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November 12: Frank Flaherty

I absolutely love some of the suits that he wears!!!

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November 11: Open Channel D

An actor who makes a lasting impression on me whether it is through their work or just their personality always remains at the top as " a true class act" and with Mr. Robert Francis Vaughn, there's no exception.

Robert was more than an actor: he was a very intelligent, articulate person who had a PhD in communications and also became active in the anti-war movement who was against the Vietnam War. He, unfortunately, received a lot of backlash from his comments but was not afraid to speak his mind. He responded very well to certain questions and never held back on his answers. Robert was always an easy man to work with and people remembered him with fond memories. He had versatility to portray good guys (Napoleon Solo; Harry Rule; Lee) and the villains (General Hunt Stockwell; Frank Flaherty; Ross Webster).

Whether he played the bad guys (Columbo; Police Woman; Washington Behind Closed Doors; The A-Team; Bullitt) or the heroes (The Magnificent Seven; Man from U.N.C.L.E.; The Protectors), I always found myself rooting for him and one of the reasons why is because of Robert's personality. As the villains, he would always sneak a smile or smirk into certain aspects which made you want to love him even more!

He loved his family, friends, fans and the work he did no matter the role. Acting was a natural talent for him and despite all the fame, he appreciated it and never let the craziness of the industry get to him. He was not just an actor or a scholar, he was just Robert Vaughn. His passing last year on November 11, 2016 was a devastating loss but his shining light won't ever be dim because his legacy lives on through his work and the people who loved him....

Thank you, Robert, for your incredible body of work and being that true class act gentleman who always had a shining light emanating through the darkness. This world lost an incredible man last year but your legacy will always continue to live on through your work, family, friends and fans. We love you, Robert and fly with the angels, my dear!!

                            In Loving Memory of Robert Francis Vaughn                               (November 22, 1932 - November 11, 2016)

Open Channel D!!!

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November 8: Favorite Roles [*]

In the previous post, I named my top 7 favorite Robert Vaughn characters with a brief explanation of their background and this post will explain more about them and the reasons why they made my list. Please bare in mind that I haven't seen his entire filmography yet...

1) The Man from U.N.C.L.E. - Napoleon Solo Napoleon Solo is an agent of Section II: Operations and Enforcement who works alongside his friend/partner, Illya Kuryakin (David McCallum) and wears a badge with the number eleven (the badge originally was the Roman numeral II but after the series switched to color, Robert Vaughn picked the number '11' on accident and became his official number through the rest of the show, including the 1983 reunion movie). Unlike his partner, he rarely loses his temper and tries to be an optimist even in the most intense situations. The agent is laid-back, sociable and is a "serial womanizer" but he believes women that are created equal and treats them with respect as well as affection. He has a very high sense of style and his looks do not change during the first three years but in the final season, he wears double-breasted suits and his hair is quite longer. The character is one of my top favorites because his personality is completely different from 007 and he tries to keep a positive mind through any dangerous situation. Robert had stated in one of his interviews that he was playing himself and some aspects of his personality is obvious in a lot of the episodes. He has the personality of a class act and true gentleman who will treat you with the utmost respect. His positivity is something that attracted me to both Napoleon and Robert because I try to keep a positive mind despite moments of anxiety triggers which takes an emotional toll on you. I am still learning more about the character but he definitely is at the top of my list.

2) The A-Team - General Hunt Stockwell General Hunt Stockwell is the newest boss of the A-Team who is responsible for blackmailing the team into doing an unknown number of unspecified missions in return for granting a full pardon for their crimes. He has a cold and manipulative personality, rarely showing or displaying emotion but admits that he has respect for the team and Hannibal (George Peppard). There's not much known about his background but his assistant reveals that if Stockwell doesn't call into a unknown location at certain intervals, his operative would dissolve. He spent some time in Hong Kong where he built up an intelligence network. From time to time, he has a habit of reminding the team that "I'm going to do this....my way." In an episode called "The Say U.N.C.L.E. Affair", Stockwell is reunited with his longtime friend and former partner, Ivan Trigorin where he is captured and tortured by him to get information about a secret Russian jet. (The episode reunited Robert with David, his friend and co-star from 'The Man from U.N.C.L.E.'). I loved the introduction of General Hunt Stockwell because, despite being the antagonist, he is mysterious and nobody knows of his true intentions towards the team. There were moments where you wanted to kick his ass because of his treatment towards the team but he also had a job to do that was unpleasant. When Stockwell was captured and tortured for information by Trigorin, they could've let him get killed but the team came to his rescue. This was the first character I vaguely remember whenever I watched reruns of the show and I have a soft spot in my heart for Stockwell. The reunion between Robert and David in The Say U.N.C.L.E. Affair and their hug is so genuine as two old friends are glad to see one another again.

