How to Steal the World

As a kid I absolutely loved The Man From UNCLE. That being said this "movie" is horrible. It was cobbled together from the last two episodes of the series that were not shown on TV. It's apparent that everyone involved were aware that the series had been cancelled because no one was really trying. Not the writers, director or actors. Stuff just didn't make sense. Napoleon and Ilya walk into an obvious trap and are surprised when they are captured. For no apparent reason the members of the evil cabal are wearing monks robes. The traitorous general carries a riding crop. Really, a riding crop? What an ignominious end to a once entertaining series.

Every long-running television series has an episode (sometimes several) that got red-lighted after the first rough edit and never broadcast. "The Seven Wonders of the World Affair" a/k/a "How to Steal the World" (1968) started out as "The Man from U.N.C.L.E." episode with this dubious honor. Unfortunately the footage was placed in storage rather than destroyed; then once the series had been notified of its cancellation (in the middle of its fourth season) and could not be hurt by such a bad episode; the original footage was resurrected, reassembled, expanded, and broadcast.

And since the ill-conceived episode was not needed as a tax write-off, the producers decided to expand it into feature length and give it a theatrical release overseas. They had already enjoyed success with the technique, releasing all the two-part episodes in a similar manner (although unlike this one these others had been originally intended to be double the one-hour running time). In any case the dusted off version ran for two weeks in late 1967 on US television; as the last two episodes of the series. This allowed the series to go out with a whimper; few cared at the time because the counterculture revolution ("Bonnie and Clyde" – "The Graduate" – etc.) had made the spy premise pretty much irrelevant.

"The Seven Wonders of the World Affair" feels more like a "Star Trek" episode or even "Logan's Run" than anything to do with U.N.C.L.E. They were building the new terminal at LAX at the time and were able to shoot most of the original footage at the building site. It probably looked futuristic in 1966-67, but looks extremely lame today (and probably looked moronic by 1968 when people would have recognized it as the new airport). The el-cheapo production design is not helped by the use of really ill-matched stock footage; some so scratched that it is quite laughable.

The episode inexplicably lacks what had been the two main strengths of the series; the banter between Robert Vaughn and David McCallum, and the casting of many of Hollywood's hottest young starlets in substantial supporting roles.

The premise is the standard idealistic scientist (Barry Sullivan) whose discovery (a gas that makes people peaceful and less aggressive) is about to be misused by evil people. In this case T.H.R.U.S.H. The only thing to watch for is late 1940's-early 50's film star Eleanor Parker, who plays Sullivan's wife, who just happens to be in league with T.H.R.U.S.H. Parker is extremely talented and somehow manages to breathe a bit of life into the lame script. And she has one cool scene where her head is pressed against the top of a glass table; the camera shoots her face from below-distorted by the glass.

Then again, what do I know? I'm only a child.

I have mixed feelings about this movie/episode. I like certain parts because of camera angles or music or dialogue. But at times Solo and Illya seem like background characters, even at their own intended execution. They are passive, and have no dialogue then. I get the impression that the movie is more about the guest stars than the series stars.

The handheld camera work can be annoying at times. It makes scenes look rushed, as if they didn't have time to do it properly.

The music is memorable but some scenes repeat it to the point of distraction.

Leslie Nielsen is quite good as the general. You'd never know he would later make his mark as a comedy actor.

Solo and Kuryakin follow a dangerous trail searching for the answer to a baffling mystery that begins with the disappearance of a key U. N. C. L. E. Agent. In Hong Kong they seek a clue from his wife and are soon caught between two enemy camps - each a threat to the future of the world ... The battle of wits between the menfromU. N. C. L. E. And THRUSH continues in the high Himalayas.

The U. N. C. L. E. Feature films are made out from episodes, and they all flow well and don't look out of place, however, How to Steal the world, looks disjointed, lacks plot clarity, the pace plods, but most of all lacks the sense of fun and humour that gave the films/series its charm. It's the weakest U. N. C. L. E. Film, though Eleanor Parker and Barry Sullivan ( has some intelligent dialogue) prep up the proceedings to a degree, and Robert Vaughn and David McCallum are at their heroic best, though they're lacking the quips, the interplay. Still, it's just about watchable with a thought-provoking idea and some good action at the end.

I was a die hard U. N. C. L. E fan back in the 60s. Because of Illya I studied Russian for five years and applied to the F. B. I., the closest I figured I could get to U. N. C. L. E.. Yes, the series veered off into "campiness" which was silly fun but at the heart of it was the friendship between Napolean and Illya, the wise guidance of Mr. Waverly, and the concept of good winning out over evil. How to Steal the World, cobbled together from the final two episodes of the series, was a travesty. No fun, no suspense, and a confusing story line that is being delivered by actors who clearly don't care. The sets were horrible, the dialogue horrible, the wardrobe horrible (Illya in a leather bomber jacket?? Really??), what were the producers at the time thinking? Don't sully your fond memories of the tv show, avoid this movie even though TCM thought it worthy.