as well as maybe a couple of other items. In fact, I've still got one of the little grey/silver plastic bullets that went in the magazine.
ReplyDeleteMeant to say it also had the eye-scope thingy-doo-da.
ReplyDeleteOr telescopic sight, to give it it's proper (I think) name.
ReplyDeleteI seem to recall that Robert Vaughan and David MacCallum were in an episode of the A-Team playing the same characters in all but name but Ilya had become a bad guy by then. Fleming also created the name of April Dancer (the girl from...) I believe and as far as the numbers on the badges are concerned there are a few differing theories towit the "11" refers to agent no 1 in section 1 and the 2 is just the next in line. Rumour has it that the stars were allowed to chose their own badge numbers with Mr Waverlay as the head and Vaughan thought the "11" was actually the roman numeral for 2 so chose that as his number. The other theory is that the original agent 2 was killed and Ilya replaced him taking that number but when solo had joined, all the agents 1 through 10 were still active so he became no. 11 . Probably makes a bit more sense that one but as far as I know nothing definite was ever decided on it.
ReplyDeleteMeant to say that Fleming was also responsible for April Dancer's name, so thanks for mentioning it, MN. I'd have picked 11 for my number too, 'cos it just looks better than 2 for some reason. Never saw that episode of the A Team - must see if it's on YouTube.
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