Hmm
So. I watched a movie that David McCallum was in--a WWII movie called Mosquito Squadron. It was really good and David had tons and tons of screentime, but man, was it depressing...
Basically, the movie is about an RAF squadron, and David's character, Quint, is in the squadron with his best friend/surrogate brother (whose parents took Quint in after Quint's parents died) Scotty, who is the Squadron Leader. Scotty is shot down and presumed dead on a routine mission, and Quint has to break the news to his now-widow and Scotty's parents. The widow, though grieving, turns to Quint for comfort, and she ends up falling for him (which really made me go "????"--that seemed so unrealistic), but you can tell that Quint feel super-awkward about it, especially when he doesn't respond to her attempts to initiate kisses, and it's forever before he reciprocates (and his body language clearly says that it just doesn't seem right to him).
Quint becomes the Squadron Leader, and their higher-ups instruct them that they have to hit a target in Occupied France where the Germans are constructing new, powerful rockets. But there's a catch--the Germans are keeping British P.O.W.s there as a shield, and send them taunting filmstrip footage--footage that reveals Scotty to be very much alive. Quint is stunned, and is then horrified when the higher-ups say that they have to write the P.O.W.s off as a loss and destroy the rockets and the whole place.
...So one thing I'm very glad is that never once does Quint think Scotty's return will spell ruin for him; he immediately speaks out against the plan but is told that it's a direct order (and in one scene, is actually crying because he's been ordered to kill his best friend and several more innocents and there's nothing he can do about it). Finally, he convinces the higher ups to let his squadron go first, target the rockets and the wall keeping the prisoners in and then letting the Underground get the prisoners out just ahead of the rest of the RAF fighters who will arrive to destroy everything. And the higher-ups finally agree.
And then what actually happens... The squadron goes first and they succeed in doing their part and getting the rockets while getting the prisoners out... but they are all shot down and Quint is the only survivor; he joins the fleeing prisoners and meets with Scotty--only to find out that Scotty is amnesiac from injuries sustained when shot down. While being pursued by a German tank, Quint desperately tries to bring Scotty's memory back, but it doesn't work until moments before Scotty decides to sacrifice himself to take out the tank and cover the retreat; his memory comes back literally seconds before he dies and the tank blows up. Quint returns to England with the other survivors and though the higher-ups give him accolades for taking out the rockets and saving as many prisoners as he did, he just isn't feeling it, and, resigned, goes back to Scotty's widow. ...I just can't help but think it was poor writing, and that Scotty was basically fridged so that Quint could get the girl. Really, I would have wanted Scotty to come back and be with his wife again, and Quint being happy for them--you could tell that Quint was devastated by losing Scotty twice and only wanted him back more than anything. So yes, a good movie, but so depressing.
And more of the 30-Day MFU meme--
Day 7: Favorite member of U.N.C.L.E.
Napoleon Solo-the brave hero, fighting the good fight. It’s a tough life he lives, but with Illya by his side, he has no complaints. He keeps on keeping on, and manages to stay optimistic through it all, smiling a defiant grin in the face of danger. And he’s always trying to grant mercy to his foes, while having the wisdom to know when they are not worthy of mercy.
He’s a good man and a man of honor, and the world needs more like him.
Day 8: Least favorite member of U.N.C.L.E.
Strothers, from “The Summit Five Affair.” He tortured and broke my darling and grinned in his face while he did so.
Day 9: Favorite villain
It has to be G. Emory Partridge for me, no contest. Aside from the fact that he’s a clever and shrew adversary for Napoleon who knows that his weakness is Illya, he has the honor of being only one of two villains to ever make a repeat appearance, and with the backstory about him versus Napoleon, it makes him the closest thing to an archenemy for our brave hero from U.N.C.L.E.
Honorable mention to Viktor Karmak, played by Darren McGavin, who, interestingly enough, has a very similar backstory regarding his offscreen encounter with Napoleon (makes me wonder whether it was supposed to have been Emory in the Deadly Quest Affair and George Sanders wasn’t available, so they went with a new character played by Darren…)
Also honorable mention to Victor Marton, played by Vincent Price, who is… less of a villain and more a frenemy than anything else…
Day 10: Least favorite villain
The villains of “Casbah” for setting up that scene I despise with every fiber of my being…
(I’m sorry, but that scene makes me so angry…)
Day 11: Favorite innocent
Janet Jerrod, from “The Off-Broadway Affair.” Why? Well, aside from the fact she is a smol, ginger dancing queen, it’s mostly because she was played by Shari Lewis, and I used to watch her show on PBS when I was a little kid, so… Yeah. Familiar face. Nostalgia. You know how it is…
Day 12: Least favorite innocent
Marion Raven. Not so much the character, but I really cannot stand the actress after hearing how badly she treated David in real life. So the character is subsequently ruined for me, too--as well as the other characters she played.
And of course, also the innocents in “Casbah” for setting up that scene I despise. But at the end of the day, “Casbah” is fiction and I can exclude it from the timeline. Everything that woman did to David is sadly real.