3) Harry Rule - The Protectors Harry Rule is a wealthy international private investigator who takes on cases that protects the innocent and belong to an organization called "The Protectors". He works alongside friends, the Contessa Caroline di Contini (Nyree-Dawn Porter) and Paul Buchet (Tony Anholt) who usually work outside of London when they're not with Harry. Despite the obvious flirting and a few romantic instances, there is no real romantic relationship between Harry and Contessa. The Protectors is an interesting series but the lack of interest from the production people, not much is known about any of the characters. If the show would've lasted longer, we might find out more about Harry and a potential of a romantic relationship between he and Contessa would be a possibility. Interesting fact that in one of the season 1 episodes, Robert met his future wife, actress Linda Staab, which was directed by him. Harry is one of my favorite characters but he reminds me of Napoleon Solo at a certain point but his background is vague which means it could be filled in or made up through fanfiction. The first episode reveals that Harry does have an ex wife and a child.

4) Bill Fenner - The Venetian Affair He is an ex-CIA operative who has turned into a journalist and is suddenly sent to Venice in order to investigate a suicide bombing at a peace conference. Bill is officially out of retirement and his ex-wife, Sandra Fane (Elke Sommer) is top of the suspect list, believed to be a Communist sympathizer. Despite all that, both Bill and Sandra share a few romantic moments. She is unfortunately shot in front of him which stirs up emotions in him, including anger. As I watch the entire film, it reminds me of a Man from UNCLE episode but much darker and Bill is almost like Napoleon Solo but his personality is different. Bill is still effected by Sandra's leaving and he still does love her. In his 2009 autobiography, Robert stated that he was attracted to Elke, who played his ex-wife in the movie but she was dating a friend of his so the romance was a no-go. The chemistry between the 2 actors is obvious on-screen and being a CIA operative can take an emotional toll.

5) Hayden Danzinger - Columbo He is the executive of an automotive company who is currently on a cruise with his wife (Jane Greer), as well as a few of his friends, but he has been having an affair with Rosanna Wells (Poupée Bocar), a lounge singer on the ship, and she threatens to expose the affair to his wife. After inhaling a drug which stimulates a heart attack before jumping into the pool, he quietly sneaks into her room and he shoots her in the back, writing the letter "L" in lipstick to blame the murder on the piano player (Dean Stockwell). The evidence eventually piles up against Hayden and Lieutenant Columbo (Peter Falk), who is on the cruise with his wife, reveals to the captain (Patrick Macnee) that he is the murderer. Like some of his villains, Danzinger is an interesting character because he doesn't seem the type of man who would kill a beautiful woman and he doesn't seem to become really irritated by Columbo's presence. Of course, in his true fashion Robert's character breaks out into a smile. I really don't have a reason why this character is a favorite but I think the style Robert plays him in, he's a likable guy!

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November 7: Top Favorite Roles

Though I've not seen all of Robert's filmography, these are my personal favorite roles...

1) Napoleon Solo - Robert stated in an interview that whenever he was playing the character in The Man from UNCLE, he was playing himself and you can see it in different aspects throughout the entire series. Napoleon is an agent working in Section II (in the first season he wore a badge with the Roman numeral II but when the series switched to color, Robert picked the number 11 and it eventually became his official number) with his friend, Illya Kuryakin (David McCallum). The series originally focused solely on Napoleon Solo but due to David's portrayal of the Russian, he became popular with fans and was elevated to co-star status as he became close friends with Robert). Napoleon is a suave, laid-back, sociable person who rarely loses his temper in tense situations and is known as a "serial womanizer" but his view of women is they should be treated equally. What I love about Napoleon is that he's an optimist and tries to keep a positive light despite a tough situation. I'm still in the process of learning about the character but with Robert's portrayal of the character, he's made quite an impression on me!

