"The Man from U.N.C.L.E." The My Friend the Gorilla Affair (1966)

Director:

Alexander Singer

Writers:

Don Richman (teleplay)
Joseph Sandy (story)

TV Series:

"The Man from U.N.C.L.E." (1964)

Original Air Date:

16 December 1966 (Season 3, Episode 14)

Genre:

Action | Adventure

Plot:

Kuryakin is captured while investigating a mysterious threat in an African country. Solo is sent to pick up his trail...

Plot Keywords:

Walkie Talkie | Infrared Vision | Clothing Press | Rifle | Secret Entrance

Cast

Robert Vaughn	...	Napoleon Solo
David McCallum	...	Illya Kuryakin
Leo G. Carroll	...	Alexander Waverly
Joyce Jillson	...	Marsha Woodley / Marsha Woodhugh
Vitina Marcus	...	Girl / Rebecca Woodhugh
Alan Mowbray	...	Harry Blackburn
Percy Rodrigues	...	President Khufu (as Percy Rodriguez)
Arthur Malet	...	Professor Kenton
Raymond St. Jacques	...	Arunda
George Barrows	...	Baby
Don Blackman	...	Witch Doctor
Sharyn Hillyer	...	Technician
John Wesley	...	Wounded Native

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Certification:

Australia:PG

U.N.C.L.E. bungles in the jungle

*** This comment may contain spoilers ***

There is a story, possibly apocryphal, that during the making of the '80's sitcom 'Bottle Boys', actor Robin Askwith hated one script so much he shut himself away in a broom cupboard and refused to come out until it was rewritten. After viewing this 'M.F.U' farrago, you have to wonder why Robert Vaughn did not follow suit.

It begins with Kuryakin investigating an unknown menace in Africa. He is taken prisoner by natives endowed with superhuman strength and agility. Solo is sent after him. His jeep breaks down in the middle of nowhere, and a native goes to shoot him with a blow pipe. He is saved from certain death by the intervention of a beautiful woman known only as 'Girl' ( Vitina Marcus ) who has been raised by apes, and lives in a tree house with a pet gorilla called 'Baby' ( Shall I stop now? Writing this is like reliving a nightmare ). Like many Season 3 stories, it sets out to be funny but fails dismally. 'Baby' looks about as convincing as the monkey who chased Laurel and Hardy at the end of 'Swiss Miss'.

In what must be the nadir of Vaughn's career, Solo tries to communicate with 'Girl' using mime. He switches on a transistor radio at one point. "Watusi!", she shrieks. The next thing you know, she and Solo are dancing, and as if that was not bad enough, Baby joins in.

To cut the story short ( though not short enough for my liking ) mad Professor Kenton ( Arthur Malet ) has developed a serum for increasing strength and agility and wishes to build a private army to...do whatever it is private armies usually do. In common with a lot of Season 3's villains, Kenton fails to exude any menace whatever. He looks like Wilfrid Brambell's 'Steptoe' whilst simultaneously sounding like Professor Richard Dawkins.

There's barely any action to speak of. Girl, not our heroes, saves the day by causing an elephant stampede. Africa is represented by stock nature documentary footage, so much is on view that this must have looked like a repeat even on the first screening. It is as though the men from U.N.C.L.E. have accidentally wandered into 'Carry On Up The Jungle'.

The credits blame one Joseph Sandy for the story. Mr.Sandy does not appear to have written anything else in his life, and that should tell you something.

I agree with U.N.C.L.E. buff William Koenig when he said of this: "not only the worst episode of the entire series, this putrid mess has to rank as one of the worst programs in the history of television.". Not even could Tarzan have saved this.