A CULPABLE TALENT

March 25 . . .

Damn.

I read the paper this morning and saw the news that Robert Culp had died at age 80; apparently, he took a fall while on a walk.

Robert Culp was one of the most underrated actors, writers and directors ever to contribute to the small and large screen. He was never really given the credit he deserved, and he deserved a lot.

He’ll probably be best remembered for his role as tennis bum-cum-espionage agent Kelly Robinson in the TV series, ‘I Spy’, which ran on NBC from 1965-1968. The series set several precedents – deftly mixing humor, exotic locales, adventure and drama – but its greatest influence was probably in the inspired pairing of Culp and costar Bill Cosby as Kelly’s partner, Alexander Scott. The two partners had a singular chemistry together, nonchalantly tossing witticisms back and forth like hot potatoes, and basking in a relaxed repartee that was contagious to viewers. Cosby won an impressive two Emmys for his work on the series, and always acknowledged Culp as his mentor and teacher.

As an actor, Robert Culp made it look easy; he could vacillate between cocky self-mocking assurance and intense Method-school angst, sometimes within a single scene. His easy charm tended to mislead audiences into labeling Culp as a ‘lightweight’ actor, but he could mine a real depth when called upon to – and he was usually the only one who did the calling. He co-created ‘I Spy’, writing and directing several of the best episodes, and was justly proud of his accomplishments. ‘The Man From U.N.C.L.E.’ may have had the ratings and the press in its day – but ‘I Spy’ had the depth, class and production values that ‘U.N.C.L.E.’ could only aspire to. Seen today, ‘U.N.C.L.E.’ is clunky, cheap and anachronistic; ‘I Spy’ is fresh, surprising and, more often than not, substantive.

Culp and Cosby addressed the prickly issue of pairing an African American with a Caucasion on TV as equals in the 60s by simply not acknowledging it – a low-key but revolutionary attitude that had a huge influence on the medium afterward, not least in Cosby’s own subsequent series.

After the ‘I Spy’s demise, Culp went on to tread water in movies that never really took off. His biggest box office hit was ‘Bob & Carol & Ted & Alice’, a now-antiquated comedy on sexual mores of the 60s. In 1972, he reunited with Bill Cosby to star in, write and direct the rarely-seen film noir ‘Hickey & Boggs’. Audiences that came expecting a re-birth of the camaraderie of ‘I Spy’ were disappointed; ‘Hickey & Boggs’ was dark, violent and pessimistic. It flopped at the box office, and pretty much spelled the end of Culp’s creative contributions.

He scored a few roles in mediocre pictures, never really tapping into his talents. He did contribute memorable turns in a few episodes of ‘Columbo’ (along with fellow TV auteur Patrick McGoohan), and had a supporting role in the otherwise dreadful series, ‘The Greatest American Hero’, but his days as a mover and shaker in the industry were over. He could occasionally be seen in undemanding guest appearances (‘Everybody Loves Raymond’, ‘Cosby’, etc.) – it was easy to conjure the old charm. He also appeared in an ill-advised 1994 ‘I Spy’ reunion TV movie with Cosby (now top-billed), which failed to capture the quirky chemistry or irreverent wit of the original.

‘I Spy’ was issued a few years back on DVD – in pristine prints that seem like they were filmed yesterday. Pick one up today and watch an episode or two, and savor the ‘wonderfulness’ that was Culp and Cosby together.

Here's a clip of Robert Culp talking about 'I Spy' . .

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=v_qTbBgHrK8