An Odd Coincidence?
Posted on August 15th, 2010 by admin
So I’m watching the new VCI release of Red Barry and I notice something that had escaped me during my previous viewings, and had nothing to do with the quality of the picture on my previous copy. It finally struck me that the two Russian agents working for former Princess Natalia, who wear turtle neck shirts with their suits instead of the usual button down shirt and tie, is the exact look David McCallum had as Illya Kuriakin on The Man From U.N.C.L.E. Which brings up a question. Was this affectation a common look for Eastern Block Europeans that most people never noticed or just an odd coincidence that McCallum picked this look for his character?
According to a Man from U.N.C.L.E. book that I read many years ago, McCallum asked to wear either a turtle neck and black suit or a black tie and black suit because it would be simple for him as far as continuity was concerned. I think the fact that The Beatles were sometimes photographed wearing turtle neck sweaters at the time added to its fashion appeal. Of course, I also think that turtle necks were more commonly worn with suits or sport coats in Europe than here in the U.S. Therefore, I think the use of turtle necks in Red Barry was visual shorthand for “European type.”
Ah, and since McCallum is English he was probably more accustomed to the look than us Yanks, and didn’t give it a second thought. He must have surprised at the amount of fan attention paid to his look.