THE MAN FROM U.N.C.L.E. – The Finny Foot Affair - 1964
This is the tenth episode of 1964 to 1968 spy series, THE MAN FROM U.N.C.L.E. The series ran for a total of 105 episodes. The first season was filmed in B/W with the remainder shot in colour. Robert Vaughn plays agent Napoleon Solo while David McCallum plays Illya Kuryakin. Leo G Carroll plays Mister Waverly, the boss of the secret agency known as U.N.C.L.E. (United Network Command for Law & Enforcement) Their main enemy is THRUSH, an organization out to take over the planet.
This one has Vaughn and McCallum flying by copter out to an island off the coast of Scotland. They land at the island's only village. They exit the machine and are dressed in airtight contamination suits. They search the village and find several hundred dead people littering the place. They also find a crate addressed to the government saying to be careful of the contents. The agents load up the crate and prepare to leave, but not before setting the village and the corpses on fire.
While this is going on, across the sea in Norway, a Japanese General is sending people to shoot down the UNCLE helicopter. McCallum is wounded in the attack but they manage to fly on to London. The crate is opened and inside they find a dead seal. An examination of the animal suggests that it died of old age. But the seal could not have been older than a year or two.
There was a note with the crate the seal had been in. The doctor on the island says that some dead seals had washed up on the shore. Several days later all the villagers started ageing at a rapid rate. The man figures that the seals must have been infected with something toxic. The seal is traced back to a type of seal that lives off Norway. Vaughn is sent to have a look at what could have caused the deaths.
Now we find out that the Japanese had a secret lab in Norway during WW2. The lab had been producing nerve agents etc to use on the Allies. The war had ended before they could be used. They were walled up in a cave and forgotten about. That is till General Yokura, (Leonard Strong) came looking for the stuff.
Vaughn is soon dodging a variety of Strong's henchmen as he follows the clues. Helping him in his quest is a 13 year old Kurt Russell. Russell, visiting Europe to see his grandparents, met Vaughn on the plane. Vaughn is forced into protecting the lad after Strong and his crew come a calling.
The two are soon captured and Vaughn is given a round of third degree. The pair then pull an escape, and are soon leading the villains on a merry chase through the Norwegian countryside. After a few close calls, Vaughn and Russell discover the cave where the nerve toxin was hidden. It seems that the steel drum containing the drum had rusted out and leaked into the sea. The seals had ingested some sardines that swan in the toxin and so on. The danger is now past because it is now diluted past the toxic point.
There is a final shootout in the cave with Strong and his crew biting the big one. Vaughn them flies the boy back to New York and his mother.
This is an enjoyable, if rather silly romp of an episode. Beside Russell, the guest stars include, Tura Satana. Satana is well known to fans of director Russ Meyer's "Faster, Pussycat! Kill! Kill!" Also putting in an appearance is Bill Hickman. Hickman, a bit player and world class stunt driver, is famous for his work as the driver of the Dodge Charger, Steve McQueen chases in the 60's classic, "Bullitt" (which also had Vaughn in the cast)
This is the tenth episode of 1964 to 1968 spy series, THE MAN FROM U.N.C.L.E. The series ran for a total of 105 episodes. The first season was filmed in B/W with the remainder shot in colour. Robert Vaughn plays agent Napoleon Solo while David McCallum plays Illya Kuryakin. Leo G Carroll plays Mister Waverly, the boss of the secret agency known as U.N.C.L.E. (United Network Command for Law & Enforcement) Their main enemy is THRUSH, an organization out to take over the planet.
This one has Vaughn and McCallum flying by copter out to an island off the coast of Scotland. They land at the island's only village. They exit the machine and are dressed in airtight contamination suits. They search the village and find several hundred dead people littering the place. They also find a crate addressed to the government saying to be careful of the contents. The agents load up the crate and prepare to leave, but not before setting the village and the corpses on fire.
While this is going on, across the sea in Norway, a Japanese General is sending people to shoot down the UNCLE helicopter. McCallum is wounded in the attack but they manage to fly on to London. The crate is opened and inside they find a dead seal. An examination of the animal suggests that it died of old age. But the seal could not have been older than a year or two.
There was a note with the crate the seal had been in. The doctor on the island says that some dead seals had washed up on the shore. Several days later all the villagers started ageing at a rapid rate. The man figures that the seals must have been infected with something toxic. The seal is traced back to a type of seal that lives off Norway. Vaughn is sent to have a look at what could have caused the deaths.
Now we find out that the Japanese had a secret lab in Norway during WW2. The lab had been producing nerve agents etc to use on the Allies. The war had ended before they could be used. They were walled up in a cave and forgotten about. That is till General Yokura, (Leonard Strong) came looking for the stuff.
Vaughn is soon dodging a variety of Strong's henchmen as he follows the clues. Helping him in his quest is a 13 year old Kurt Russell. Russell, visiting Europe to see his grandparents, met Vaughn on the plane. Vaughn is forced into protecting the lad after Strong and his crew come a calling.
The two are soon captured and Vaughn is given a round of third degree. The pair then pull an escape, and are soon leading the villains on a merry chase through the Norwegian countryside. After a few close calls, Vaughn and Russell discover the cave where the nerve toxin was hidden. It seems that the steel drum containing the drum had rusted out and leaked into the sea. The seals had ingested some sardines that swan in the toxin and so on. The danger is now past because it is now diluted past the toxic point.
There is a final shootout in the cave with Strong and his crew biting the big one. Vaughn them flies the boy back to New York and his mother.
This is an enjoyable, if rather silly romp of an episode. Beside Russell, the guest stars include, Tura Satana. Satana is well known to fans of director Russ Meyer's "Faster, Pussycat! Kill! Kill!" Also putting in an appearance is Bill Hickman. Hickman, a bit player and world class stunt driver, is famous for his work as the driver of the Dodge Charger, Steve McQueen chases in the 60's classic, "Bullitt" (which also had Vaughn in the cast)
