Today is the 83rd birthday of Robert Vaughn.
Vaughn is a legendary actor of diverse talents who has brought charisma and a sense of gravity to every role. His resume includes cult films such as Roger Corman's Teenage Caveman (in which Vaughn was the title character in a jungle that appeared rather flimsy) and Hollywood prestige pictures like The Young Philadelphians for which the acclaim the actor achieved resulted in an Oscar nomination. Vaughn often found himself working alongside tinsel town's top talent and never failed to hold his own or outshine them. Along with Steve McQueen and Charles Bronson, he was part of the line up of current or impending mega stars that reinterpreted Akira Kurosawa's Seven Samurai for American audiences in the form of The Magnificent Seven. Vaughn portrayed a cold hearted gunslinger who carried out his work without a twinge of feeling - although such actions would seem to haunt him.
Humble in stardom, Vaughn seemed happy to give audiences what they wanted and returned to this famous character type to play an interstellar mercenary in Roger Corman's low budget outer space adventure Battle Beyond The Stars which I recently viewed and found just as exciting as when I was a kid. Robert Vaughn also directly revisited The Magnificent Seven's recent TV version as a judge. I met one of that show's stars, Dale Midkiff who spoke of Vaughn's appearance with respect.
Robert Vaughn occasionally appears at conventions. I've been lucky enough to see him twice. Both time I've been impressed by his intelligent demeanor. At The Dean Martin Expo in New York City he gave an intriguing Q&A in which along with tales from his career he discussed differences between British and American TV. Vaughn could certainly be an expert on the subject.
Thanks to the success of James Bond in the movies, 60's television was dominated by spies. Other British spies included Patrick McGoohan's John Drake who was a no nonsense agent, uninterested in frivolous activities or guns as he tried to keep the world safe and Patrick Macnee's John Steed who sported a bowler and was armed with an umbrella as he teamed with a series of lethal lovelies to fend off enemy agents.
Robert Vaughn and David MCallum shot to international stardom in the TV series The Man From U.N.C.L.E.. The show offered the weekly international adventures of U.N.C.L.E. agents Napoleon Solo (Vaughn) and Illya Kuryakin (McCallum) as they fended off evil madmen, usually in service to the sinister organization called T.H.R.U.S.H.. The series started in black and white with rather conventional tales of espionage and daring do. In the second season the series shifted to color - and much more colorful adventures. Solo and Kuryakin generally approached their problem separately (but not always) and generally found a civilian embroiled in the case either to be used or rescued.
Many other TV shows such as Murder She Wrote have been favorably graced by Robert Vaughn's appearance.
Recently Robert Vaughn starred as Albert on the British TV series Hustle, which followed the complex plans of a group of relatively kind hearted con men. I couldn't help but smile as I weekly watched Vaughn star in Hustle and David McCallum star in NCIS. I guess you can't keep a good spy down!
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| Robert Vaughn & I at the Dean Martin Expo - June 2014. |
