The Helicopter Spies

I completely agree that this is the best of the U.N.C.L.E. movies. I especially like the sequence when Napoleon Solo descends a rope ladder dangling from a helicopter onto a moving train to disconnect the freight car holding a rocket. It's actually two segments--Robert Vaughn hanging from a mock-up at the MGM studios and a stuntman (whose face is never seen) doing the actual stunts on a moving train in the Sierras. The sequence is so well photographed and edited that it's nigh-well impossible to tell that it was actually filmed in two different locations with two different actors. But my question is: how do U.N.C.L.E. fans rank the U.N.C.L.E. films? From best to worst?

1967's "The Helicopter Spies" marked the 7th of 8 feature compilations derived from the popular teleseries THE MAN FROM U. N. C. L. E., actually the show's most expensive two parter from the final season, "The Prince of Darkness Affair." Very much in the light hearted, globetrotting tradition of a typical James Bond effort, and boasting an impressive cast as well, villains like Bradford Dillman and John Dehner, comely femme fatales played by Carol Lynley, Lola Albright, and Julie London, and multiple roles as brothers for H. M. Wynant, reunited with John Carradine after SUGARFOOT ("Devil to Pay") and THE TWILIGHT ZONE ("The Howling Man"). A thermal prism that can fry any pinpointed target leads Napoleon Solo and Ilya Kuryakin from Africa to Greece to Teheran to Los Angeles, Bradford Dillman's Luther Sebastian acquiring the unit for eventual orbit around the earth to dictate terms for his organization, all blonde members of the Third-Way religious cult. Lola Albright is their high priestess Azalea, the most fervent believer that Carradine's Third-Way Priest will finally speak his first words in 20 years to assure their dominance across the globe. It's a sad waste of Carradine in a completely silent role, comically ready to speak at certain intervals only to lapse back into his coma, much to Dillman's disappointment. Dehner's exit at the midway point is another letdown, but Vaughn's blonde disguise lasts long enough for his hair dye to hold out. The last two episodes broadcast in January 1968 would form the basis for the final series feature, "How to Steal the World."

UNCLE enlist safe cracker Luther Sebastian to steal a thermal prison from Dr Karmusi in exchange for immunity from all his crimes. However he himself steals the weapon and plans to use it to allow his brothers in the Cult of the Third Way to rule the world. UNCLE agents Solo and Kuryakin pursue Sebastian, closely followed by Annie whose partner was framed by Sebastian for a crime he didn't commit.

After the mess of The Karate Killers this was a refreshing return to the spoof tradition of the UNCLE series. The plot is as ever, very unlikely and farfetched. But it's all done with a great deal of fun and doesn't take itself too seriously. The story is actually quite clever in some places, with a few nice twists to it but more than anything else, it is told with tongue in cheek throughout. This is much better than the Karate Killers which took itself far too seriously and lost all sense of fun.

This has a great sense of fun around it that comes from several places. Firstly both McCallum and Vaughn seem to be enjoying themselves again and bring a lot more energy to the film. Secondly the TV series influence is back - with the theme music back in place throughout. Thirdly the villains are back on top form, previously Hebert Lom was terrible playing it straight. Here Bradford Dillman plays Sebastian really camp and gets plenty of good lines and even his henchmen have some too. For example Sebastian saying "my wife doesn't understand me" or a henchman telling his mom "someday I'll take you away from here", "but I like it here" only to dejectedly say "I know, I know". Or Solo being praised for his good work only to told "you'll have to ride in the back of the truck with the others - I can't show favouritism".

This feeling of fun helps the film immensely and it's really enjoyable to watch. Other nice touches include the Cult's hideout having a service door and the old man who hasn't spoken for 20 years (played by a silent John Carradine!). The rest of the cast are all good. Vaughn and McCallum have equal roles by this stage and enjoy themselves in familiar roles. Dillman is fantastic as Sebastian - following Jack Palance's example of a good UNCLE villain. The women are a pretty non-descript bunch, all pretty blondes etc with no real characters. The best role/s of the film are taken by H.M. Wynant as the 4 circus brothers who help Annie hunt Sebastian down.