2) General Hunt Stockwell - The character was introduced during the fifth and final season of The A-Team and he is a retired army general who is responsible for blackmailing the team into doing an unknown number of unspecified missions in return for a full pardon for their crimes. He is a cold, manipulative person with a mysterious personality and no one knows his true intentions. Stockwell wasn't a well-received character with unfavorable opinions but the character landed on my list in the number two spot because I think the character's introduction in the opening episode of the season was one of my favorites and his mysteriousness is something that caught my eye. He rarely displays any emotions but does have a respect for the team as well as Hannibal (George Peppard). As I said before, I vaguely remember Robert as General Hunt Stockwell but he quickly became a favorite.

3) Harry Rule - In The Protectors, Robert played a character named Harry Rule, a wealthy detective who takes on cases to help the innocent and belongs to an organization called "The Protectors" and works alongside his friends, Contessa Caroline di Contini (Nyree-Dawn Porter) and Paul Buchet (Tony Anholt). There's not much known about the character and there's no romance between him and Contessa, despite a few romantic encounters and obvious flirting in some of the episodes. The Protectors was an interesting series and Harry Rule has become one of my favorite characters but the people behind the scenes seemed to have no interest. Harry reminded me of Napoleon Solo but in a different light and if the production team had more interest, the show would've lasted longer and learned more about Harry. Not to mention that Robert looked absolutely gorgeous in the series and he also met his future wife, actress Linda Staubb, in an episode that he directed.

4) Hayden Danzinger - Appearing in two different episodes of Columbo, this is one of my favorites! He plays Hayden Danzinger, an auto executive on a cruise with his wife (Jane Greer) but he has been having an affair with a singer named Rosanna Wells (Poupée Bocar) and he murders her after she threatened to tell his wife about the affair. To make an alibi, he inhales a drug, before going in the swimming pool, which induces a heart attack. Eventually, the evidence builds up against him (thanks to Lieutenant Columbo who is on the cruise with his wife). In 1976, Robert made another guest appearance as Charles Clay who is believed to have committed the murder but the character's killed). I always enjoy this one because Hayden does everything he can to cover up the murder and unlike a lot of characters in Columbo, he doesn't seem to get irritated by Columbo and has a liking towards him. I always love when Robert plays the villain, he's very smooth and always seems to break into a smile at times.

5) Walter Chalmers - A few months ago, I recently watched Bullitt on television and it's an interesting movie! Steve McQueen and Robert worked together once before in 1960 in The Magnificent Seven so it's interesting to see them onscreen together again. Walter Chalmers is an ambitious politician who hires Frank Bullitt (Steve McQueen) to protect a witness whom Chalmers is planning to present at a committee hearing in 40 hours. Unfortunately the witness is fatally shot and he dies in the hospital from his injuries where he blames Bullitt for it. He's not seen much after but at the end, he's seen getting into his limousine at the airport. The character is one of Robert's first bad guys roles since The Man from UNCLE was cancelled in 1968 and though he's not seem much on-screen, he seems to be a manipulative person who threatens the image of Bullitt as well as another police officer. I recently ordered Bullitt on DVD and I'm excited to watch it again!

6) Bill Fenner - I discovered The Venetian Affair and after watching the movie, it reminds me of The Man from UNCLE but the character of Bill Fenner is different from Napoleon Solo because he's not as playful and he seems more serious. Bill is an ex-CIA operative hired to investigate the mysterious explosion at a nuclear disarmament summit and crosses paths with Sandra Fane (Elke Sommer) who is his former flame and the two of them share some romantic moments (that also includes them making love) but unfortunately, she's killed which upsets him. The movie, based on a book, reminds me of a dark episode of The Man from UNCLE and the only difference with Bill (besides being an ex-CIA operative) is he has an ex wife while Napoleon has never been married. The chemistry between Robert and Elke on-screen is obvious (Robert stated in his 2009 autobiography that he was attracted to the actress but she was dating a friend of his which meant there was no chance for a romance). I have yet to watch the entire movie but Bill has also become a favorite character.

