The Karate Killers (1967)

U.N.C.L.E. agents Napoleon Solo and Illya Kuryakin battle T.H.R.U.S.H. spies to seize Dr. True's secret chemical formula used in extracting gold from sea water.

Director:

Barry Shear

Writers:

Norman Hudis (screenplay), Boris Ingster (story)

Stars:

Robert Vaughn, David McCallum, Joan Crawford

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Robert Vaughn	...	Napoleon Solo (archive footage)
David McCallum	...	Illya Kuryakin (archive footage)
Joan Crawford	...	Amanda True (archive footage)
Curd Jürgens	...	Carl Von Kesser (archive footage) (as Curt Jurgens)
Herbert Lom	...	Randolph (archive footage)
Telly Savalas	...	Count Valeriano De Fanzini (archive footage)
Terry-Thomas	...	Constable (archive footage)
Leo G. Carroll	...	Alexander Waverly (archive footage)
Kim Darby	...	Sandy True (archive footage)
Diane McBain	...	Contessa Margo De Fanzini (archive footage)
Jill Ireland	...	Imogen Smythe (archive footage)
Danielle De Metz	...	Yvonne (archive footage)
Irene Tsu	...	Reikko (archive footage)
Jim Boles	...	Dr. Simon True (archive footage)
Philip Ahn	...	Sazami Kyushu (archive footage)

Storyline

U.N.C.L.E. agents Napoleon Solo and Illya Kuryakin travel around the globe in an effort to track down a secret formula that was divided into four parts and left by a dying scientist with his four daughters, all of whom live in different countries. Evil THRUSH agent Randolph also wants the formula, and is aided by his karate-chopping henchmen.

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Plot Keywords:

1960s | psychotronic film | camp | man tied up | woman tied up | 

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Taglines:

A new U.N.C.L.E. thriller !

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Genres:

Comedy | Crime | Thriller | Action | Adventure

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Certificate:

Approved

Did You Know?

Trivia

The film was previously seen on NBC@10:00 p.m. (EST), Friday, March 31 and Friday, April 7, 1966 as the 87th & 88th episodes of "Man from U.N.C.L.E., The" (1964), "The Five Daughters Affair" (Parts 1 and 2).

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Goofs

Due to the difference in lighting and film stock, during the fight in the snow (shot on a soundstage) the shadows on the "snow" are a slightly reddish grey/black. In shots taken outside in normal daylight, they are blue/black.

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Quotes

Yvonne: I don't have a thing to wear.

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Connections

Spun-off from The Man from U.N.C.L.E. (1964)

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Soundtracks

Come On Down To My Boat
Written by Wes Farrell and Jerry Goldstein (uncredited)
Performed by Every Mother's Son
[Played by the band in the bar]

User Reviews

Lacks the sense of fun that made UNCLE great

When a leading scientist develops a formula for extracting gold from sea water he breaks his hides his formula and sends clues out to 4 of his 5 daughters. When he is killed by THRUSH, UNCLE agents Solo and Kuryakin join with the 5th daughter to retrieve the clues and find the formula before THRUSH can use the formula for their own evil ends.

This is another in the series of UNCLE TV movies used for the European market but it is one of the first to be a serious miss in terms of the UNCLE series. While others played themselves with their tongues in their cheek this takes itself a little too seriously. The first sign of this is that it drops the UNCLE opening theme in favour of a very 1960's "groovy" number by Every Mother's Son and then it starts to load itself up with star cameos. In fact the whole thing lacks the gently mocking humour of the other outings and puts itself forward as a "proper" spy movie.

This is a major failing as the action and story are not good enough to carry the film. The story is quite clever but the execution is poor. The story is basically in 5 bits - 4 sections dealing with each of the 4 daughters and the last being the final confrontation. The problem with this is that there is no real continuity and it feels piecemeal. Each chapter has a star - Terry Thomas, Telly Savalas, Joan Crawford, Herbert Lom - but this makes each section more about the cameos than about getting the formula. In fact in each section the formula usually easily falls into the hands of the 5th daughter by accident.

Both Vaughn and McCallum are OK in their roles but it is obvious that they aren't having as much fun as before. All the cameos are poor because they don't really have any time to do anything interesting and instead just play stereotypes (English copper, Italian count etc). Lom is a terrible villain - all he does in each section is turn up and spark off a fight. When he does get more of a chance to show his character he is exactly like Dr Evil - if fact I thought that Lom was a few steps from being a totally spoof villain despite trying to be menacing and sinister.

This lacks the sense of fun that other outings have had. It takes itself too seriously and immediately loses the one quality that made it good. Check out "the spy in the green hat" if you don't know what I mean - now that's an example of a tongue in cheek UNCLE movie with some stars as villains who give good performances.

Details

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

7 April 1967 (USA)

Also Known As:

The Five Daughters Affair

Filming Locations:

Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Studios - 10202 W. Washington Blvd., Culver City, California, USA

Company Credits

Production Co:

Arena Productions, Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer (MGM)

Technical Specs

Runtime:

89 min

Sound Mix:

Mono Mono (Westrex Recording System)

Color:

Color (Metrocolor)

Aspect Ratio:

1.33 : 1