Robert Martin Culp (August 16, 1930 – March 24, 2010) was an American actor and screenwriter widely known for his work in television. Culp earned an international reputation for his role as Kelly Robinson on I Spy (1965–1968), the espionage television series in which co-star Bill Cosby and he played secret agents. Before this, he starred in the CBS/Four Star Western series Trackdown as Texas Ranger Hoby Gilman in 71 episodes from 1957 to 1959. The 1980s brought him back to television as FBI Agent Bill Maxwell on The Greatest American Hero. Later, he had a recurring role as Warren Whelan on Everybody Loves Raymond, and was a voice actor for various computer games, including Half-Life 2. Culp gave hundreds of performances in a career spanning more than 50 years.
Culp was born on August 16, 1930, in either Oakland, California, or Berkeley, California. He was the only child of Crozier Cordell Culp, an attorney, and his wife, Bethel Martin Culp (née Collins). He graduated from Berkeley High School, where he was a pole vaulter and took second place at the 1947 CIF California State Meet.
Culp attended the University of the Pacific in Stockton, California, and later Washington University in St. Louis, San Francisco State, and the University of Washington School of Drama, but never completed an academic degree. He also received acting training at HB Studio in New York City.
Television performances
Culp came to national attention early in his career as the star of the 1957–1959 CBS Western television series Trackdown, in which he played Texas Ranger Hoby Gilman, based in the town of Porter, Texas. It was one of Culp's many appearances in TV Westerns. The pilot for Trackdown was "Badge of Honor", a 1956 episode of Dick Powell's Zane Grey Theatre, in which Culp starred as Gilman.
In 1960, he appeared in two more episodes of Zane Grey Theatre, playing different roles in "Morning Incident" and "Calico Bait". After Trackdown ended in 1959 after two seasons, Culp continued to work in television, including a guest-starring role as Stewart Douglas in the 1960 episode "So Dim the Light" of CBS's anthology series The DuPont Show with June Allyson. In the summer of 1960, he guest-starred on David McLean's NBC Western series Tate.
He played Clay Horne in the series finale, "Cave-In", of the CBS Western Johnny Ringo, starring Don Durant. In 1961, Culp played the part of Craig Kern, a morphine-addicted soldier, in the episode "Incident on Top of the World" in the CBS series Rawhide. About this time, Culp was cast on the NBC anthology series, The Barbara Stanwyck Show and in the NBC Civil War drama, The Americans. Culp was cast as Captain Shark in a first-season episode of NBC's The Man from U.N.C.L.E. (1964). Some of his more memorable performances were in three episodes of the science-fiction anthology series on The Outer Limits (1963–1965), including the classic "Demon with a Glass Hand", written by Harlan Ellison. In the 1961 season, he guest-starred on the NBC's Western Bonanza. In the 1961–1962 season, he guest-starred on ABC's crime drama Target: The Corruptors! and that network's The Rifleman. In the 1962–1963 season, he guest-starred in NBC's modern Western series Empire starring Richard Egan.
In 1964, Culp played Charlie Orwell, an alcoholic veterinarian, in an episode of The Virginian (NBC 1962–1971) titled "The Stallion". That same year, he appeared in yet another Western, Gunsmoke. In the series' episode "Hung High", he portrays an outlaw named Joe Costa, who attempts to frame Matt Dillon for lynching a prisoner who had killed the marshal's friend. In 1965, he was cast as Frank Melo in "The Tender Twigs" of James Franciscus's NBC education drama series, Mr. Novak.
Culp then played perhaps his most memorable character, American secret agent Kelly Robinson, who operated undercover as a touring tennis professional, for three years on the hit NBC series I Spy (1965–1968), with co-star Bill Cosby. Culp wrote the scripts for seven episodes, one of which he also directed and an episode earned him an Emmy nomination for writing. For all three years of the series, he was also nominated for an acting Emmy (Outstanding Performance by an Actor in a Leading Role in a Dramatic Series category), but lost each time to Cosby.
Personal life
Culp was married five times: to Elayne Carroll (1951–1956), Nancy Ashe (1957–1966), French actress France Nuyen, whom he met when she guest-starred on I Spy (1967–1970), Sheila Sullivan (1971–1976), and Candace Faulkner (from 1981).
In addition to appearing in four episodes of I Spy, two of them written by Culp, in 1969 Nuyen also co-hosted the second episode of the TV comedy Turn-On with him, but the program was never shown, as the series was cancelled after its first airing.
