Ein Spion zuviel

The first theatrical spinoff from "The Man From U.N.C.L.E." to come from two RELATED episodes ("To Trap A Spy" was "The Vulcan Affair" + extra footage, and "The Spy With My Face" was "The Double Affair" + extra footage*, but this movie was first shown on American TV as the show's two-parter "The Alexander The Greater Affair"), "One Spy Too Many" has Solo and Kuryakin go up against evil millionaire industrialist (aren't they all?) Alexander, who as part of his plan to take over the world by breaking all of the Ten Commandments has stolen a will gas, which our heroes have to get back.

This is often and misleadingly called a spoof by people who can't understand the difference between an espionage show with a sense of humour (which "The Man From U.N.C.L.E." was in the beginning) and an out-and-out comedy (which is what it became in its third year, giving the show a very misguided "Batman" feel - I defy anybody to watch Solo dancing with a man in a gorilla suit in "The My Friend The Gorilla Affair" without screaming). Though it's pretty tongue-in-cheek, the danger our heroes are in is real more often than not; it does betray its TV roots more than any of the other "movies," with several of the show's trademark going-out-of-focus-at-the-end-of-an-act shots preserved, an all-too-obvious "To be continued" moment and at least one really bad use of stock footage.

But with Messrs. Vaughn and McCallum in fine fettle, and Rip Torn having a high old time as the evil madman (and he wasn't even Larry Sanders' producer then), this is as entertaining today as it must have been when it debuted on TV nearly forty years ago. Would I be lynched if I said I actually like these more than Bond?

*Said extra footage was eventually turned into "The Four Steps Affair." That episode has never been shown on British TV, and indeed neither have most of the other episodes that became movies - except for "The Five Daughters Affair" (i.e. "The Karate Killers"), shown in its original two-part format on the UK answer to TV Land, Granada Plus.

The series Man From Uncle ran from 1964 through 1968. this film, also with Robert Vaughn, came out in 1966. "directed" by joe sargent, who had done a lot of television, including.. Man from Uncle. and the first Taking of Pelham 1,2,3. it's kind of like a long episode of Get Smart. or Man from Uncle, which it is! some spy tricks and gadgets. when the opposition steals a secret nerve gas, it's up to Solo to track them down. It's actually footage from the original tv show, stapled together with added material by Yvonne Craig (Batgirl!) they are invited to a party hosted by Alexander (Rip Torn). a fun outdoor chess game, using live people. and then we're off to explore a tomb, with a whole lot of trick photography. it kind of goes on and on. like a usual spy flick, the good guys and bad guys take turns winning the battles. it's okay. just okay. two demerits for mostly reusing television footage. watch the Taking of Pelham 1,2,3. That one is really quite good.

This is the best 'Man From U.N.C.L.E.' film combining humour, action and adventure.

The grittiness of "To Trap A Spy" had gone as the series settled down to be a smooth tongue-in-cheek weekly action adventure. Illya was now Napoleon's fully fledged partner and gets his own good scenes, and there are bonuses with Rip Torn as the megalomaniacal villain 'Alexander The Greater', Dorothy Provine as his dippy blonde former wife who has her own reasons for pursuing him, David Sheiner is alternately scary and funny as a henchman, Yvonne Craig as Napoleon's contact at Channel D and there are some memorable set pieces like the human chess game, the giant blade swinging over its victims, Napoleon's fight with Ingo in the gym, a mummified David McCallum and more. (One of the things I always liked about these films is the way that coloured gas suddenly emits from everyday objects and knocks out anyone who breathes it in.)

Here's what I wrote about it in my book "What We Watched In The 1960s (In The Cinema)" when it arrived in Glasgow during week commencing 6th February 1966.

1966 would be the year when the spy craze peaked. Audiences were turning out in their droves for spies in all shapes and sizes, and on Thursday evenings 'The Man From UNCLE' was a Top 10 rated show, which had already provided two successful spin-off films using existing episodes with additional material that may have been too strong for American TV, but the two-part episode - 'The Alexander The Greater Affair' - which kicked off season two in the USA, was released in Britain as "One Spy Too Many", with no additional material, and very good it was too. Napoleon Solo and Illya Kuryeakin were after Rip Torn as a modern day Alexander The Great who wants to take over the world and break each of the commandments on his way. His ex-wife Dorothy Provine hinders them as they go all over Europe and the US, which always manages to look like the MGM back lot. The support feature was a made-for-US-TV movie, "Your Cheatin' Heart", which told the story of country singer Hank Williams, ably played by George Hamilton with Williams' son providing the vocals. It was an excellent double-bill at both the ABC Regal and Green's Bedford.

Trivia: In early 1966 this film outperformed the new Bond film "Thunderball". Director Joseph Sargent went on to helm "The Taking Of Pelham 1 2 3" in the 1970s.

Jim Doyle is the author of 'What We Watched In The 1960s (In The Cinema)', 'What We Watched In The 1970s (In The Cinema)" and 'What We Watched In The 1980s (In The Cinema And On Video)'

'One spy too many' is two episodes of the Man from UNCLE TV show put together to create a film length version. Alexander (Rip Torn) is breaking each of the ten commandments as he carries out his master plan towards world dominance. When he steals a chemical weapon from a military base, leaving a number 8 behind, UNCLE agents Napoleon Solo (Vaughn) and Illya Kuryakin (McCallum) join forces with Alexander's estranged wife (Dorothy Provine) to stop his plan before it's too late.

Like most UNCLE films this is has TV-show production values and is generally not meant to be taken too seriously. Having said that the plot is not that ridiculous compared to some of the spy spoofs' other storylines, and Rip Torn makes for a good villain. The story manages to be fun without being too silly. However the idea of a drug that makes you calm and peaceful will probably not seem too farfetched for many of us!

Vaughn has the most fun as ladies man Solo and gets the lead role of the two agents. McCallum always seemed strangely sidelined and here is no different. He doesn't get any girls, any laughs and doesn't get that many fights either. However the two do manage to have a type of disapproving chemistry between them. Provine is a bit annoying as Tracy Alexander and is not a great female lead. Other minor female characters aren't key to the story but do provide a flirtatious sexy feel to the film especially the beautiful 'Control' (Yvonne Craig who also played Batgirl!) and Princess Nicole (Donna Michelle who played another role is the earlier UNCLE film "The spy with my face"). They both provide tasteful sexiness that feels at home in a 1960's film.

Rip Torn is almost unrecognisably young as the lead villain and plays him well - with an air of uncaring evil as he calmly goes about his businesses. There are actually no really bad performances in this film! Also, having been left out in "The spy with my face" that old friend makes a reappearance - the UNCLE theme tune! It now feels more like an UNCLE movie.

It's all a bit of fun, but it manages to have good performances, a reasonable plot and some dated action in order to make itself a fun, Saturday afternoon family film. Any fan of the TV series should be a fan of this.

It's 2 TV episodes spliced together so why am I even bothering to review it?