The Man From UNCLE complete episode 24

- July 20, 2018

The Man From UNCLE

Episode 24

The Hong Kong Shilling Affair

Writer: Alan Caillou
Director: Alvin Ganzer
Guests: Glenn Corbert (Bernie Oren), Karen Sharpe (Heavenly Cotelle), Gavin McLeod (Cleveland), Richard Kiel (Merry)
Filmed: 25 January - 01 February 1965
Premiere: 15 March 1965
Place: Hong Kong
Acts:
1 - "Dead, for a Shilling"
2 - "Merry Go Round"
3 - "For sale - one Solo"
4 - "A Pride of Spies"

The affair: Napoleon Solo and Illya Kuryakin (disguised as a rickshaw driver) escort Max Wenzel in Hong Kong. In the palace, Mr. Cleveland holds auction of military secrets to buyers of various nationalities. At UNCLE Hong Kong Headquarters, Bernie talks to Napoleon Solo about the Pine Shilling, a rare US coin. Napoleon Solo hires Bernie and pays him a thousand dollars to work for UNCLE. Bernie enters the Dragon's Teeth night club and is captured by Merry and his THRUSH men. Solo and Kuryakin save him. Auctioneers order a halt since the Mongolian warrior Toptapich is coming up with enough money to buy the coin. Toptapich is Illya in disguise.

FYI: Napoleon Solo's character gets into embarrassing situations. The plot is confusing and somewhat pointless. The idea of an auction of military secrets was reused in 1967 in the comic version of James Bond Casino Royale, released in 1967. One of the henchmen, Richard Kiel, would enjoy huge success as the villain Jaws, in Bond films The Spy Who Loved Me (1977) and Moonraker (1979).

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