One of the best of the UNCLE series - the rule is keep it fun, don't try to be a serious spy movie. Oh - and have a camp bad guy! However why do the vast majority of UNCLE titles have to be meaningless? The film is called the helicopter spies because it opens with Solo and Kuryakin landing a helicopter in a village.

I'm in the middle of taping then watching the made-for-Europe splicings of 2 "The Man From U.N.C.L.E." episodes, topped and tailed with movie-type titles, which are regularly shown as a series on UK TV on some channel or other. Sadly it's the only way to see anything from the original series over here, so I guess I'll just be thankful for small mercies, as I grew up in my 60's household avidly watching Napoloeon & Illya taking on that particular week's would-be world-dominating master-villains, as well as utilising some high-tech gadgetry, canoodling with a bevy of mini-skirted lovelies and travelling to some far-flung destinations.

All of this happens, as per usual, in "The Helicopter Spies" - such lazy titling, always trying to get the word "spy" in there!. In fact here, we get two mini-Blofeld's chasing a thermal prism which activates a deadly heat ray when placed in orbit, more like a red-stripe ray if truth be told. It's a little difficult to apply cinematic criticism to what is basically two joined-up television programmes, but this one flows along entertainingly as a full-blown feature, although I doubt you'd pay money to watch it at your local picture-house.

The action here is more Robert Vaughn centred than on David McCallum (either works for me), who along the way is required to dye his hair whiter than Truman Capote, fend off the attentions of a bazillion women and escape (with Ilya's assistance) from a fiendish sand-trap, before foiling Mr Big 2 (Bradford Dillman's Sebastian character) and his plan to launch a rocket into space from a public building, in a plot development, it seems to me adapted and modified for later use in the succeeding James Bond movie "Diamonds are Forever", only that had oodles more budget to razzle-dazzle your eye. There are also entertaining stunts involving trains, 'copters, cars, you name it before our heroes eventually save the world in time, with a smattering of deadpan humour to season the action.

To their credit Messrs Vaughn and McCallum (with the redoubtable Leo G Carroll on hand as their greyer than grey boss Mr Waverley) play it as straight as they can and avoid campness wherever possible. I always liked Robert Vaughn's sub-Mitchum style of acting and he was undoubtedly one of the coolest operators in mid-60's TV land.

I have, I think three more of these features to watch and after this will look forward to the next with a little anticipation, always tinged with nostalgia for those long-gone days lying in front of our old black & white TV in the mid 1960's, waiting for that great Jerry Goldsmith theme tune to announce the arrival of my TV uncles.

Napoleon Solo and Illya Kuriyakin hire notorious safe cracker Luther Sebastian (Bradford Dillman) who helps them recover a Thermal Prism from a crazed scientist in Iran. However, Sebastian is the leader of a mystic cult called "The Third Way" who believe that they will inherit the Earth when their elderly leader (John Carradine) speaks for the first time in twenty years. Sebastian steals the weapon for himself along with a United States government rocket so that he can launch the prism into orbit and demand that the "Third Way" have control of the world. Solo and Kuriyakin race against time to prevent the megalomaniac Sebastian for fulfilling his evil designs.

THE HELICOPTER SPIES is the seventh big-screen spin off from the popular MAN FROM UNCLE spy series. It was compiled from a season four two-part episode called THE PRINCE OF DARKNESS AFFAIR. However, in the countries where it was released theatrically, the TV version wasn't transmitted thus making it a completely new story for the overseas market.

After the clumsy slapstick antics of THE KARATE KILLERS (see my review), THE HELICOPTER SPIES marked a welcome return to form with director Boris Sagal bringing a hard hitting approach to the nonsensical material. The pace is fast and entertaining and there are some fine action scenes including the theft of a rocket from a train involving some neat work with helicopters. Bradford Dillman makes a great villain while Robert Vaughn and David McCallam are their usual impressive selves as Napoleon Solo and Illya Kuriyakin. The only downside is that the low budget occasionally shows.