RIP Robert Culp
- Thread starter Dorian Thompson
- Start date
Re: RIP: Robert Culp
I been watching the first season of "The Greatest American Hero" on DVD this last week. This is SO eerie.
Fantastic Actor. I first saw that show when I was very young. He was always an actor I would recoginze in other roles over the years and enjoy him.
Very sad news.
I been watching the first season of "The Greatest American Hero" on DVD this last week. This is SO eerie.
Fantastic Actor. I first saw that show when I was very young. He was always an actor I would recoginze in other roles over the years and enjoy him.
Very sad news.
RobertScorpio
Pariah
Robert Culp passes away
Robert Culp, who starred in "I Spy," "Bob&Carol&Ted&Alice," "The Greatest American Hero" and other memorable roles passed away from a heart attack this afternoon. He was 79 years old. I saw Greatest American Hero for the first time in 30 years literally just yesterday. How sadly ironic.What a great, underrated gem that show was. Culp was the quintessential lovable curmudgeon as Agent Maxwell.
Hmm the other thread here in TV & Medis says he hit his head?
Anyhow I guess thats number 3
R.I.P. Mr. Culp.
And all from, mainly, the TV world.
Rob
It's no small coincidence that COLUMBO's best years were the first three--and those were the seasons in which Culp appeared. He plays the murderer in each of the first three, and you know what? He was always brilliant and so was Falk in his scenes alongside him.
Robert Culp's (1970s) COLUMBO appearances:
First Season: Death Lends a Hand
Second Season: The Most Crucial Game
Third Season: Double Exposure
"Double Exposure" is indeed the masterpiece of the three.
A nice retrospective on Culp's Columbo appearances from the Telegraph (UK):
Obituaries of Robert Culp, who died yesterday at 79, will no doubt focus on his work in the much-admired I-Spy show which ran on television for three years from 1965. In that series, Culp played Kelly Robinson, a secret agent who doubled as a Davis Cup tennis player. Bill Cosby was his partner. In films, Culp had one standout role – as the sophisticated Californian would-be swinger Bob in Paul Mazursky’s Bob and Carol and Ted and Alice, with Natalie Wood (as Bob’s wife Carol), Elliot Gould and Dyan Cannon.
To my mind, however, none of those roles will survive as long in the public imagination as the three villains Culp played in classic 1970s episodes of Columbo. Only Patrick McGoohan, to the best of my knowledge, played the baddie more times – four I think, compared with Culp’s three (plus Culp appeared in a 1990s special). Jack Cassidy, another proud, homicidal mastermind in the show, also acted in three episodes.
Culp’s episodes were, first, “Death Lends a Hand” in 1971, the least effective in my view, as a strange detective called Brimmer. Then in “The Most Crucial Game” the following year he was Paul Hanlon, megalomaniac boss of a football team. Hanlon bumps off the playboy who’s about to inherit the team and sets up an extraordinarily elaborate alibi involving bugged phonecalls, his dressing up as an mobile ice cream salesman, and using ice as a murder weapon.
Finally, the best one, “Double Exposure” (1973). This has all the hallmarks of vintage Columbo. You have, for example, the absurd, sociopathic arrogance of the murderer, motivational psychologist Dr Bart Keppel, and the very Seventies emphasis on up-to-the-minute technology – here subliminal advertising, reel to reel tape recorders and some faddish psychobabble.
I can’t see audiences ever tiring of Columbo. It has everything. And highly watchable, unflappable villains of the quality of Robert Culp were vital to its success. The Culp baddie – who had to be super-intelligent – would stop at nothing in the execution of his ruthless plan, but deployed a sort of urbane charm at the same time. He would greet Columbo’s annoying questions with a smile.
One of the reasons the 1990s two-hour revivals don’t work so well may be that the calibre of the villains declined in that period. The scripts and direction became much flabbier too. Originally, Columbo used the finest talents available. Steven Spielberg directed a gripping episode very early on – “Murder by the Book” (1971), with Jack Cassidy as a rich mystery writer, for whom it’s about to go terribly wrong. Stephen Bochco (Hill Street Blues, NYPD Blue etc) wrote the teleplay. And that Culp episode I mentioned, “Double Exposure”, was co-written by Stephen J Cannell, who later made The Rockford Files – the most good-natured and witty detective series of all time.
Obituaries of Robert Culp, who died yesterday at 79, will no doubt focus on his work in the much-admired I-Spy show which ran on television for three years from 1965. In that series, Culp played Kelly Robinson, a secret agent who doubled as a Davis Cup tennis player. Bill Cosby was his partner. In films, Culp had one standout role – as the sophisticated Californian would-be swinger Bob in Paul Mazursky’s Bob and Carol and Ted and Alice, with Natalie Wood (as Bob’s wife Carol), Elliot Gould and Dyan Cannon.
To my mind, however, none of those roles will survive as long in the public imagination as the three villains Culp played in classic 1970s episodes of Columbo. Only Patrick McGoohan, to the best of my knowledge, played the baddie more times – four I think, compared with Culp’s three (plus Culp appeared in a 1990s special). Jack Cassidy, another proud, homicidal mastermind in the show, also acted in three episodes.
Culp’s episodes were, first, “Death Lends a Hand” in 1971, the least effective in my view, as a strange detective called Brimmer. Then in “The Most Crucial Game” the following year he was Paul Hanlon, megalomaniac boss of a football team. Hanlon bumps off the playboy who’s about to inherit the team and sets up an extraordinarily elaborate alibi involving bugged phonecalls, his dressing up as an mobile ice cream salesman, and using ice as a murder weapon.
