"The Man from U.N.C.L.E." The Her Master's Voice Affair (TV Episode 1966) Poster

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7/10
A Hypnotic Episode
gordonl5624 January 2015
Warning: Spoilers
THE MAN FROM U.N.C.L.E. – The Her Master's Voice Affair - 1966

This is the 60th 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 black and 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 UNCLE agents Robert Vaughn and David McCallum assigned to escort a scientist, Dale Ishimoto, home from the airport. Upon arrival, they discover Ishimoto's daughter, Victoria Young going through papers from her father's safe. There are also a couple of THRUSH types on the prowl. A fight breaks out between the boys from UNCLE and their THRUSH counterparts. The bad guys manage to escape.

Miss Young appears to be in a hypnotic trance. A slap to the chops pulls her back to reality. UNCLE of course smells a rat in the cheese cupboard. They decide that something is amiss at the all-girls school Miss Young attends on Long Island. Vaughn goes undercover as someone looking for a place to send a girl for some proper schooling. Agent McCallum gets to stay with Young and keep an eye on her.

It seems THRUSH is using the school to brainwash all the students. They then send the girls to gather info from their fathers, who are all wealthy industrialists or government types. The school is operated by Estelle Winwood with help from THRUSH boss, Joseph Ruskin. They have trained the girls to be triggered when a certain bit of music is played to them. The girls have no recollection of their actions.

To cut to the quick here, there is a wild chase through the school grounds with the girls under orders to kill Vaughn. It is only the timely arrival of McCallum and UNCLE boss, Leo G Carroll that saves the day.

Not bad.
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9/10
Illya Turns Teacher!
ShadeGrenade2 September 2009
Warning: Spoilers
When 'The Man From U.N.C.L.E.' premiered on U.S. television in the autumn of 1964, it was the only show of its kind on air. But the following year, imitators came out of the woodwork, many equally good ( 'I Spy', 'Mission: Impossible', and 'The Wild, Wild West' ).

Amidst the James Bond rivals to be found in the cinemas ( 'Harry Palmer', 'Boysie Oakes', 'Modesty Blaise' etc. ) were numerous spoofs, including 'Our Man Flint' and 'The Silencers' ( starring Dean Martin as 'Matt Helm' ). The novelty had worn off.

Amazingly, M.G.M.'s own promotional material for 'M.F.U.' started referring to it as a 'spoof'. This was reflected in the plots which became increasingly campy and absurd. To make matters worse, the spin-off 'The Girl From U.N.C.L.E.' also on at around this time was mostly dreadful.

Season 3 of 'M.F.U.' got off to a decent start, however, with this Berne Giler-penned episode. Solo and Kuryakin escort Dr.Matsu ( Dale Ishimoto ) home only to find his daughter, Miki ( Victoria Young ) has opened the safe in the study and is allowing a chauffeur to steal secrets. After a fight, the thief gets clean away.

Miki is a pupil at The Hester Partridge ( Estelle Winwood ) Academy on Long Island, which caters only to the rich and brilliantly gifted. While Illya acts as Miki's private tutor ( and has to ward off her amorous advances ), Solo strikes up a friendship with gym mistress Verity Burgoyne ( Marianne Osbourne ). Miss Partridge is brainwashing her girls into stealing secrets from their important parents...

The story is pretty straightforward by Season 3 standards, containing no hint of the horrors that were to follow. The girls lusting after a pith-helmet wearing Solo is a bit hard to take though. Estelle Winwood was a veteran British actress who, amongst other things, was the 'Hold Me, Touch Me' old lady in Mel Brooks' 'The Producers'. When Illya and Miki are watching television together, what should they be watching but 'The Girl From U.N.C.L.E.'?

Great climax has Solo trying to escape from the Academy, with the hypnotised girls trying to kill him using archery amongst other things. When they recover they are shocked to find themselves in the pool with him, fully clothed. The story concludes with Illya taking Miki on a date! Don't think they'd show that happening now...
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