Robert Culp RIP

Posted by Unknown on Thursday, March 25, 2010
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Just watch any episode of I Spy and you'll see why Robert Culp will be remembered.

5 comments:

Creginald Vandercleve said...

Talented guy, and a very versatile actor.

I almost forgot about those Columbo appearances!

P.S. I'm too cheap to buy the DVD sets: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bcStsqxfnu0

12:37 PM
Unknown said...

I gonna rent the first disc. I may buy the DVD set once I see it. I Spy still holds up. Damn good show.

12:40 PM
Steve Harrison said...

observations:

It was always interesting to me that Culp was generally pictured with a Walther P-38k (the short barrel version of the classic P-38) in what must have been a clear attempt to ride the Man from U.N.C.L.E. train (you don't really want me to go on about the differences between the P-38k and the UNCLE Special which was modified from a standard P-38, right?)

For all the ragging William Shatner gets for his mannered acting, Culp had the same odd delivery style. The pauses, the whole thing. Go ahead, watch his The Outer Limits episodes or I Spy, it'll leap out at you.

I put 2010 officially ON NOTICE at the start and now we've lost two of our top TV spies. STAY AWAY FROM ROBERT VAUGHN, 2010! YOU JUST LEAVE THAT MAN ALONE!

1:27 PM
Unknown said...

The difference between Culp and Shatner's delivery style is that Culp's pauses were from ensemble acting. Culp's pauses weren't really pauses, they were beats. Watch a scene with Culp and Cosby and you can see a rhythm, Culp responds to the Cos. Meanwhile Shatner tends to monologue even when he's sharing a scene. His delivery is all about HIM. Shatner acting is focused on Shatner.

I've never really been a big fan of Man From U.N.C.L.E. or Mission Impossible (Peter Graves RIP). Of the spy TV shows I watched the most it was Secret Agent Man and I Spy. Never really got into Roger Moore's The Saint, either.

2:42 PM
Creginald Vandercleve said...

That first/pilot episode is solid -- I like the Cos just fine as a comedic actor or stand-up comedian, but he does a pretty good straight/serious character actor as well; Shame he never did more of the same!

11:25 PM

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