139 replies to this topic

[minder125]

I received a screener promo DVD for the set. WOW is all I can say. It included the original color pilot under the title Solo. Also included was the Never Never Affair. The extras on the disc were a 30 minute history of the show. Going over exactly how much of Fleming work made it into the show. The reason they changed the title from solo to The Man From UNCLE quick answer Goldfinger. Also on the disc was a who's who of the guest start in season 1. Finally an interview with the two stars together. The menus as a very retro vibe. I know at some point they will release them as separate seasons much later in 08.

I'd love to get my self a copy but the price tag is a bit daunting since I really just want seasons 1 and 2.

[TheSaint]

Heitland apparently got burned in the Anchor Bay mess. Over the years, Heitland had done video recordings of interviews with various UNCLE crew members. One was with writer Alan Caillou, who wrote some of the most important first-season shows and who died in 2006. Heitland apparently (and I say apparently because he's been quiet about all this) licensed his video material for the Anchor Bay release. None of that material is in the Time/Life DVD set.

Sorry to hear that. I wonder if it will be possible for him to release that in some form so that fans can enjoy it?

[Napoleon Solo]

Sorry to hear that. I wonder if it will be possible for him to release that in some form so that fans can enjoy it?

Heitland is in the process of revamping his web site (which, to date, has been just to sell his book). It appears it will have the capacity to put videos online, so perhaps some of the video material may end up there. He hasn't said, so that's speculation on my part. The URL of his new site is:

http://www.manfromuncle.net

The Alan Caillou interview would definitely be interesting to view. Caillou's scripts very much helped develop the Illya Kuryakin character. So hearing what the writer has to say (especially since he's no longer with us), might be quite revealing.

[Turn]

I've been checking out my set the last couple of days, mostly from my favorite era, season two. Looked at a few of the special features I am also enjoying.

What does everybody else think of the set so far?

[Napoleon Solo]

I've been checking out my set the last couple of days, mostly from my favorite era, season two. Looked at a few of the special features I am also enjoying.

What does everybody else think of the set so far?

Based on the promo disk I received, I think it should be good. I haven't gotten the full set yet because T/L forgot to send it. I was one of the Webmasters who cooperated (signed a release so that images from my site could be used). The other Webmasters got theirs, I never received mine. I called about it and was told on Dec. 17 it would arrive "in several days."

[Turn]

I've been checking out my set the last couple of days, mostly from my favorite era, season two. Looked at a few of the special features I am also enjoying.

What does everybody else think of the set so far?

Based on the promo disk I received, I think it should be good. I haven't gotten the full set yet because T/L forgot to send it. I was one of the Webmasters who cooperated (signed a release so that images from my site could be used). The other Webmasters got theirs, I never received mine. I called about it and was told on Dec. 17 it would arrive "in several days."

That sucks to hear, especially considering I used the code from your site to order my set.

I hope to delve even further into these over the next five or so days. I saw a little on Christmas day and the day after, have been back to work the past couple days and have the next five days off. I haven't even gotten to my other new DVDS including Mission Impossible season 3, Help and the Stanley Kubrick Collection.

[Napoleon Solo]

<<<<That sucks to hear, especially considering I used the code from your site to order my set>>>

Thanks. I talked on the phone today (Dec. 31) with T/L and said this time they really, really have sent me my set. We'll see.

[Napoleon Solo]

<<<<That sucks to hear, especially considering I used the code from your site to order my set>>>

Thanks. I talked on the phone today (Dec. 31) with T/L and said this time they really, really have sent me my set. We'll see.

The DVDs did arrive. I figure since I registered enough complaints here that I should note that T/L finally did come through. I was hesitant to complain, but when it was clear that all the other webmasters who are part of the marketing plan got their sets, it was annoying.

[Turn]

<<<<That sucks to hear, especially considering I used the code from your site to order my set>>>

Thanks. I talked on the phone today (Dec. 31) with T/L and said this time they really, really have sent me my set. We'll see.

The DVDs did arrive. I figure since I registered enough complaints here that I should note that T/L finally did come through. I was hesitant to complain, but when it was clear that all the other webmasters who are part of the marketing plan got their sets, it was annoying.

Good to see you got these, although sadly after the holidays.

I watched my first full episode Wednesday -- The Bat Cave Affair. I was in a Martin Landau mood after having watched Mission Impossible episodes. The episode looked good for the most part, but I did detect a fair number of speckles on the print.

I look forward to hearing your thoughts on the set.

[Napoleon Solo]

Good to see you got these, although sadly after the holidays.

I watched my first full episode Wednesday -- The Bat Cave Affair. I was in a Martin Landau mood after having watched Mission Impossible episodes. The episode looked good for the most part, but I did detect a fair number of speckles on the print.

