Re: What Culp SHOULD/COULD have starred in

Hey Mona, what a great provocative, intriguing question ...

I have to admit I have great difficulty seeing other people in roles, when someone else has made it famous or is intrinsically tied to that role. Like William Boyd will ALWAYS be Hopalong Cassidy and Raymond Burr IS Perry Mason.

Our Bob narrated to 2 really interesting DVDs called HOLLYWOOD SCREEN TESTS .... where you can see famous actors trying out for roles that they didn't get. There's Mia Farrow trying out for "Sound of Music," Sean Connery trying out for "The Inn of Sixth Happiness" (which Curt Jurgens got), Walter Matthau trying out for Tom Ewell's role in "The Seven Year Itch." The best ones are seeing the actors who tried out for the role of BATMAN and ROBIN in the TV series - the roles Adam West and Burt Ward made famous. These are lots of fun to watch ....





But it also changes your perceptions, which is what I am trying to do here, picturing our Bob in a role we associate with someone else. And as has been said before, what a shame that Bob didn't get more roles that were truly worthy of his talent along the way.


O.K. here's a few thoughts ....

SPACE 1999 - Simon beat me to this one. This is the role Sylvia Anderson wanted Bob for, and her husband Gerry didn't. He won! Cdmr. Koening would have been an interesting role for Culp, and I think he would have done a good job adding his own unique twist to the character. (I also think he would have done a good job filling out those cute spandex space outfits they wore.)

For more on Bob, the Andersons, and "Space 1999," check out

http://www.network54.com/Forum/172251/message/1182964661/


Then there's THE MAGNIFICENT SEVEN .... Culp would have been brilliant in that - an asset to that great ensemble of actors. He probably would have been best in Robert Vaughn's role, which Robert Vaughn did magnificently. How about THE MAGNIFICENT EIGHT, adding a Thomas Luther Price character (from "Hannie Caulder") to the mix?



Now David Janssen "was" THE FUGITIVE ... he was perfect as that character, but in an alternate universe, Bob would have done very well in that role.

Then there is the wonderful actor "William Holden" and his assortment of fantastic roles. I think Bob would have been equally wonderful in many of them, with more of a psychological edge thrown in. Holden was amazing in these roles, but I can see Bob in them, also. There's the character of "Joe Gillis" in SUNSET BOULEVARD floating in that swimming pool, "Mark Elliott" in LOVE IS A MANY SPLENDID THING, and especially in the role of "Robert Lomax" in THE WORLD OF SUZIE WONG.

I'm using pics here of William Shatner and Ms. Nuyen in the Broadway stage production of "SUZIE WONG" (instead of Holden and Nancy Kwan in the movie version ... for obvious reasons).








And then there are the suave, sophisticated Cary Grant comedies ... which Bob would also have done beautifully ... like CHARADE, TO CATCH A THIEF, etc., etc. to a thriller like NORTH BY NORTHWEST.

And last, I always thought it was a terrible shame that Bob never guest starred on BOSTON LEGAL during its run. That show had so many bizarre things going on, Bob could have enhanced any episode with some sort of uniquely quirky character. And it would have been great fun to see him up against Shatner and Spader. Alas, it was not to be!

Thanks, Mona - great topic!! Looking forward to hearing more!!


As always,

Tatia




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