A modest proposal for the U.N.C.L.E. movie

Introduction used in early U.N.C.L.E. episodes.

Not that director Guy Ritchie would ask this blog’s opinion, but here’s a modest proposal for a way to end his movie version of The Man From U.N.C.L.E.

A caveat: this suggestion presupposes that Ritchie’s movie won’t be really, really dark and have Napoleon Solo (Henry Cavill) or Illya Kuraykin (Armie Hammer) killed off with the villains winning.

In many movies today, there isn’t a proper main titles. Instead, everything comes at the end. Also, Ritchie’s film, co-written by the director and writer-producer Lionel Wigram, has an “origin of U.N.C.L.E.” plot line. Therefore, why not adapt the introduction used in early episodes of the 1964-68 series to get viewers familiar with the characters and format?

Specifically, an announcer begins, “In New York City…on a street in the East Forties…there’s an ordinary tailor shop. Or is it ordinary?” Stars Robert Vaughn and David McCallum go through the secret entrance to U.N.C.L.E. headquarters. Eventually, Solo and Kuryakin (and boss Alexander Waverly, played by Leo G. Carroll), break the fourth wall and explain what U.N.C.L.E. is.

In the movie, viewers will have seen the U.S. and Soviet Union join forces, in the person of Cavill’s Solo and Hammer’s Kurykin, to (presumably) defeat a larger menace. Your could have the screen go dark for a second, then come up again with the now permanent allies re-enacting the Vaughn-McCallum opening (along with Hugh Grant as the new Waverly), followed by Jerry Goldsmith’s theme and the credits. It would hint of adventures to come (particularly if the movie is a financial success).

Anyway, just something to thing about. Here’s how the original opening worked, the last time it was used in The Giuoco Piano Affair, the seventh episode broadcast on NBC.