Basically, the movie is about an RAF squadron, and David's character, Quint, is in the squadron with his best friend/surrogate brother (whose parents took Quint in after Quint's parents died) Scotty, who is the Squadron Leader. Scotty is shot down and presumed dead on a routine mission, and Quint has to break the news to his now-widow and Scotty's parents. The widow, though grieving, turns to Quint for comfort, and she ends up falling for him (which really made me go "????"--that seemed so unrealistic), but you can tell that Quint feel super-awkward about it, especially when he doesn't respond to her attempts to initiate kisses, and it's forever before he reciprocates (and his body language clearly says that it just doesn't seem right to him).
Quint becomes the Squadron Leader, and their higher-ups instruct them that they have to hit a target in Occupied France where the Germans are constructing new, powerful rockets. But there's a catch--the Germans are keeping British P.O.W.s there as a shield, and send them taunting filmstrip footage--footage that reveals Scotty to be very much alive. Quint is stunned, and is then horrified when the higher-ups say that they have to write the P.O.W.s off as a loss and destroy the rockets and the whole place.
...So one thing I'm very glad is that never once does Quint think Scotty's return will spell ruin for him; he immediately speaks out against the plan but is told that it's a direct order (and in one scene, is actually crying because he's been ordered to kill his best friend and several more innocents and there's nothing he can do about it). Finally, he convinces the higher ups to let his squadron go first, target the rockets and the wall keeping the prisoners in and then letting the Underground get the prisoners out just ahead of the rest of the RAF fighters who will arrive to destroy everything. And the higher-ups finally agree.
And then what actually happens... The squadron goes first and they succeed in doing their part and getting the rockets while getting the prisoners out... but they are all shot down and Quint is the only survivor; he joins the fleeing prisoners and meets with Scotty--only to find out that Scotty is amnesiac from injuries sustained when shot down. While being pursued by a German tank, Quint desperately tries to bring Scotty's memory back, but it doesn't work until moments before Scotty decides to sacrifice himself to take out the tank and cover the retreat; his memory comes back literally seconds before he dies and the tank blows up. Quint returns to England with the other survivors and though the higher-ups give him accolades for taking out the rockets and saving as many prisoners as he did, he just isn't feeling it, and, resigned, goes back to Scotty's widow. ...I just can't help but think it was poor writing, and that Scotty was basically fridged so that Quint could get the girl. Really, I would have wanted Scotty to come back and be with his wife again, and Quint being happy for them--you could tell that Quint was devastated by losing Scotty twice and only wanted him back more than anything. So yes, a good movie, but so depressing.
And more of the 30-Day MFU meme--
Day 7: Favorite member of U.N.C.L.E.
Napoleon Solo-the brave hero, fighting the good fight. It’s a tough life he lives, but with Illya by his side, he has no complaints. He keeps on keeping on, and manages to stay optimistic through it all, smiling a defiant grin in the face of danger. And he’s always trying to grant mercy to his foes, while having the wisdom to know when they are not worthy of mercy.
He’s a good man and a man of honor, and the world needs more like him.
Day 8: Least favorite member of U.N.C.L.E.
Strothers, from “The Summit Five Affair.” He tortured and broke my darling and grinned in his face while he did so.
Day 9: Favorite villain
It has to be G. Emory Partridge for me, no contest. Aside from the fact that he’s a clever and shrew adversary for Napoleon who knows that his weakness is Illya, he has the honor of being only one of two villains to ever make a repeat appearance, and with the backstory about him versus Napoleon, it makes him the closest thing to an archenemy for our brave hero from U.N.C.L.E.
Honorable mention to Viktor Karmak, played by Darren McGavin, who, interestingly enough, has a very similar backstory regarding his offscreen encounter with Napoleon (makes me wonder whether it was supposed to have been Emory in the Deadly Quest Affair and George Sanders wasn’t available, so they went with a new character played by Darren…)
Also honorable mention to Victor Marton, played by Vincent Price, who is… less of a villain and more a frenemy than anything else…
Day 10: Least favorite villain
The villains of “Casbah” for setting up that scene I despise with every fiber of my being…
(I’m sorry, but that scene makes me so angry…)
Day 11: Favorite innocent
Janet Jerrod, from “The Off-Broadway Affair.” Why? Well, aside from the fact she is a smol, ginger dancing queen, it’s mostly because she was played by Shari Lewis, and I used to watch her show on PBS when I was a little kid, so… Yeah. Familiar face. Nostalgia. You know how it is…
Day 12: Least favorite innocent
Marion Raven. Not so much the character, but I really cannot stand the actress after hearing how badly she treated David in real life. So the character is subsequently ruined for me, too--as well as the other characters she played.
And of course, also the innocents in “Casbah” for setting up that scene I despise. But at the end of the day, “Casbah” is fiction and I can exclude it from the timeline. Everything that woman did to David is sadly real.