The Golden Anniversary Affair
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The U.N.C.L.E. Inner Circle Link
Thank you to all who attended and made this the memorable event that it was!
Check out the terrific CINEMARETRO article about
the event by Craig Henderson
CLICK HERE
I couldn't stop smiling. I LOVED everything this past weekend. I was suffering UNCLE withdrawal for days (even though we were extremely busy). The music Saturday (featuring my favourite season of music) was outstanding. The musicians were amazing!
George and Fred were a delight to get to know as I spoke with each of them (mostly George) a lot. Very nice men. I would like to have spoken with Gerald, but didn't get the chance.
Seeing the UNCLE car in person was terrific -- and of course the museum with many amazing things.
It was also great meeting so many UNCLE fans (who, generally, appeared 'normal' -- but I think I'm normal).
The studio tour was more than I thought -- and having you along to show us things and answer questions on Stage 10 was outstanding
Again, thank you (and the others) for putting this unbelievable event on.
Chris Brown
Dear Bob and Jon:
This to thank both of you and Lisa for your remarkable efforts in putting on the Golden Anniversary Affair. It really was a once in a lifetime celebration of The Man from UNCLE and only the three of you could have done it, with your knowledge, skills, collections and contacts, but most of all your passion.
What was so impressive about your accomplishment was how you managed to squeeze so much in two days and how many aspects of the series' production was covered, from the physical lot and soundstages to the filming, writing, directing and acting, and the music.The props and costumes exhibits in the museum were great. Most of all were the wonderful guests you invited to share their experiences in making of the series. Despite the passing of so much time, it was clear they enjoyed attending the event, getting together with old friends and recounting some the fun they had creating the shows despite the pressures of keeping a schedule.
Without doubt the performance of the sextet combo on Saturday evening was the prefect ending. The UNCLE theme music is certainly well known, but I never fully appreciated the more subtle qualities of the series' scores until I heard them performed live and on their own. It was clear to me that many of the incidental and background music cues, often dismissed as undeserving of serious attention, can easily stand on their own merits. I suspect that Jon Burlingame is largely responsible for this. The musicians were exceptional.
Thanks for producing the event with such scholarship, taste and love for the subject. And thanks for turning back the clock and allowing just a few of us to be UNCLE agents for a couple of days.
Best regards,
Ron Wong
Thank you, thank you thank you. I had such a fabulous time at the GAA. It was one of the best times I ever had, thank you for helping to make this happen and sharing your stories with us.
Your friend Marla Handley
Just wanted to thank you for a great event. I anticipated that it would be fun and that I'd have a good time, but this far exceeded my expectations. It was truly magical! And to end with that exceptional jazz band playing the original music live just blew me away. I'm still buzzing...
Ev Turner
Open Channel D. This is Misato, an attendant of the Golden Anniversary Affair.
I just wanted to say thank you so much for putting this one-of-a-kind wonderful event together.
I enjoyed every minute of the event. Sony studio tour was great, the cast & crew reunion was fantastic. I felt so honored to be there and had an opportunity to listen to behind the scene stories from the people who actually made the Man from UNCLE. And that jazz concert - what a wonderful way to wrap up the night. They were simply amazing. Music was big part of MFU and listening to the fantastic six-piece band playing songs from the show so amazingly brought back my childhood memory of how much I loved the show. Of course I still do!
Please extend my sincerest thanks to all the crew, donors, contributors who made this wonderful event possible.
It must be a lot of work and effort to put in to make this happen.
Sincerely,
Misato Hamazaki
George and Fred were a delight to get to know as I spoke with each of them (mostly George) a lot. Very nice men. I would like to have spoken with Gerald, but didn't get the chance.
Seeing the UNCLE car in person was terrific -- and of course the museum with many amazing things.
It was also great meeting so many UNCLE fans (who, generally, appeared 'normal' -- but I think I'm normal).
The studio tour was more than I thought -- and having you along to show us things and answer questions on Stage 10 was outstanding
Again, thank you (and the others) for putting this unbelievable event on.
Chris Brown
Dear Bob and Jon:
This to thank both of you and Lisa for your remarkable efforts in putting on the Golden Anniversary Affair. It really was a once in a lifetime celebration of The Man from UNCLE and only the three of you could have done it, with your knowledge, skills, collections and contacts, but most of all your passion.
What was so impressive about your accomplishment was how you managed to squeeze so much in two days and how many aspects of the series' production was covered, from the physical lot and soundstages to the filming, writing, directing and acting, and the music.The props and costumes exhibits in the museum were great. Most of all were the wonderful guests you invited to share their experiences in making of the series. Despite the passing of so much time, it was clear they enjoyed attending the event, getting together with old friends and recounting some the fun they had creating the shows despite the pressures of keeping a schedule.
Without doubt the performance of the sextet combo on Saturday evening was the prefect ending. The UNCLE theme music is certainly well known, but I never fully appreciated the more subtle qualities of the series' scores until I heard them performed live and on their own. It was clear to me that many of the incidental and background music cues, often dismissed as undeserving of serious attention, can easily stand on their own merits. I suspect that Jon Burlingame is largely responsible for this. The musicians were exceptional.