I look forward to hearing your thoughts on the set.

So far, I've been favorably impressed. I've sampled seasons 2 and 4, mostly to enter crew (and some acting) credits in IMDB. The only episode I've watched all the way through so far is The Re-Collectors Affair from season 2, which has a lot of season 1 feel to it. No Thrush (which was in only about half the season 1 stories), no overly fantastic McGuffin (the agents are after fugitive Nazis and stolen art treasures), Solo and Kuryakin are pro-active (they place an ad to smoke out their adversaries) and lots of interesting "bits of business" for the characters.

I have also checked out some of the extras. Particularly interesting for me was an interview with Dean Hargrove, one of the best writers of the show who later became a prolific television producer. Hargrove was to UNCLE what Richard Maibaum was to the Eon 007 series: he could often devise great set pieces (his first script features a shootout in a movie theater) and just enough humor without going overboard. His insights are interesting. Among the things he discusses is how he and fourth season producer Anthony Spinner had disagreements about the two-parter Hargrove wrote that season. While Hargrove says the disputes were not severe, it sounds like they definitely had their differences. He describes Spinner as coming from "the Quinn Martin school of melodrama."

The one extra I have trouble watching is the one about the fans, for reasons I'd rather not go into here.

Edited by Napoleon Solo, 05 January 2008 - 04:32 PM.

[TheSaint]

If I had richer friends & family I'd ask for this set for my birthday. Will have to bite the bullet sometime this year and buy it.

[Turn]

If I had richer friends & family I'd ask for this set for my birthday. Will have to bite the bullet sometime this year and buy it.

I highly recommended it and hope you do get to enjoy it.

By the way, being in an UNCLE mood last night, I pulled out my collection of comics from the late '80s, probably the first time I've read through any of them since I first bought them. And in one of the letters sections there was one written by a name I recognized -- Delmo (The Saint) Walters Jr.

Good to see you got these, although sadly after the holidays.

I watched my first full episode Wednesday -- The Bat Cave Affair. I was in a Martin Landau mood after having watched Mission Impossible episodes. The episode looked good for the most part, but I did detect a fair number of speckles on the print.

I look forward to hearing your thoughts on the set.

So far, I've been favorably impressed. I've sampled seasons 2 and 4, mostly to enter crew (and some acting) credits in IMDB. The only episode I've watched all the way through so far is The Re-Collectors Affair from season 2, which has a lot of season 1 feel to it. No Thrush (which was in only about half the season 1 stories), no overly fantastic McGuffin (the agents are after fugitive Nazis and stolen art treasures), Solo and Kuryakin are pro-active (they place an ad to smoke out their adversaries) and lots of interesting "bits of business" for the characters.

I have also checked out some of the extras. Particularly interesting for me was an interview with Dean Hargrove, one of the best writers of the show who later became a prolific television producer. Hargrove was to UNCLE what Richard Maibaum was to the Eon 007 series: he could often devise great set pieces (his first script features a shootout in a movie theater) and just enough humor without going overboard. His insights are interesting. Among the things he discusses is how he and fourth season producer Anthony Spinner had disagreements about the two-parter Hargrove wrote that season. While Hargrove says the disputes were not severe, it sounds like they definitely had their differences. He describes Spinner as coming from "the Quinn Martin school of melodrama."

The one extra I have trouble watching is the one about the fans, for reasons I'd rather not go into here.

I enjoyed the MGM set and McCallum home movies on location. Those were fun. I also liked the feature on the Danny Biederman collection housed on the cruise ship. The only hard part of that was it kind of whetted my appetite for more as he also has many other props from Bond and other spy shows as well.

Something that has helped me appreciate UNCLE is the cinematography and the inventive camera angles and effort that went into these shows. You'd think something modern like Alias or Lost had the market cornered on this, but UNCLE was out there 40-plus years ago setting standards. I am not sure this and Batman got nearly enough credit for what they did in this way.

The beauty about this set is there is still so much more to look though.

[Napoleon Solo]

I enjoyed the MGM set and McCallum home movies on location. Those were fun. I also liked the feature on the Danny Biederman collection housed on the cruise ship. The only hard part of that was it kind of whetted my appetite for more as he also has many other props from Bond and other spy shows as well.

Something that has helped me appreciate UNCLE is the cinematography and the inventive camera angles and effort that went into these shows. You'd think something modern like Alias or Lost had the market cornered on this, but UNCLE was out there 40-plus years ago setting standards. I am not sure this and Batman got nearly enough credit for what they did in this way.

The beauty about this set is there is still so much more to look though.

The primary cinematoprapher was Fred Koenekamp. By the fourth season, he was getting offers to do feature films and he departed part way through that season. He would end up photographing Patton and other films.

