Hi everyone,
Most interesting posting, Mona!! I had always thought Bob's comment about Kelly in that interview was done "tongue-in-check." Earlier
both Robert Vaughn and Culp claimed that "Sean Connery" would be the best choice to play them (though Vaughn's first choice was Ellen Degeneres).
Here's the whole article called WRY SPIES. It came out in TV Guide when Dick Van Dyke's DIAGNOSIS MURDER did a spy reunion show called "Discards" - with Culp, Vaughn, Barbara Bain, Patrick McNee, and Phil Morris (Greg Morris's son). The show was very well put together. To read an excellent article about this show, follow the link at the bottom of the WRY SPIES page. The premise of the story is about an older, very Kelly-like character (Dane Travis) who must deal with the repercussions and guilt of killing his partner (who sounds very Scotty-like) in an operation that went wrong many years earlier. Someone is now trying to kill Dane, who has been relegated these days to being a paper-pusher in a government office. The story very neatly ties in all the old spy characters - who appear very similar to their earlier incarnations. Barbara Bain even gets to use the name Cinnamon Carter, though the others have been assigned new names for this outing. Lots of twists, turns, revelations, and a "Trojan Horse" plus some action and humor, add psychological and emotional elements to this well-done story.
http://www.network54.com/Forum/172251/message/1175537279/
But ... I think I have to agree with Jim here, Mona. Kelly had a very deep, dark side to him .... and if Scotty's presence was ever absent in his life (for whatever reason), I think our Mr. Robinson would easily fall down Alice's rabbit hole and not land too well. The drinking and the womanizing were Kelly's way of escaping the pressures of, and dealing with, the reality of his life-and-death profession. It was a large part of his emotional and internal make-up. Scotty, who was in the same "spy business," didn't ever handle the stress in the same way. As Jim mentioned, if Scotty was around to help Kelly keep on track - all would be well. Scotty always provided "balance" and kept Kelly from falling into his darker self.
Here a small excerpt from John Tiger's “SuperKill” No. 3, Popular Library 1967 - which I think captures Kelly perfectly.
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“Do you spend much of your time in sewers, Mr. Robinson?”
“About half my life,” he replied with sudden harshness. “That’s the nature of my work. Global garbage man and international Roto-Rooter expert.”
She could see he was serious, and for a moment she wondered exactly how amusing and glamorous the life of espionage really was. She’d seen all the movies, but something bitter in the tennis bum’s voice told her that every one of those slick multi-million dollar productions was a lie. Without the wisecracks and free loving starlets scattered through the scripts ... they would be taut and ugly.
And frightening.
“Yes, dirty and scary,” he confirmed - reading the thought in her face. “That’s what all the smart talk is about, Miss Fitzgerald.”
“I’m not afraid with you,” she confided.
“You don’t have to be - I’m scared enough for both of us.”
~~~~~
Kelly often responded, when confronted with the death of a colleague, with lines like "that's what we are paid for" or "they knew that going in" and "that's why they issue us insurance policies" ... the constant thought that each day, each assignment could be their last. Kelly's deep, dark side was thankfully counteracted by Scotty's presence, his camaraderie, and his humor.
As to how Kelly would end up ..... I agree, that he would not be sitting in a button-down government corner office, as suggested in "I SPY RETURNS." Kelly was way too much of a maverick and rogue, and his dealings with authority and superiors were always right on the edge. These particular traits are not a great plus for job advancement in the government hierarchy. Perhaps he might end up free-lancing as a "security consultant/advisor" on international dealings - some type of job where he could use his "agent" expertise, but use it on his own terms.
Besides DIAGNOSIS MURDER'S "Discards," Culp was in 2 other shows in the 1990s where he played an older, a bit worn, but still sophisticated Kelly persona, who was in fact a free-lancing "security/consultant." This type of character came across very well. One was in the action film "Mercenary" which starred a strangely miscast John Ritter along with Martin Kove and Olivier Gruner - a very Jean-Claude Van Damme kind of guy. I can't say much positive about "Mercenary," except that it is worth watching just to see Culp's older Kelly-like character. The other was in a show called VIPER (yes, the super-car one) in the episode "Cold Warriors." This wasn't stellar, but again well worth watching to see Culp's portrayal of an "older Kelly-type" character.
Of course, as Jim and Culp both suggested, Kelly might have ended up "as an aging tennis bum and/or kept man" for some wealthy jet-setting widow. I also agree that a long-term permanent relationship (meaning wife, kids, dog, and crabgrass in the suburbs) would not be a likely scenario for our Kel, especially if he never came to terms with his own demons and continued to find solace in a bottle.
Hopefully Scotty would always be a presence in Kelly's life - much like the reality of Culp's and Cosby's ageless friendship. (That was one of many brainless things found in the "I SPY RETURNS" script - that Scotty and Kelly hadn't seen each other in over 25 years - they just sent Christmas cards to each other ... ????)
And as to Jim's suggestion that Kelly might possibly just end up " completely melting down and selling rugs in a little shop in Mexico".... Well Jim, that brings to mind that
strange license plate I saw 2 days in a row, parked in front of a store in the center of Taxco last year.
The car was parked just to the left of these stores in these THEN & NOW photos ... a marketplace Kelly was certainly familiar with in his travels there ... so who knows??
As always,
Tatia
Thanks again Mona for starting a great thread ... any more opinions out there?
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