Thanks for producing the event with such scholarship, taste and love for the subject. And thanks for turning back the clock and allowing just a few of us to be UNCLE agents for a couple of days.
Best regards,
Ron Wong
Thank you, thank you thank you. I had such a fabulous time at the GAA. It was one of the best times I ever had, thank you for helping to make this happen and sharing your stories with us.
Your friend Marla Handley
Just wanted to thank you for a great event. I anticipated that it would be fun and that I'd have a good time, but this far exceeded my expectations. It was truly magical! And to end with that exceptional jazz band playing the original music live just blew me away. I'm still buzzing...
Ev Turner
Open Channel D. This is Misato, an attendant of the Golden Anniversary Affair.
I just wanted to say thank you so much for putting this one-of-a-kind wonderful event together.
I enjoyed every minute of the event. Sony studio tour was great, the cast & crew reunion was fantastic. I felt so honored to be there and had an opportunity to listen to behind the scene stories from the people who actually made the Man from UNCLE. And that jazz concert - what a wonderful way to wrap up the night. They were simply amazing. Music was big part of MFU and listening to the fantastic six-piece band playing songs from the show so amazingly brought back my childhood memory of how much I loved the show. Of course I still do!
Please extend my sincerest thanks to all the crew, donors, contributors who made this wonderful event possible.
It must be a lot of work and effort to put in to make this happen.
Sincerely,
Misato Hamazaki
"The Music from U.N.C.L.E.- Live !"
The big surprise that was unveiled at the event was a 55 minute jazz presentation of the incidental music heard on the series. Here is a sample from the concert.
I had a blast, I made some new friends, and I just soaked up the positive UNCLE spy vibes, The concert on Saturday night was the cherry on top of the sundae.
Randy Aitken
Randy Aitken
DAY ONE
The Sony / MGM Studio tour
It was great, my best vacation ever! Thanks again for Sunday. I didn’t want TGAA to end so soon.
Debbie Coley
Debbie Coley
Photos by Alan Stephenson, Blake Handley, Harry Max Hill
Sample of the SONY / MGM keepsake photo
Photo courtesy of Kirk Roderick
DAY TWO
The Doubltree Hotel
Seminars - Museum- Booksignings - Exibitors - Soiree - Concert
I was waiting for the dust to settle a bit to add my heartfelt "thank you" to those of so many others for creating such an imaginative and wonderful celebration of U.N.C.L.E. and of our childhood/adolescence. Kudos to you, Jon, Lisa and others, I'm sure, for such a well organized, exclusive and unforgettable experience.
Lastly, on a very personal level, the words "thank you" aren't sufficient to express my gratitude to you for including my son Jim and me as guests in T.G.A.A., and in doing so, fulfilling my dream of a lifetime. With my yellow badge affixed to my blazer, my newly acquired pen communicator in my pocket and holding Brad's guns, I momentarily became an U.N.L.E. agent, just like my childhood heroes, Napoleon and Illya. What a moment! Then, meeting and listening to you and your friends and guests (industry icons, all) provided priceless memories and an education as well. And Jon and Danny signed my copies of their books, which I've owned since each was first published! Jim and I both especially appreciated the significance of the once-in-a-lifetime concert on Saturday evening. T.G.A.A. was truly one of the best times of my life!
In closing, you'll appreciate the irony of this: In my real-life job as a government lawyer, my electronically coded ID badge, affixed to my lapel, opens the locked doors of my offices, just as we pretended fifty years ago!
Thanks for the memories! Closing channel D.
Bob Miller
Lastly, on a very personal level, the words "thank you" aren't sufficient to express my gratitude to you for including my son Jim and me as guests in T.G.A.A., and in doing so, fulfilling my dream of a lifetime. With my yellow badge affixed to my blazer, my newly acquired pen communicator in my pocket and holding Brad's guns, I momentarily became an U.N.L.E. agent, just like my childhood heroes, Napoleon and Illya. What a moment! Then, meeting and listening to you and your friends and guests (industry icons, all) provided priceless memories and an education as well. And Jon and Danny signed my copies of their books, which I've owned since each was first published! Jim and I both especially appreciated the significance of the once-in-a-lifetime concert on Saturday evening. T.G.A.A. was truly one of the best times of my life!
In closing, you'll appreciate the irony of this: In my real-life job as a government lawyer, my electronically coded ID badge, affixed to my lapel, opens the locked doors of my offices, just as we pretended fifty years ago!
Thanks for the memories! Closing channel D.
Bob Miller
Seminars
Photos by Alan Stephenson
Special Awards to Sam Rolfe and Norman Felton's families
Photos by Lisa Madden, Alan Stephenson, Harry Max Hill
Award speech on behalf of Hilda Rolfe by Danny Biederman
Honoring Sam Rolfe
On behalf of Hilda Rolfe, who was unable to attend the Golden Anniversary Affair, I was asked to accept the award honoring her late husband, Sam. My remarks, to have been delivered at the time of that presentation on September 27, 2014, appear here…
I knew Sam since the early 1980s and had the privilege of working with him on several of his projects, one of which was an espionage opus—a genre that continued to hold special appeal to him in the years after he left “The Man from U.N.C.L.E.”