Other notables were Joseph Biroc (who photographed the pilot), another guy who did a lot of features. Also, in the third season, William W. Spencer subbed for Koenekamp on "The Matternhorn Affair." Spencer won an Emmy on QM's Tweleve O'Clock High series and did some great work on QM's "The FBI."

[TheSaint]

By the way, being in an UNCLE mood last night, I pulled out my collection of comics from the late '80s, probably the first time I've read through any of them since I first bought them. And in one of the letters sections there was one written by a name I recognized -- Delmo (The Saint) Walters Jr.

I was rather a prolific letter writer to comics in the '80s & '90s. I lucked out here & there.

[Napoleon Solo]

By the way, being in an UNCLE mood last night, I pulled out my collection of comics from the late '80s, probably the first time I've read through any of them since I first bought them. And in one of the letters sections there was one written by a name I recognized -- Delmo (The Saint) Walters Jr.

I was rather a prolific letter writer to comics in the '80s & '90s. I lucked out here & there.

I only had one letter published in a comic book, in 1975 in an issue of Amazing Spider-Man No. 151. I had successfully guessed the identity of the Jackal and got a No-Prize.

[Brian Flagg]

GRRRR! With this thread, Jon Heitland's UNCLE book, and Cinema Retro's ongoing features on the UNCLE films, it's getting more and more difficult to resist this set!

UNCLE is a show that is seemingly my kind of program, but we keep passing each other like ships in the night...

As for comic books, had a letter printed in issue #27 of G.I. Joe around 1983-84.

[TheSaint]

I only had one letter published in a comic book, in 1975 in an issue of Amazing Spider-Man No. 151. I had successfully guessed the identity of the Jackal and got a No-Prize.

Well done! I have that issue.

[Brian Flagg]

I only had one letter published in a comic book, in 1975 in an issue of Amazing Spider-Man No. 151. I had successfully guessed the identity of the Jackal and got a No-Prize.

Well done! I have that issue.

And it was a fine story arc! With issue #149 being the climactic battle between the Spidey clone/Gwen clone and the jackal. I have *that* issue. Great days for TV and comic books, the 1970s. (Sorry, I just had to join in on the off-topicness of it all)

[Turn]

Let me see if I qualify for a no-prize: The Jackal's actual identity is, if I'm not mistaken, the guy who was Peter Parker's college professor. I think I had that issue too.

[Napoleon Solo]

Let me see if I qualify for a no-prize: The Jackal's actual identity is, if I'm not mistaken, the guy who was Peter Parker's college professor. I think I had that issue too.

Professor Warren, to be precise.

In case you're wondering, in those days at least, Marvel sent you an empty envelope containing your No-Prize.

[trs007]

After a mixup from my PREORDER, which got lost and had to be resubmitted, my set finally arrived today. I'll look forward to checking some it out this evening.

[delfloria]

Looking forward to your response.

[Brian Flagg]

I'd love to see season four's "The Master's Touch Affair", which features Jack Lord as Philos Mandor. He's played villains before, most notably in the Anthony Mann film Man of the West (1958) with Gary Cooper and Julie London, the latter being terrorized by 'ol Jack.

Edited by Brian Flagg, 18 January 2008 - 04:58 PM.

[Napoleon Solo]

I'd love to see season four's "The Master's Touch Affair", which features Jack Lord as Philos Mandor. He's played villains before, most notably in the Anthony Mann film Man of the West (1958) with Gary Cooper and Julie London, the latter being terrorized by 'ol Jack.

The Master's Touch Affair also has Nemeiah Pershoff (not sure of spelling), who would end up being a frequent guest star on Hawaii Five-O. Master's Touch also is one of the highlights of season 4 of MFU

[Napoleon Solo]

An oddity on The Man From UNCLE DVD set: the theme music for The Project Strigas Affair (season 1, the Shatner/Nimoy pairing) has been altered.

For some reason, the original version of the main title theme has been replaced with the version used in the second half of season 1 (arranged by Morton Stevens). That version of the theme didn't debut until The Deadly Decoy Affair (the 15th episode). Why this happened, I have no idea.

[Von Hammerstein]

My wife was nice enough to buy me the 1st season set for my birthday. I've been watching them more less constantly. I was surprised how well they hold up. Sure some of the sets were schlocky back-lot redresses but the stories, especially in the pilot SOLO (The Vulcan Affair) about THRUSH's attempt to take over an entire country were very meaningful in today's situation of Al-Qaeda in Iraq and Hamas in Palestine. But the episode that stuck out in my mind the most was The Brain Killer Affair. I remember watching this as kid and been scared witless by Elsa Lanchester's Dr. Agnes Dabree. After forty years, she still scare me. Forgot about the final scene where she's on an airplane all bandaged from having fallen down an elevator shaft in an attempt to kill Napolean, and she's vowing revenge on Solo, but to my knowledge Dr Dabree never appeared on UNCLE again. Shame, would have been fun. I'd say Dr Dabree, Joan Crawford as Mommy, and Boris Karloff as Mother Muffin from GFU were the most memorable villains of the series for me.

