THE HELICOPTER SPIES
US, 1968, 92 minutes, Colour.
Robert Vaughan, David Mc Callum, Carol Lynley, Lola Albright, John Dehner, Bradford Dillman, Julie London, Leo G. Carroll.
Directed by Boris Sagal.
One of several spin-off movies from the popular series The Man From UNCLE. Other titles include Karate Killers, The Spy in the Green Hat, The Spy With My Name. Now the films can be seen separated from the series and stand much more strongly as tongue-in-cheek spy entertainment than they may have been in the sixties.
Robert Vaughan is a granite-jawed hero Napoleon Solo and David Mc Callum very impersonal as Ilya Kuryakin. They are matched by the exaggerations in style of Carol Lynley as the would-be heroine and Sebastian as the arch-villain (in the style of exaggerated villains from such series as Batman). Lola Albright and John Dehner exaggerate very humorously as villains. The parody of James Bond style movies is evident and the film moves with a cracking pace. There are also very many ironic and humorous oneliners and tongue-in-cheek situations and dialogue. Ephemeral entertainment but entertaining to watch and a reminder of a trend of the sixties.
1. An entertaining spy thriller? The relationship with the T.V. series? Audience presuppositions about the heroes? The popularity of the early James Bond films and the spy trend of the sixties? The heroism and the spies who came in from the cold? Entertaining in concept, action, dialogue? Parody?
2. How well did the film use the conventions of the super heroic international spy thriller? The gentlemanly heroes, the exaggerated and mad spies and the bizarre overtones of their organization? The international flavour? UNCLE and its parody of the C.I.A. control etc.? Heroic and predictable situations - yet humorously done? Villains, male and female, special effects?
3. Colour photography, the editing and pace, the international locations? The score? The special effects especially with the prism, the rockets, torture sequences? Decor and costumes?
4. Audience identification with the plot - the humour of the superheroics? A fantasy world and humour on the international situation and power struggles?
5. Napoleon Solo, his name, granite-jawed hero, coping with situations, quick thinking? His infiltration into enemy headquarters, communications with Kuryakin? Dedication to his job? The risks taken? Kuryakin and his impassive involvement in his work, infiltrating, risks?
6. Sebastian as villain - the humour of his Greek hideout, his being rescued, the amnesty, his skill in getting into Teheran and the safe, his double-crossing UNCLE, his world plans and the third way, the pseudo-religious overtones with the Third Way priest and waiting for his utterances, his telecommunications, the men with the white hair, Azalea as his high priestess? His cowardice but intelligence? His final control of the world and being catapaulted into his rocket? Bradford Dillman's tongue-in-cheek presentation of Sebastian? How was this matched by Lola Albright's continuously grinning Azalea? Her double-crossing her husband, her being the high priestess and the rtuals in the theatre, her presence at the end?
7. Annie and her bumbling intrusions, her presence in Teheran, her almost being killed, her continually being assisted by the various Brothers? Her worry about her fiance in the Turkish prison? Her being kidnapped at various times? The finale? Carol Lynley's vacuous interpretation of this heroine with its consequent humour?
8. The various villains: Kharmusi and his Persian home, his interrogation, his death? The men with the white hair and their skill in carrying out the mission in stealing the rocket? the meeting with the white-haired girls and their all being killed? Karl as henchman and his being killed?
9. The UNCLE personnel especially Mr Waverley and his control? The humorous small characters - the secretary and her attentions to Sebastian, Mom and her swatting the flies at her bar which was the control for Sebastian? How did these add to the tongue-in-cheek effect of the film?
10. The spectacular effects - the opening in Africa, the Greek island, the infiltration into Kharmusi’s home, the incidents in Los Angeles? (and Sebastian's wife and her card-playing boy friends?) The sending of the rocket?
11. The presuppositions about right and wrong, good and evil? The comic book presentation and audience enjoyment?