7) Lee - The Magnificent Seven was the first Western I've watched with Robert and it also has become a favorite. In the movie, he plays Lee, an on-the-run gun man haunted by nightmares and who has lost his nerve because of battle who is hired by Chris Adams (Yul Brynner) to join the magnificent seven to fight against a group of bandits headed by Calvera (Eli Wallach).. Toward the end of the film, Lee is killed and Chris, along with Vin Tanner (Steve McQueen) are the only two men of the team, to leave. In the late 1990s, Robert was cast in the TV version of the film and since Lee was killed in the original movie, he played Orrin Travis, the local circuit Judge)

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November 6: Hunt Stockwell

"I'm going to do this...my way." - General Hunt Stockwell

During the fifth season of The A-Team in 1986, Robert Vaughn was added to the cast as General Hunt Stockwell who is the new boss of the team, responsible for blackmailing them to working on an unidentified number of assignments in return for a possible full pardon from the government. He also oversees an intelligence gathering network but the size is unknown. In one of the episodes, it is revealed that if Stockwell doesn't call in to an undisclosed location at certain intervals, his operation is set to dissolve.

The character of Stockwell is very manipulative and cold whom rarely shows any emotions but has admitted he has some respect for the A-Team. There are also a couple of episodes where Stockwell works hands on with them, including when Hannibal (George Peppard) disappears in Hong Kong. It's obvious that he's only working for himself but he also has a job to do in reporting to the President.

Not much was known about Stockwell's background or history but Carla, who is his assistant takes over when he is captured in The Say U.N.C.L.E. Affair (which reunites Robert with his Man from UNCLE co-star and friend David McCallum). It is revealed that Stockwell built up an intelligence network in Hong Kong that also comes in handy when the team goes to find Hannibal in Point of No Return.

When the original cast of a television series changes, opinions are not favorable especially towards an introduction of a new character and I'm not too fond of big changes (especially during the fourth season in Airwolf in 1987 when a new cast was introduced and the original characters disappeared without explanation) but for me personally, General Stockwell is an exception.

Despite unfavorable opinions toward the change, the introduction of Stockwell is something that I loved because the character was mysterious and nobody knew his true intentions towards the team. They all worked well together in a couple of the episodes but in others, they threatened to turn against him to the point where Murdock (Dwight Schultz) confronted Stockwell and threatened to kill him.

Stockwell had a manipulative, cold personality but he seemed to have more of a heart than Colonel Decker because in some episodes, Stockwell is seen smiling (which is something that Robert does whenever he plays the hero or the villain).

I have a soft spot in my heart for General Stockwell because, as I said, I vaguely remember watching Robert in The A-Team as a teenager and I thought that he was a badass! If I had to make a list of my top 10 favorite Robert Vaughn roles, I would put General Hunt Stockwell in the number two spot.

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An actor's passing or announcement of an illness rarely has an effect on me with the exception of Leonard Nimoy's passing in 2015 or when Randolph Mantooth made an announcement on his social media page about his battle with the early stages of cancer but with Robert Vaughn's passing in November 2016 became a different story.

Whenever I watched Robert on television guest starring as the bad guy, I always found myself rooting for him and also became disappointed when his character, even if they were innocent, were killed. There was just something about Robert's personality and acting which attracted me to him (not to mention that he was one handsome man!)

I watched both of his appearances in Columbo and one of his guest roles on an episode of Murder She Wrote but I vaguely remember him in The A-Team during the 5th season as General Hunt Stockwell. The introduction of the character was an interesting idea and he was different from Colonel Decker (whom was always after the team no matter if they are doing good for people). There were a couple episodes that focused on Stockwell which helped to learn more about him but I wish the character was introduced earlier on in the series.

Then, all of the sudden, I was on Facebook and the official page for Me-TV had announced Robert's passing on November 11, 2016, just eleven days shy of his 84th birthday on the 22. At first, I was in complete shock but I was not really sure if I read it right but it hit me after a while. I couldn't figure out how a man as full of life and active in his acting career could suddenly pass away. I had no idea that he was ill but despite that, he was so vibrant.

