1977: Sam Rolfe (sort of) revisits U.N.C.L.E.

Sam Rolfe dances with Jill Ireland in an early episode of The Man From U.N.C.L.E. while director Richard Donner hams it up.

Sam Rolfe was nothing if not persistent. In the 1970s, he re-worked his two greatest television triumphs. One, The Manhunter, took the concept of a bounty hunter, a la the western Have Gun-Will Travel, and set it during the Great Depression. It ran for one season.

With Engima, a pilot production, the writer-producer revisited the basic concept of The Man From U.N.C.L.E.

Enigma, like U.N.C.L.E., was a mysterious organization with a secret headquarters. Enigma’s base of operations was further out, an island in the Caribbean.

Enigma, like U.N.C.L.E., featured a dashing operative, in this case Andrew Icarus (Scott Hylands). He’s assisted by Mei San Gow (Soon-Tek Oh) and reports to Maurice Mockcastle (Guy Doleman). The supporting players were alumni of the James Bond film series (The Man With the Golden Gun and Thunderball respectively) and Doleman had been in other espionage productions.

Enigma, like U.N.C.L.E., also had a thing for triangles. U.NC.L.E.’s security badges were triangle shaped. Enigma’s headquarters made triangles a major part of the interior design.

Around this same time, Rolfe had also scripted a proposed TV movie that would have been a straight U.N.C.L.E. revival that would have been titled The Malthusian Affair. That project was commissioned by producers Ivan Goff and Ben Roberts, veteran writer-producers themselves but without U.N.C.L.E. experience. It was never produced.

With Enigma, Rolfe also wore the producer’s hat as well as writing. For director, he hired Michael O’Herlihy, who had been one of the leading directors of Hawaii Five-O but by this point had moved on. O’Herlihy also had directed one first-season episode of U.N.C.L.E. and would later direct The Say U.N.C.L.E. Affair, an episode of The A-Team with Robert Vaughn and David McCallum.

Rolfe’s Enigma had one other thing with U.N.C.L.E. Like U.N.C.L.E.’s Napoleon Solo, Andrew Icarus recruits an “innocent” to help him accomplish his mission.

This curiosity has been posted to YouTube by the Museum of Classic Chicago Television. You can take a look for yourself. The video includes commercials.

Frank McRae, LTK co-star, praised after his passing at 80

Frank McRae, a likeable presence in 1989’s License to Kill, received tributes after he passed away at age 80.

McRae played Sharkey, a friend of Felix Leiter who becomes an ally of James Bond as the British agent seeks to avenge Leiter’s maiming by villain Franz Sanchez. Sharkey ended up as Licence to Kill’s “sacrificial lamb.”

Robert Davi, who played Sanchez, was among those who took to social media.

Saddened to hear of the passing of FRANK McRae a gentle soul – I remember his sense of humor and joy while we filmed License to Kill ! Condolences to family and friends

— Robert Davi (@RobertJohnDavi) May 6, 2021

Grand L. Bush, another member of The Licence to Kill cast, weighed in.

#RIP ~ I enjoyed working with #FrankMcRae in #LicenceToKill. He was likable with an affable personality. Whenever he was around, it was a good time. May Frank rest in peace knowing his life was purposeful. https://t.co/DloPqrU90m

— Grand L. Bush (@GrandLBush) May 6, 2021

The official James Bond feed on Twitter also noted McRae’s death.

We are sorry to hear that Frank McRae, who played Sharkey in Licence To Kill, has passed away. Our thoughts are with his family and friends. pic.twitter.com/ZKooA5IiQO

— James Bond (@007) May 6, 2021