The Spy in the Green Hat

Others here have covered the storyline most adequately, I'm just going to pose a question about 'The Spy in the Green Hat'! In a 1967 Australian movie magazine, which has a 2 page spread on this film, it states that unlike the other U.N.C.L.E. films, this one was made specifically for a theatrical release, therefore had a bigger budget than usual ,and may also account for it being a bit more 'risque' than the others? If this is so, was it filmed in widescreen? Although the IMDb states the films were in 1.85 aspect, this is clearly not so for the ones made up from 2 part television episodes, and the five that have been put out on DVD, are only in 4.3 aspect! If this film was indeed made for a cinema release, could it be the only U.N.C.L.E. film actually filmed in widescreen? Guess we wont know until they see fit to release it on DVD? Perhaps the mooted big screen remake of 'The Man From U.N.C.L.E.' starring George Clooney, will renew interest in the originals? Here's hoping!

I'm a huge fan of "The Man From U.N.C.L.E.", both the classic TV-show and the movies. None of the U.N.C.L.E. movies are bad, but there's a couple of them which could have been a lot better. For example the last movie "How to Steal the World (1968)" which was basically just a couple of TV-episodes thrown together. It was terribly unfunny and the Robert Vaughn and David McCallum just seem embarrassed to be there. Then there's "Karate Killers, The (1967)" which was one of the funniest but with a very weak plot, it seemed as though they came up with a plot in five minutes which was merely content with laughable scenes and quirky situations.

"Spy in the Green Hat, The (1966)" on the other hand, is both exciting AND funny. Especially the scene where Napoleon Solo (Robert Vaughn) hides from THRUSH agents under a young woman's (the incredibly cute Letícia Román) bed and is caught by the woman's grandmother (Penny Santon), who is forcing Solo to marry the young woman. He successfully escapes, but is hunted by a legion of stereotyped Italian gangsters. Now that's comedy.

All the actors, including among others Janet Leigh and Jack Palance, give wonderful perfomances. Particularly Palance who probably is the only actor in the movie business who can overact in a good way.

The 60's in a nutshell, don't miss it for the world.

Anything to get the word "spy" into the title! Actually I think this was the only "U.N.C.L.E." "movie" I'd not seen so it was a welcome watch for me.

A fine colourful romp it was too, taking in the two main locations for 20th Century criminal activity in the western world, Sicily and Chicago and a fun plot involving an ex-Nazi inventor, a group of veteran Mafiosi and best of all, Hollywood stars Jack Palance and Janet Leigh who really enter into the spirit of things as top T.H.R.U.S.H. operatives.

Solo and Kuryakin are as debonair and efficient (respectively) as ever, while Mr Waverley as ever is a soft-centred grouch. Starting off in sunny Sicily, the dynamic duo get separated when attempting to intercept the Nazi professor, Solo, typically ending up in a pretty Sicilian girl's bedroom and Kuryakin chained up and on the end of shock treatment administered by Leigh in a Rosa Klebb type role. The action shifts to the States taking in a shoot-out at a Chicago night-club, before the usual beat-the-clock climax at bad guy Palance's weapons depot.

As ever, it's lightweight, knockabout stuff, although there are hints of some more risqué direction than usual not only in some unusual camera-shots from above and below, but in the campy, kinky depiction of Leigh's knife-toting Miss Diketon (what's in a name?) and Palance's campy, excitable boss Strago, while some scenes, like Solo's peeping-Tom initial meet-up with Letitia Roman in her bedroom, Leigh seemingly getting aroused when either massaging Palance or administering death by flying daggers and most outré of all, a table-top fight between the two women seem more out there than previously, perhaps riffing of recent, racy spoofs like "Our Man Flint" and Dean Martin's Matt Helm misadventures.

With some good jokes thrown in too if at other times a bit too much Italian stereotyping, this was a highly entertaining caper and probably the best of the five movies adapted from the original TV series.

Hunted nazi scientist Dr Kronen (Ludwig Donath) is recruited by THRUSH agent Louis Strago (Jack Pallance) to put a mastermind scheme into place. They plan to use heavy water to divert the Gulf stream causing Greenland to become a tropical paradise under THRUSH control while other areas fall into colder climates. UNCLE agents Napoleon Solo (Robert Vaughn) and Illya Kuryakin (David McCallum) are dispatched to stop the plot.

