ONE OF OUR SPIES IS MISSING

"Next time, you play dead and I'll come up with the reason why."

I watched ONE OF OUR SPIES IS MISSING this afternoon. This is another MAN FROM U.N.C.L.E "movie" comprised of a second season two-parter THE BRIDGE OF LIONS AFFAIR edited together with some new footage for theatrical release in the United States and overseas.

This outing finds Napoleon Solo (Robert Vaughn) and Illya Kuryakin (David McCallum) on the trail of a youth restoring formula. The formula, devised by a scientist played by James Doohan (Scotty on STAR TREK), can reverse the aging process in both cats and humans. The formula is in the possession of a scheming woman played by the oh-so-lovely Vera Miles who plans to use the process to return her aged lover (Maurice Evans) to vim and vigor and political power in Great Britain.

Of course, THRUSH wants to get their hands on the secret and they dispatch a wily agent played by Edward Fox (Malcolm Merriweather in several episodes of THE ANDY GRIFFITH SHOW). Also in the cast is Yvonne Craig (Batgirl on the BATMAN televsion series) as an U.N.C.L.E. agent operating the Channel D communications center. Oh, and the anti-aging device? It's a sauna like box topped off by the head of Robby the Robot from FORBIDDEN PLANET.

It's the usual fare with the MGM back lot and standing sets filling in for various locales in London, Paris and the English countryside. The cliffhanger, which ended the first episode of the two-parter, finds Solo and Kuryakin about to be crushed in a wine vat. This action occurs about midway through the film so you know there's still plenty of action ahead. 

In the action scenes which take place throughout the film, the stunt players are clearly visible and distinguishable from Vaughn and McCallum. They don't fool anyone. Still, it's fast paced and breezy fun with snappy one-liners, beautiful women and a great score by Jerry Goldsmith.

I recall seeing this film with my buddy Steve Cook at either the State or Paramount Theater in downtown Austin when it was first released.I enjoyed it then and I got a big kick out of this afternoon. Fun stuff.