David McCallum

[MitchW]

From the great Illya Kuryakin to the great Dr. Donald Mallard on NCIS (Ducky). At one time maybe more popular than you know who in the mid-60s.

At 90 - RIP.

https://www.theguardian.com/tv-and-radio/gallery/2023/sep/26/david-mccallum-a-life-in-pictures

As an aside, his side Val is a guitarist who has played with a few well-known singer/songwriters, and is in a band called Jackshit.  

[maison rustique]

I had such a crush on him back in Ilya days. RIP

[Sneakeater]

2 hours ago, MitchW said:

As an aside, his side Val is a guitarist who has played with a few well-known singer/songwriters, and is in a band called Jackshit.  

And his dad was a famous orchestral violinist, concertmaster of one or two of the London orchestras.

[Wilfrid]

I think I had a crush on him back in the Ilya days.

My fondest memory, however, is seeing him as the Narrator in the musical version of "The Hunting of the Snark," inadvertently the funniest musical ever staged. I can list many moments from it, but let me just share this gem. The Beaver was played by the only female cast member, who was compelled to sing the memorable ditty "I'm the only beaver on this boat."

[Sneakeater]

Here's one of my favorite "Inside Baseball" Hollywood stories that actually has relevance here.

In the original version of the pilot of The Man from U.N.C.L.E., the head of U.N.C.L.E. isn't Mr. Waverly, played by Leo G. Carroll, but one Mr. Alllison, played by an actor named Will Kuluva.

As is noted in many of his obituaries, David McCallum's "Illya" role is very limited in the pilot: a couple of lines and that's it.

Some influential NBC person viewed the pilot and considered the "Illya" character to be surplussage and so sent a note, "Get rid of the 'K' guy."   Meaning Ilya.

Whoever got the note on the The Man from U.N.C.L.E. production team misread it  He thought "the 'K' guy" meant Will Kuluva, and so fired Kuluva and and replaced his "Mr. Allison" with Leo G. Carroll's "Mr. Waverly".  David McCallum's "Illya Kuryakin" stayed on and, as we know, eventually took off and became an entrenched part of The Sixties.

Edited September 28, 2023 by Sneakeater

[Sneakeater]

Which, given McCallum's politics as subsequently revealed, is kind of ironic.

But we're properly not allowed to talk about that here.

Edited September 27, 2023 by Sneakeater

[Wilfrid]

I did not know that story.

I think I still have a copy of the Man From Uncle magazine. That was a thing. Small format story magazine, Ellery Queen-style.

[Sneakeater]

A tribute to David McCallum:

https://madcoversite.com/mad096-07.html

[Sneakeater]

Did he EVER finish putting that gun together?

 

I'll leave it someone else to talk about Jill Ireland.

Edited September 28, 2023 by Sneakeater

[MitchW]

Plus Don Martin!

[Sneakeater]

What's weird is that I very clearly remember that issue from when it came out.

Including the Don Martin.

[Wilfrid]

He did put the gun together!