This is the best of all the UNCLE 'films'. It simply has the best plot, the best comedy, the best performances and the most professional feel to it. The plot is silly as all spy movie plots are, but this does have a slight believability to it, and any nonsense is cancelled out by the other great elements. The story is strong because it mixes spoof with action and a gentle sense of fun and comedy. The main story is good, but it is mixed in with a subplot where Solo is forced to marry an Italian girl after he is "indiscreet" and is pursued by her aged uncles, once prohibition gang leaders. This adds to the plot and actually mixes with the main plot as both mobsters and THRUSH hunt Solo for different reasons!

The whole film does have a very movie feel to it where the others mainly did feel like they were only 2 episodes of the TV show stuck together (which in fairness they were). But this uses a lot of locations and even when studio-bound has a higher production value than usual. However the performances are what makes this the best UNCLE.

Vaughn and McCallum fall comfortably into their well worn role, Vaughn gets the girls and most of the comedy, while McCallum gets the action. However here they are as good as they got, both come across as totally comfortable and are obviously enjoying themselves. Also where early movies sidelined McCallum as a sort of "Robin" to Vaughn's Batman, by this stage they have developed into partners and have almost equal status. Leticia Roman is feisty as the Italian girl who Solo dishonours and her mobster Uncles are the funniest thing in the film. Unfortunately they're all very much Italian stereotypes and Roman does get a bit irritating with all her "mama mia" and "si"ing.

The best 2 performances come from the bad guys, both big name actors. Jack Pallance is great as Strago and plays him as a frustrated middle-manager in a small bank chain. He is all frustration as he tries to stay calm and play everything within the rules of business. I can't describe it very well but he's very good throughout. The standout role is Janet Leigh as Miss Diketon, Strago's secretary. Diketon is not quite as suggestive as some Bond girl names but it still a bit risqué. Leigh plays the role with an incredible amount of sexuality. She takes a sexual thrill in killing and pain, using a knife strapped high up her thigh. It is quite amazing that her S&M killer got through the 1960 censors, she really is very sexy and erotic as she shivers with sexual excitement. In fact the whole film has a vein of sexuality running through it that is greater than previous outings.

Leigh's S&M fanatic is only one blatant thing in it. The film also contains a short sweaty cat fight between Leigh and Roman which is a quite thinly veiled bit of teasing lesbianism. The most amazing bit is where Roman is undressing in her bedroom in Sicily and we watch from the traditional bad view. However not once, but twice doe we see a side view of breast and a very clear nipple. In previous UNCLE movies they've used the back shot as a teasing bit of sexuality but here I couldn't believe that the censors had let 2 separate nipple shots go uncut. I'm not saying that these made the film any better but it's just funny to see how much really heavy sexuality is in this film compared to the other UNCLE movies (not to mention other TV/films of the same period). If you watch this film to get a glance of nipple then you're very sad - you should watch it for the whole film instead.

Overall the best of the UNCLE series for so many reasons, but made all the better by sterling performances by Pallance and Leigh.

The Spy In The Green Hat was the first UNCLE film that was only released in the overseas market. The previous four outings had been released theatrically in America, but US audiences weren't prepared to pay to see in the cinema what they had already seen on television. The Spy In The Green Hat was made up from the season three two-parter "The Concrete Overcoat Affair", (episode 1: 25/11/1966), (episode 2: 2/12/1966). These were not transmitted in the countries where the film version was released so there it would be a completely new story. This was the case for most of the other UNCLE films.

Napoleon Solo and Illya Kuriyakin fail to capture Dr Von Kronen the world's most wanted Nazi criminal who joins forces with THRUSH agent Louis Strago (Jack Palance) in order to develop of series of missiles to divert the gulf stream thus altering the world's weather patterns and giving THRUSH what it always wanted - control of the world!

Out of the eight films released to cash in on the success of the TV series, The Spy In The Green Hat is probably one of the best. The supporting cast is good with Jack Palance on fanatical form as meglomaniac Louis Strago, Janet Leigh as his psychotic secretary and Eduardo Cianelli, Allen Jenkins and Jack La Rue are fun as the aging 1930's Italian gangsters who are pursuing Solo in order to force him to marry their young niece after he spent the night in her room hiding from Strago's henchmen. Robert Vaughn and David McCallam are their usual irreplacable selves and not forgetting the always reliable Leo G Carroll as UNCLE chief Mr Waverley.

The American TV version has been released on VHS in the UK but has long since been deleted. We can only hope for a DVD release in the future.