I found Sam to be personable, genuine, down to earth, compassionate, with a sense of humor and, needless to say, extraordinary intelligence and imagination.
He often regaled me with tales of his years working on “Have Gun Will Travel” and “Man from UNCLE,” and I have fond memories of my visits to his home where he and Hilda would happily feed my young daughter peanut butter sandwiches and juice for lunch—perhaps feeling a slight sense of comradery, if not obligation, given that her name is Illya.
An example of Sam’s kindness was related to me by Hilda, who recalled how he came to the aid of my uncle, Irving Wallace, in the years before Irving made his mark as a bestselling author. It was the late 1950s, my uncle was struggling financially, and Sam came to his rescue by hiring him to write several episodes of “Have Gun.” My uncle was forever grateful—it’s what true friends do for one another—and their friendship lasted for the rest of their lives.
Needless to say, Sam’s inventiveness in developing for Norman Felton the world of U.N.C.L.E.—including the show’s format, tone and characters—is something for which we will be forever grateful.
For any of you who haven’t yet done so, I strongly recommend reading Sam’s original outline for “The Man from UNCLE.” It is an extraordinary document that is, in effect, a master blueprint for the U.N.C.L.E. organization—its function, personnel, and the nature of its affairs. It’s no accident that such a well thought-out and detailed treatise for this series—when respected and faithfully executed by the show’s production team—resulted in a product that earned such a far-flung, intense and loyal following in the mid-1960s and beyond.
Just as Bond author-to-be Ian Fleming wrote a 72-page blueprint for the U.S. intelligence agency that would become the OSS and eventually the CIA, Sam created the plans for a multi-national law enforcement network that might very well have been adapted in real life. So much so that—with the aid of an acknowledgment to U.N.C.L.E. at the end of every episode — TV viewers across the U.S. believed that was the case.
On behalf of all the fans of “U.N.C.L.E.,” here is thanks to Sam and Norman both, without whose ideas, drive, and ceaseless creative energy, this TV program—and today’s 50-year anniversary celebration—would not have been possible.
Danny Biederman
On behalf of Hilda Rolfe, who was unable to attend the Golden Anniversary Affair, I was asked to accept the award honoring her late husband, Sam. My remarks, to have been delivered at the time of that presentation on September 27, 2014, appear here…
I knew Sam since the early 1980s and had the privilege of working with him on several of his projects, one of which was an espionage opus—a genre that continued to hold special appeal to him in the years after he left “The Man from U.N.C.L.E.”
I found Sam to be personable, genuine, down to earth, compassionate, with a sense of humor and, needless to say, extraordinary intelligence and imagination.
He often regaled me with tales of his years working on “Have Gun Will Travel” and “Man from UNCLE,” and I have fond memories of my visits to his home where he and Hilda would happily feed my young daughter peanut butter sandwiches and juice for lunch—perhaps feeling a slight sense of comradery, if not obligation, given that her name is Illya.
An example of Sam’s kindness was related to me by Hilda, who recalled how he came to the aid of my uncle, Irving Wallace, in the years before Irving made his mark as a bestselling author. It was the late 1950s, my uncle was struggling financially, and Sam came to his rescue by hiring him to write several episodes of “Have Gun.” My uncle was forever grateful—it’s what true friends do for one another—and their friendship lasted for the rest of their lives.
Needless to say, Sam’s inventiveness in developing for Norman Felton the world of U.N.C.L.E.—including the show’s format, tone and characters—is something for which we will be forever grateful.
For any of you who haven’t yet done so, I strongly recommend reading Sam’s original outline for “The Man from UNCLE.” It is an extraordinary document that is, in effect, a master blueprint for the U.N.C.L.E. organization—its function, personnel, and the nature of its affairs. It’s no accident that such a well thought-out and detailed treatise for this series—when respected and faithfully executed by the show’s production team—resulted in a product that earned such a far-flung, intense and loyal following in the mid-1960s and beyond.
Just as Bond author-to-be Ian Fleming wrote a 72-page blueprint for the U.S. intelligence agency that would become the OSS and eventually the CIA, Sam created the plans for a multi-national law enforcement network that might very well have been adapted in real life. So much so that—with the aid of an acknowledgment to U.N.C.L.E. at the end of every episode — TV viewers across the U.S. believed that was the case.
On behalf of all the fans of “U.N.C.L.E.,” here is thanks to Sam and Norman both, without whose ideas, drive, and ceaseless creative energy, this TV program—and today’s 50-year anniversary celebration—would not have been possible.
Danny Biederman
Museum
Photos by Alan Stephenson
Licensed Merchandise Display
Photos by Alan Stephenson
The U.N.C.L.E. Car
Photos by Alan Stephenson
Booksignings
Photos by Kirk Roderrick, Jon Heitla
Exhibitors
Photos by Brad Ferguson
Soiree
Photos by Alan Stephenson, Rob Waxman
Concert
Photos by Alan Stephenson
Video by Arthur Greenwald
The attendee "New U.N.C.L.E. Recruit" Goodie Bag from Lisa Lazarus
Photo by: Kirk Roderick