Finally, the best one, “Double Exposure” (1973). This has all the hallmarks of vintage Columbo. You have, for example, the absurd, sociopathic arrogance of the murderer, motivational psychologist Dr Bart Keppel, and the very Seventies emphasis on up-to-the-minute technology – here subliminal advertising, reel to reel tape recorders and some faddish psychobabble.
I can’t see audiences ever tiring of Columbo. It has everything. And highly watchable, unflappable villains of the quality of Robert Culp were vital to its success. The Culp baddie – who had to be super-intelligent – would stop at nothing in the execution of his ruthless plan, but deployed a sort of urbane charm at the same time. He would greet Columbo’s annoying questions with a smile.
One of the reasons the 1990s two-hour revivals don’t work so well may be that the calibre of the villains declined in that period. The scripts and direction became much flabbier too. Originally, Columbo used the finest talents available. Steven Spielberg directed a gripping episode very early on – “Murder by the Book” (1971), with Jack Cassidy as a rich mystery writer, for whom it’s about to go terribly wrong. Stephen Bochco (Hill Street Blues, NYPD Blue etc) wrote the teleplay. And that Culp episode I mentioned, “Double Exposure”, was co-written by Stephen J Cannell, who later made The Rockford Files – the most good-natured and witty detective series of all time.
Re: RIP: Robert Culp
I'd completely forgotten that he was involved with Half-Life2 as well. I'd like to think he got a kick out of the whole HAAAAAX! video fad that used Breen a little while ago. (Just type "Dr Hax" into Youtube and you'll find a ton of them - be warned a number of them are NSFW due to language and some images aren't for young eyes).
Alex
Rest in Peace, Dr Breen.
I'd completely forgotten that he was involved with Half-Life2 as well. I'd like to think he got a kick out of the whole HAAAAAX! video fad that used Breen a little while ago. (Just type "Dr Hax" into Youtube and you'll find a ton of them - be warned a number of them are NSFW due to language and some images aren't for young eyes).
Alex
Last edited:
Re: RIP: Robert Culp
Rest in peace, Mr. Culp... Loved him in everything I saw him in. The Greatest American Hero, though, was my favorite show as a kid, so that character comes to mind most readily. Hope the little green guys are taking good care of you, Maxwell....
Rest in peace, Mr. Culp... Loved him in everything I saw him in. The Greatest American Hero, though, was my favorite show as a kid, so that character comes to mind most readily. Hope the little green guys are taking good care of you, Maxwell....
Re: RIP: Robert Culp
Aw, dammit.
I loved watching old I Spy reruns when I was a kid.
Aw, dammit.
I loved watching old I Spy reruns when I was a kid.
Re: RIP: Robert Culp
So sad to hear this news this past week. The groundbreaking I Spy (which still holds up today, IMO) was one of my all time favorite T.V. shows. Culp's acting, writing, and his great humility are his legacy.
His friendship with Bill Cosby lasted well beyond the I Spy days. I went to the Playboy Jazz festival one year and watched Culp and Cosby (who hosted the show) carry on a long animated discussion at the edge of the stage between acts. I would have paid money to have heard that conversation.
RIP.
So sad to hear this news this past week. The groundbreaking I Spy (which still holds up today, IMO) was one of my all time favorite T.V. shows. Culp's acting, writing, and his great humility are his legacy.
His friendship with Bill Cosby lasted well beyond the I Spy days. I went to the Playboy Jazz festival one year and watched Culp and Cosby (who hosted the show) carry on a long animated discussion at the edge of the stage between acts. I would have paid money to have heard that conversation.
RIP.
Re: RIP: Robert Culp
Oh yeah, Cosby and Culp have been friends for years. They went to Memphis together in '68 immediately following the King assassination when the situation was still tense to help the striking workers. That's not something you do for a mere work buddy. Their chemistry still existed even when he guest starred on Cosby decades later.
William Katt was quite fond of him, too. He left a very sweet tribute to Culp on his facebook page with an '08 picture of him, Culp, and Connie Selleca together at Comic Con. He looked up to him, which isn't surprising.
Oh yeah, Cosby and Culp have been friends for years. They went to Memphis together in '68 immediately following the King assassination when the situation was still tense to help the striking workers. That's not something you do for a mere work buddy. Their chemistry still existed even when he guest starred on Cosby decades later.
William Katt was quite fond of him, too. He left a very sweet tribute to Culp on his facebook page with an '08 picture of him, Culp, and Connie Selleca together at Comic Con. He looked up to him, which isn't surprising.
Here's a fantastic article on why Culp was so effective and endearing as an actor, by John Nolte at Big Hollywood. IMO the author really nails it. Culp had a talent for making his characters seem larger than life without going over the top. Big characters rather than big acting.
One of the Greats
The author talks about a lot of Culp's roles, but he has particular affection for the Bill Maxwell role, as do I. Robert Culp wrote and directed the second season finale, "Lilacs, Mr. Maxwell" which IMO may be the best episode of the series. Culp knew how to touch the honest emotional notes. I had no idea he wrote it.
One of the Greats
The author talks about a lot of Culp's roles, but he has particular affection for the Bill Maxwell role, as do I. Robert Culp wrote and directed the second season finale, "Lilacs, Mr. Maxwell" which IMO may be the best episode of the series. Culp knew how to touch the honest emotional notes. I had no idea he wrote it.
I Spy was one of my favorite programs, and I enjoyed GAH too. His Star Trek connection is a Roddenberry pilot called Spectre, which also featured Majel Roddenberry. He was great in everything I saw him in.
We have lost a truly fine actor. RIP, Mr. Culp.
We have lost a truly fine actor. RIP, Mr. Culp.
RobertScorpio
Pariah
I love how he would square up his jaw, then fight to keep his cool as he said what ever he was going to say..he had that down.
Rob
Rob
