User Reviews

THE MAN FROM U.N.C.L.E. – The Moonglow Affair - 1966

This is the 52nd episode of 1964 to 1968 spy series, THE MAN FROM U.N.C.L.E. The series ran for a total of 105 episodes. The first season was filmed in black and with the remainder shot in colour. Robert Vaughn plays agent Napoleon Solo while David McCallum, plays Illya Kuryakin, Leo G Carroll plays Mister Waverly, the boss of the secret agency known as U.N.C.L.E. (United Network Command for Law & Enforcement) Their main enemy is THRUSH, an organization out to take over the planet.

UNCLE agents Robert Vaughn and David McCallum are checking out a high fashion party at a THRUSH cover location. The fashion and cosmetics salon is run by Kevin McCarthy and Mary Carver. UNCLE knows that they are building some device that is giving off radioactivity. Vaughn breaks into a lab and is zapped by THRUSH science type, Woodrow Parfey. Vaughn staggers away into the night and just barely makes it back to UNCLE headquarters. McCallum is soon captured and locked up. Parfey intends to use him for further experiments of the device.

It seems that the device shoots a toxic amount of radioactive particles. These lodge on the target and are absorbed into the skin. 48 hours later the victim dies. The only cure is to zap them again with the device set in reverse. THURSH hopes to use the device to kill of personal from the US Space program.

UNCLE now sends agents Norman Fell and Mary Ann Mobley to grab up the device. The two fumble their way through the operation till they finally achieve the desired result. Both Vaughn and McCallum are soon back in perfect health while THRUSH has been foiled again.

The episode was also a dry run for the spin-off series, THE GIRL FROM UNCLE.

Whenever a television show catches on, networks are fast to exploit its popularity with spin-offs; in 1965, 'The Man From U.N.C.L.E.' was at its peak both in terms of quality and viewer appreciation, so N.B.C. ordered 'The Girl From U.N.C.L.E.'.

The back-door pilot was this episode, broadcast as part of 'M.F.U.'s second season. The U.N.C.L.E. duo is investigating the affairs of cosmetics company owner Arthur Caresse ( Kevin McCarthy ) when Solo is incapacitated by a radiation device, and Illya captured. Mr.Waverly brings in 24 year-old novice U.N.C.L.E. agent April Dancer ( Mary Ann Mobley ) and veteran spy Mark Slate ( Norman Fell ) to complete the mission.

America and Russia are competing to see who can get to the Moon first, but THRUSH has plans of its own, and intends sabotaging their missions by subjecting astronauts to radiation.

Posing as Caresse's secretary, April finds herself pushed into the role of glamour girl 'Miss Moonglow' - the lady whose lips glow in the dark. But her cover is soon blown...

Having watched recently all 29 episodes of 'The Girl From U.N.C.L.E', it is interesting to compare those with this. I think they were right to replace Mobley with Stefanie Powers. I found Mobley, though beautiful, a bit bland. As Slate, that great character actor Norman Fell is fine, but Noel Harrison's cheeky Cockney worked better for me. The problem with 'G.F.U.' was not the leads. Done properly, 'G.F.U.' could have been a strong rival to 'The Avengers' but on viewing a handful of episodes any comparison went out the door. The scripts were mostly diabolical, working neither as comedy nor adventure.

Dean Hargrove's 'The Moonglow Affair', directed by Joseph Sargent, is superior in every department. The 'Moonglow' April is more independent, not some bimbo needing to be rescued every five minutes. Had Powers and Harrison been in this, I would have awarded it ten out of ten.

Kevin McCarthy is fun as the villain, as is Mary Carver as his sister. Woodrow Parfey steals the show as an eccentric THRUSH scientist.