Last week Robert Wagner's Instagram page mentioned a Zoom meeting to take place on July 23rd at 7PM British Summer Time. It would be hosted by Philip Hawkins and the guests would be RJ and director Ray Austin. I looked up Mr. Austin to see which episodes he directed and discovered that he was at the helm of one of my favourite Hart to Hart episodes ever - Night Horrors. In addition to that, Austin also directed other season one classics, Passport to Murder, Jonathan Hart, Jr., Which Way, Freeway? plus the final episode, five years later, Meanwhile, Back at the Ranch.
The meeting started promptly at 2pm EST and was to only last an hour but actually went on until ten after 4. Philip had planned to have Jonathan Hart, Jr. play in the background with the fellas giving a commentary. It was instantly derailed. RJ and Ray answered the first few questions and then it went into non-stop reminiscing about all the projects they've worked on together and moments they've shared. I so admired the interviewer for letting it ride and allowing the audience to be that proverbial fly on the wall and listen in on some great stories from a couple of ninety-ish year old men who were sharp as a razor. They both got a bit teary-eyed discussing Samantha Smith, a young actress they worked with on the series Lime Street who was killed in a plane crash while on break from filming the show. They also went back and forth doing their Cary Grant impressions and were complete cut-ups. It was a lovely way to spend a Saturday afternoon.
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