Several months ago, I was on my blog when I just had an urge to look up posts on here with Robert's name in the tag and all of it just came back, realizing that he was really gone. I noticed whenever I looked at photos of him, he always had a smile on his face and really enjoyed his life no matter what happened before in the past. I discovered The Man from U.N.C.L.E. a few months ago and I learned about the character of Napoleon Solo. Also, I began learning about him studying for his Ph.D. and that made me love him even more. Robert was outspoken on a lot of topics and I could relate because I'm also that way about things.

I still have some more of his work to watch and I'm anxious to see them! Back in early August, I watched Bullitt on television and I loved it! I also had the chance to see The Magnificent Seven and was so absolutely devastated when Robert's character, Lee, was killed towards the end.

What I learned about him is Robert is an intelligent, thoughtful person who has a great acting range and a great long career as well as someone who just enjoyed their life.

Thank you, Robert for the smiles you put on my face and for being such an incredible human being. No one can hold a candle to you!! Rest in peace, my dear and fly with the angels! I love you!

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November 5: Robert and David

"I knew David because I loved in Freud. I seen the picture and I thought he photographed sensation. I thought he was beautiful on-screen."

The original idea for The Man from U.N.C.L.E. was to mainly focus on Robert's character, Napoleon Solo (hence the name of the series and the pilot was called Solo) but the popularity with both Illya Kuryakin and David McCallum as well as the chemistry between the actors, David was added to the series as the co-star.

The on-screen chemistry between Robert and David were obvious and they had become instant friends. Illya/David became very popular with fans which caused a pop phenomena and now the series focused on Napoleon and Illya.

The focus shifting from Napoleon/Robert to both him and Illya/David could have caused resentment between the actors but it didn't happen. They became close, fast friends (despite gossip magazines trying to pit a feud between them with no evidence of one because it didn't exist) and they remained close friends up until Robert's passing in November 2016.

I love the friendship between Robert and David because the two of them always support each other and constantly joke around with each other. During episodes of The Man from UNCLE you can see the little things they do and their longtime friendship is obvious.

Their reunion in The Man from UNCLE: The Fifteen Years Later Affair in 1983 and The A-Team in 1986 were my absolute favorites and the hug they shared in their fifth season episode of The A-Team was genuine.

Whenever I watch a scene from The Fifteen Years Later Affair where both Illya and Napoleon bump into one another at the restaurant, there is a genuine smile on both David and Robert's faces that makes me smile everytime. Their longtime friendship from the very beginning can never be duplicated and they are a prime example of what a true friendship should be.

"I'm utterly devastated. Robert and I worked together for many years and, losing him is like losing a part of me." - David on Robert's passing in 2016.

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Robert Vaughn: The Protectors

The Protectors is an interesting series and the character of Harry Rule is slowly becoming one of my favorites but most of the time, Robert appears in a scene or isn't hardly present for almost the entire episode. The series had good potential and the character did as well but if the people behind the scenes (which doesn't include any of the cast members) had more interest, it would've been one great series.

Harry is a wealthy investigator who is hired on various assignments which range from protecting a certain client and finding missing people. The series started in 1972 and ended in 1974 after only two seasons. The character reminds me kind of Napoleon Solo but in a different light and Harry kind of had a relationship with his colleague, Contessa (Nyree Dawn Porter) but a romance was never pursed during the course of the series with the exception of the episode, Brotherhood,  where Harry and Contessa are embracing at the end.

Robert's opinion of the series is very agreeable and I don't blame him. As I said, if people behind the scenes not including the cast had more interest, it would've lasted longer than two seasons. After I finish screencapping all 52 episodes, I'm attempting to rewrite The Protectors and turn into what I thought it should have been as well as give some more background for Detective Harry Rule! (And not to mention that Robert looked absolutely gorgeous in this series!)

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November 4: Lee

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November 3: Guest Star Roles

         Columbo: Troubled Waters (Character: Hayden Danzinger)

     Murder She Wrote: Murder Digs Deep (Character: Gideon Armstrong)

      Hawaii Five-O: The Spirit is Willie (Character: Sebastian Rolande)

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November 2: Walter Chalmers

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November 1: General Stockwell

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In Loving Memory of Robert Vaughn (November 22, 1932 - November 11, 2016)