Hello, all,

I have not been able to go to movies for the last three months, with so much otherwise in my life going on. So, in the last 8 days I've watched on DVD: The Reader, Bolt, Frost/Nixon, The Curious Case of Benjamin Button, and Seven Pounds. I found "Seven Pounds" to be the best movie of them all (being particular UNimpressed with Reader and Benjamin Button), particularly Noir, intriguing and thoughtful.

It is my opinion that Culp would have done marvelously in Will Smith's starring role in "Seven Pounds" if it had been filmed in the late 60s/early 70s.

Any other movies that people think Culp would/should have been in--any genre will do!

Mona

Well, I don't know about movies, but I would certainly have liked to see him in the starring role in the tv series SPACE:1999. It's long been mentioned that he was at least interviewed by Gerry and Sylvia Anderson for the role, and Sylvia Anderson has long said that she would have loved him in the role as Commander Koenig.

That's not to say that Martin Landau didn't do a great job because he clearly did. But I can't help wondering what Robert Culp would have brought to the role. And it would have been great to see him writing scripts for the series too.

Plus, I guess it would have been cool having Mr Culp filming here in England for a few years...

With all respect to Alan Alda, who was wonderful in the role, imagine Bob as Senator Arnie Vinick in the last couple of seasons of "The West Wing."

And, while I can't think of a specific character he should have played, I'd have loved to have seen him in Joss Whedon's series "Firefly." Whedon came up with a wonderful kind of use of language for that series, and I think Bob Culp could have hit that very descriptive and literary dialogue out of the park.

Hello, Jonathan,

Firefly was a great show and a good movie, too. I think Culp could have indeed been a very good Whedon, but I think he probably might have given the Captain a little more spark and animation than the somewhat reserved man Whedon portrayed, which would have worked well, too, in the series.

Mona

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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I do sometimes see Culp fitting in in a lot if tv roles..."Mannix," for example, sometimes I catch myself playing the pointless game of how would Culp rewrite this line just to irritate the writers while watching "Mannix." I was just watching 3 DAYS OF THE CONDOR and thought he might do something interesting with the Cliff Robertson part.

Gotta agree with you 100% there, Tatia, that Culp would have been terrific even as a temporary character on Boston Legal and his liberal politics would certainly have matched Alan Shore's. We all know that Culp can so magnificently manifest quirky individual traits and attitudes, and the odd yet endearing selection of humanity which Boston Legal illustrated weekly was a perfect fit for Culp as either respected lawyer or eccentric plaintiff. Perhaps in some alternate TV universe Culp was allowed to shine on that show.

Also, yes, I think he would have done a terrific job on an Alfred Hitchcock movie--replacing either Jimmy Stewarts or Cary Grant's role with equal or superlative flair. I also think he might have done well in "It's a Wonderful Life", which predates him, yes, but Culp can swing so masterfully between happiness and despair in his roles.

And, of course, he would have been great as JR in Dallas, even though that is a myth, that he was contacted to replace Hagman.

Mona

Robert would have been perfect as Jack O'Neill on "Stargate SG1." It would have been a combo of Hoby and Kelly in space. Without the booze and not as many women.
Currently he would shine as Walter, the wacky old scientist on "Fringe." So much for the sci-fi.
Paul Newman's part in "The Towering Inferno."
Alexander Mundy in "It Takes A Thief."
Jim Rockford on "The Rockford Files." A lighter dective role than his Lou Corbin in "Killjoy."
Lewis on "The Drew Carey Show." Nah, just kidding.
Det. Sgt. Dietrich (Steve Landesberg's role) on Barney Miller.
Random thoughts:
I've always wondered why he wasn't in "The Great Escape."