Anyone know if the second season will be available soon? Napolean?

[Napoleon Solo]

My wife was nice enough to buy me the 1st season set for my birthday. I've been watching them more less constantly. I was surprised how well they hold up. Sure some of the sets were schlocky back-lot redresses but the stories, especially in the pilot SOLO (The Vulcan Affair) about THRUSH's attempt to take over an entire country were very meaningful in today's situation of Al-Qaeda in Iraq and Hamas in Palestine. But the episode that stuck out in my mind the most was The Brain Killer Affair. I remember watching this as kid and been scared witless by Elsa Lanchester's Dr. Agnes Dabree. After forty years, she still scare me. Forgot about the final scene where she's on an airplane all bandaged from having fallen down an elevator shaft in an attempt to kill Napolean, and she's vowing revenge on Solo, but to my knowledge Dr Dabree never appeared on UNCLE again. Shame, would have been fun. I'd say Dr Dabree, Joan Crawford as Mommy, and Boris Karloff as Mother Muffin from GFU were the most memorable villains of the series for me.

Anyone know if the second season will be available soon? Napolean?

1. A sequel to The Brain Killer Affair was written, but never filmed. Archie Tegland, writer of the original, attempted a two-part script titled The Gypsy Travellers Affair, but it never came together.

2. I'm not sure about release of the second season set by itself. I have the complete set. It was compensation for signing a release permitting them to use any images from my web site; as it turned out, they didn't use any. That set costs around $250 (obviously not cheap) but does have quite a few extras.

3. Joan Crawford wasn't really a villain, she was a dupe (rich wife of a scientist). Are you perhaps thinking of Jeanne Cooper as Mother Fear in the second season?

Edited by Napoleon Solo, 13 April 2008 - 01:34 PM.

[Von Hammerstein]

3. Joan Crawford wasn't really a villain, she was a dupe (rich wife of a scientist). Are you perhaps thinking of Jeanne Cooper as Mother Fear in the second season?

That was probably it. I just remember Ilya being chained up and forced to attend a tea party to improve his manners. Quite surreal.

Thanks for you help.

[Napoleon Solo]

3. Joan Crawford wasn't really a villain, she was a dupe (rich wife of a scientist). Are you perhaps thinking of Jeanne Cooper as Mother Fear in the second season?

That was probably it. I just remember Ilya being chained up and forced to attend a tea party to improve his manners. Quite surreal.

Thanks for you help.

The episode is "The Children's Day Affair" from season 2 (episode 41 overall) and written by Dean Hargrove, one of the main writers of the show. It's implied that Mother Fear administered quite a beating (off camera). While we don't see it, Solo later finds Illya, who has endured quite a bit of suffering. It's also implied that Mother Fear has a rather interesting relationship with another villain named Captain Jenks (Warren Stevens).


A review of The Children's Day Affair can be found here:

http://members.aol.c...enig/uncle2.htm


Scroll down to episode 41. There is also a link to a first-person account of someone who appeared in the episode. This is all from my U.N.C.L.E. web page.

[JonHeitland]

I would like to reply to this post:

"Some participants on an UNCLE listserv have recently made Heitland into a martyr. I can't for a couple of reasons: 1) He very well may have gotten paid; while it's a shame we can't see it, he apparently profited off the deal. 2) In 2006, there was a gathering of UNCLE fans. He operated "undercover" on behalf of Ember Entertainment (the company that has acquired an option on UNCLE with nothing so far to show for it) without informing anyone. Thus, it's a little hard for me to feel that sorry for him. Heitland, not surprisingly, didn't mention this while there all those posts on the listserv making him into a martyr."


Contrary to this post, I did not "operate undercover" at the convention in question, which was Media West Con in Lansing, Michigan, on anyone's behalf. Prior to Time Life announcing their UNCLE DVD plans, I entered into a contract with another company for purchase of my interviews of UNCLE participants for use on a DVD release. At the convention, the producer was not able to attend herself and she asked me to arrange for her to participate in the UNCLE panel by speakerphone. That was not able to be arranged technologically but as it turned out it did not matter because the UNCLE DVDs did not even come up during the panel discussion. This was my sole involvement on her behalf at that convention. I was not working for her, undercover or otherwise. She asked for a small favor and I tried to help. She was a purchaser of intellectual property I had produced, period. As for payment, there is currently litigation pending on that point. I hope this sets the record straight.

Jon Heitland
Heitland Video Productions