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Napoleon Solo
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Napoleon Solo is a fictional character from the 1960s TV spy series The Man from U.N.C.L.E. The series was remarkable for pairing the American Solo and the Russian Illya Kuryakin as two spies who work together for an international espionage organisation at the height of The Cold War. Solo was played by Robert Vaughn.
character was created by Ian Fleming as a small screen version of James Bond. Solo possesses a charm, sophistication, efficiency and weakness for beautiful women comparable to Bond's.
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Encyclopedia
Napoleon Solo is a fictional character from the 1960s TV spy series The Man from U.N.C.L.E. The series was remarkable for pairing the American Solo and the Russian Illya Kuryakin as two spies who work together for an international espionage organisation at the height of The Cold War. Solo was played by Robert Vaughn.
Background
The character was created by Ian Fleming as a small screen version of James Bond. Solo possesses a charm, sophistication, efficiency and weakness for beautiful women comparable to Bond's. However, Solo is considerably less intense and less brutal than the English spy, and possesses a laid-back ease which recalls the young Cary Grant. The original concept had Solo as a Canadian, however he is consistently referred to as an American in the show.
Solo is Number One in Section Two (Operations and Enforcement) at U.N.C.L.E. (For reasons unexplained in the show, the number on his official badge is '11'.) It was originally intended that Solo would be the primary focus of the series, however the unexpected popularity of the Russian agent, Illya Kuryakin played by David McCallum, saw McCallum elevated to co-star status. Most of the episodes devote equal screen time to Kuryakin and Solo and much of the success of the programme was based on McCallum and Vaughn's chemistry.
Personality
The two characters are, in many ways, polar opposites. Solo is urbane, self-assured, sociable, charming and laid-back. Kuryakin, on the other hand, is reserved, intellectual and intense. Although we know almost as little about his background as we do about that of his Russian partner, Solo comes across as the more relatable and straightforward of the two men.
He dresses well, and has a taste for expensive suits and ties. Neither his hairstyle nor his clothing change to reflect evolving 60s fashions throughout the four years of the series.
In "The Secret Sceptre Affair" it is stated that Solo served in Korea. Nothing much is known about his immediate family, although it appears one of his grandfathers was an admiral, the other was an ambassador ("The Green Opal Affair"). He is college educated. Like his partner he has a wide knowledge of English poetry. Unlike his partner he lacks a broad knowledge of science and technology. He is skilled in martial arts, he can fly a plane and a helicopter.
Like Bond, Solo is a serial womaniser. We rarely see him treat a woman with anything other than respect and affection on screen, however he is involved with countless women and does not maintain a single stable relationship throughout the four years of the show. Although it is never mentioned in the series, one of the original suggestions for Solo’s background had him marrying young and losing his wife in a car accident after only a year of marriage. The only ex-girlfriend of Solo’s who is given any extended screen time is Clara in “The Terbuf Affair” where it is hinted that Solo may be nursing a broken heart as a result of the end of that relationship. In “The Deadly Games Affair” it is revealed that he has a long standing on-off relationship with the THRUSH femme fatale, Angelique. He also takes an interest in other people’s romantic affairs. He plays matchmaker on more than one occasion throughout the series and in "The Deep Six Affair" he objects to Mr. Waverly’s trying to call off wedding of another U.N.C.L.E. agent.
His charm and social skills are his most potent weapons allowing him to manipulate almost every situation to his own advantage. He is keenly aware of his abilities in this area. When in "The Candidate’s Wife Affair" Kuryakin sees him romancing a woman and asks in exasperation “Don’t you ever turn it off?” Solo responds "When you’ve got it, you’ve got it - I’ve got it”. There is a certain idealism at the heart of his character. In "The Giuoco Piano Affair" a THRUSH operative offers this summary of Solo's character
"For a man like you, if there's the smallest doubt in your mind, no matter how insignificant the cause, you have to make the ultimate sacrifice. Your respect for what you think is right is your weakness."
Solo is also an indefatigable optimist, who rarely, if ever, countenances the idea that he might not succeed in everything he attempts. He also has a cool head. Unlike his Russian associate he rarely exhibits anger or loses his temper.
Afterlife
The Man from U.N.C.L.E. was cancelled mid-way through its fourth season in 1968. Vaughn reprised the role of Solo for a TV movie “The Return of the Man from UNCLE: The Fifteen Years Later Affair”, in 1983.
The character has enjoyed a rich afterlife in fandom, particularly in fan fiction.
The Danish SKA band Napoleon Solo are named after him.
El Paso post-hardcore band At the Drive-In have a song named Napoleon Solo on their album In/Casino/Out.
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