This is entirely possible. I know that there were both color and B&W versions of the first Star Trek pilot; for many years, it was thought that all color prints (or negatives) of it had been lost, and it was the B&W version that I saw when Roddenberry spoke at the College of St Catherine in St Paul in 1986 or '87. A color print (or negative) was discovered in a vault by happy accident a couple of years later and was released on video under its original title The Cage (to avoid confusion with the TOS two-parter “The Menagerie”).
Some markets in those days (the 1960s) required different prints for broadcast; I know Canadian television used 16mm prints instead of the American 35mm. Whether they had to be in B&W as well, I can’t say. It’s possible, though, since there were so few color home sets up until 1966 or '67 even in the US, and those that were available were highly expensive and of mediocre quality.
Interesting. Too bad there isn’t a clip of Espionage on Youtube. And now that I know where the ‘Fritz Weaver’ thing is in the Man From Uncle wipes, I don’t even have to go in slo-mo to see it. I see it for an instant at regular speed. If you imagine the entire wipe takes, say, 100 frames, it’s somewhere in the first 10 - 20 frames… very close to the start of the wipe.
Yes, it is; I’d love to see some of the episodes myself. The full cast list contains a remarkable collection of period talent that includes Ian Fleming (!), Sian Phillips (Livia in I, Claudius), Martin Balsam, Louise Sorrel (Rayna in Star Trek), Bradford Dillman, Steven Hill (the original leader of the IMF on Mission: Impossible), Anthony Quayle, Donald Pleasance, Bernard Lee (“M” of James Bond fame), Millicent Martin, Dennis Hopper, Patricia Neal, Diane Cilento (Sean Connery’s wife) … the list goes on and on!
Holy moly! I just watched Disc 5 of season 3. The Fritz Weaver lettering is reversed (mirrored) on a few wipes. But the background picture isn’t. The mystery continues.
(I got the entire Man From Uncle collection as a b-day present from my kids this year. They knew I used to watch the shoe religiously with my dad back then.)
Just in case anyone remembers this thread, the Tower Bridge with Fritz Weaver’s credit was cribbed from the unaired pilot for the series, originally titled ‘Solo.’ Instead of Mr. Waverly, played by Leo G. Carroll, the head of UNCLE is portrayed by Will Kuluva. I’m inferring from the posts above that this was not included with the DVD collection. And it was in color. I have a copy.