Culp had three sons and a daughter with his second wife, and a daughter with his fifth wife. His son Joseph Culp is an actor and director; his son Jason Culp is a voice actor who has narrated many audiobooks. Culp's grandson, Elmo Kennedy O'Connor, is a rapper and performs under the alias Bones.
On March 24, 2010, Culp died at age 79 after a fall while walking near Runyon Canyon Park in Los Angeles. He was buried at Sunset View Cemetery in El Cerrito. A memorial service was held at Grauman's Egyptian Theater in Los Angeles on April 10, 2010.
At the time of his death, Culp had just completed performing a supporting role as Blakesley in the film The Assignment. He was also working on several screenplays, including an adaptation of the story of Terry and the Pirates that had already been accepted for filming and was scheduled to start production in Hong Kong in 2012, with Culp directing. Terry and the Pirates had been Culp's favorite comic strip as a boy, and it was his longtime wish to make a film based on it.
If you want to read more, go here: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Robert_Culp
- SERVES
- 6
- COOK TIME
- 45 Min
You might want to take a peek into your garden for some of the ingredients needed for this Garden Quiche. It's made with a couple of fresh garden ingredients, like spinach and cherry tomatoes, which make this quiche perfect for a Mother's Day brunch or spring get-together.
- 1 teaspoon olive oil
- 6 cups fresh spinach
- 2 eggs
- 1 cup half-and-half
- 1 cup shredded Monterey Jack cheese
- 1 cup shredded Swiss cheese
- 1 teaspoon onion powder
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1/4 teaspoon black pepper
- 1 (9-inch) ready-to-bake deep-dish pie crust
- 1 cup sliced cherry tomatoes
- Preheat oven to 350º.
- In a large skillet, heat oil over medium heat. Add spinach and cook 1 minute, just until spinach starts to wilt.
- In a large bowl, beat eggs and half-and-half until well combined. Add Monterey Jack cheese, Swiss cheese, onion powder, salt, and pepper; mix well. Stir in spinach and tomatoes and pour into pie crust.
- Bake 40 to 45 minutes, or until firm. Let sit 5 minutes, then cut into wedges and serve.
He is really super good!!
This day marks the anniversary of the first Montgomery Wards mail order catalog. On this day in 1872, Aaron Montgomery Ward of Chicago produced a catalog designed for direct order via mail. He aimed to remove the middleman from the business of buying and selling. As a result, he also drastically lowered prices.
The very first catalog consisted of an 8 by 12-inch single sheet of paper. On it, Ward included the merchandise for sale, price list, and ordering instructions. Before long, the Montgomery Wards single-page list of products grew into a 540 page illustrated book selling over 20,000 items.
It didn’t take long for enterprising merchants to copy Montgomery Wards’ idea. One notable merchant, Richard Warren Sears, mailed his catalog in 1896. As others entered the field, catalog sales grew. By 1971, catalog sales of major United States firms exceeded more than $250 million in postal revenue.
It’s interesting to note, according to the National Mail Order Association, Aaron Montgomery Ward wasn’t the first to conceive of the mail order catalog. In the United States. Benjamin Franklin may have formulated the first basic mail order concept. He produced a catalog to sell scientific and academic books. Franklin also receives credit for offering the first mail-order guarantee: “Those persons who live remote, by sending their orders and money to B. Franklin may depend on the same justice as if present.”
Today, mail order catalogs have been replaced with internet websites. Additionally, the term “mail-order” has been replaced with the term “online shopping.”
HOW TO OBSERVE NATIONAL MAIL ORDER CATALOG DAY
While our catalogs are digital these days, which ones are your favorites? Nearly every retail business has an online presence and with that, their catalog of products grows, varies, and changes. It’s an excellent day to support your small online business by shopping with them, sharing their products, or giving them a review. Is there a product you wish they’d carry? Let them know! Many retailers seek customer feedback to improve their business. What are some of you’re favorite purchases from a mail-order catalog (paper or digital)?
Mail Order FAQ
Q. Do mail order catalogs still exist?
A. Yes, they do, and they are increasing in popularity. Many companies are issuing small catalogs to grab customers’ attention. Most companies that have catalogs also have websites to sell their products.
Q. What do mail order catalogs sell?
A. Just about anything from fashion and accessories to medical equipment. Some catalogs specialize while others offer a variety of merchandise.
Q. Can I still order directly from a website if I receive a catalog?
A. Yes, but don’t hesitate to look through the entire catalog. Some companies may include special QR codes and discount codes.
