Title card for Telly Savalas in an episode of The Man From U.N.C.L.E. that would be re-edited into the movie The Karate Killer for international audiences
In the 1960s, American television series would re-edit episodes (often with additional footage) into movies for international release.
The Man From U.N.C.L.E. did eight such international movies. But other shows, such as The FBI and Mission: Impossible also followed this path.
Telly Savalas (1922-1994) appeared in two such productions, both filmed in early 1967. Savalas was an in-demand actor so it's not that surprising.
With U.N.C.L.E., Savalas was in The Five Daughters Affair, which was turned into the international movie The Karate Killers. According to The Man From U.N.C.L.E. Book by Jon Heitland, published in 1987, the TV and movie versions were filmed in February and March of 1967. The TV versions aired on NBC on March 31 and April 7, 1967.
With The FBI, the precise filming dates aren't known. But the TV versions of the two-part The Executioners aired on ABC on March 12 and 19, 1967. The two-parter would be edited into the movie Cosa Nostra, an Arch Enemy of the FBI.
Savalas likely spent more time working on The Executioners/Cosa Nostra. He was one of the main guest stars as a mobster who wants to quit but his partner (played by an older Walter Pidgeon) doesn't want to let him.
With The Five Daughters Affair/The Karate Killers, Savalas is part of a large cast but isn't the main antagonist. The main villain is played by Herbert Lom. Also, Savalas isn't the only future Bond film villain actor. The cast also includes Curt Jurgens.
In both cases, the productions had larger casts because the producers knew they'd have a larger revenue pool. The TV networks involved only showed the television versions once (in return for a piece of the movie action).
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