Thank you for visiting and I hope you enjoy the **On This Day** theme. This page has a description of every movie RJ was in. Please feel free to check this site or the social media pages for any updates. Thanks Calicia
**On This Day** On January 25, 1971, the science fiction television film and pilot for a proposed series by Irwin Allen, City Beneath the Sea aired. Starting as a ten-minute demo reel to sell the plot and concept to television studios, this two-hour televilm for NBC has remained a cult favorite amongst sci-fi and Irwin Allen fans. Known as One Hour to Doomsday in the UK, an underground city, Pacifica, is built and used to store America’s gold reserve and an unstable explosive element, H128, that can only be safely contained when surrounded by gold. Pacific, however, comes under threat from a meteor. Roberty Wagner played Brett Matthews. Also appearing in this movie were Stuart Whitman (The Longest Day), Rosemary Forsyth (ITAT – When Good Friends Get Together), Joseph Cotten (ITAT – Beyond a Reasonable Doubt and To Lure a Man), Sugar Ray Robinson, James Darren, and Robert Colbert.
**On This Day** On January 21, 1975 the movie Abduction of St Anne premiered. Detective Dave Hatcher (Robert Wagner) is hired by a Bishop to verify reports a young girl is a possible modern day saint. If true, he is to kidnap her from her mafia boss father and their heavily guarded home. Based on the novel, The Issue of the Bishop’s Blood, by Thomas Patrick McMahon. Also in this TV movie are E.G.Marshall (The Mountain and Broken Lance), Kathleen Quinlin ( Switch-The Deadly Missiles Caper), William Windom (There Must be a Pony and H2H- With this Hart, I Thee Wed), James Gregory (The Frogman) and Pat Conway in his final movie.
**On This Day** On January 17, 1968, the oddball comedy, Biggest Bundle of Them All was released. A retired mobster turns the tables on his would-be kidnappers by persuading them to join him in a multi-million dollar robbery of platinum ingots from a train. Robert Wagner plays the lead kidnapper, Harry Price. Also appearing in this movie were Racquel Welch (Date My Dad), Vittorio DeSica (actor/director who directed The Condemned of Altona) and Edward G. Robinson.
**On This Day** On January 15, 1972, the British thriller film Madam Sin was released. The title character is a vicious villainess (Bette Davis: ITAT – Touch of Magic) who commands a Thought Factory in the Scottish Highlands. Intent on achieving word domination, she kidnaps ex-CIA agent Anthony Lawrence (Robert Wagner) and forces him to help her hijack a secret nuclear weapon, the Polaris submarine. In his book, Robert Wagners discusses Bette Davis and working with her.
**On This Day** On January 9, 1991, the made-for-television mystery This Gun for Hire aired. Filmed in the French Quarter, a double-crossed assassin named Raven (Robert Wagner) flees with a stripper (Nancy Everhard) in New Orleans during Mardi Gras, trying to evade the police after he kills a senator. Also appearing in this movie are John Harkins and Lenore Banks.
**On This Day** Also on this day, January 9, 1968, the ABC Pilot of It Takes A Thief called: Magnificent Thief aired. Master thief Alexander Mundy (RJ) is paroled by SIA chief Noah Bain (Malachi Throne) to steal a briefcase containing the secret to the murders of top US agents. Also featured Senta Berger (also in ITAT Flowers from Alexander), Susan St James (also in 4 other ITAT episodes:It Takes One to Know One, When Thieves Fall In, Payoff in the Piazza, and The Susie Simone Caper), and Leslie Nielsen.
Did you know: This Episode is also called A Thief is A Thief. Also, the whole series was going to be called Once a Crook. It was changed to to It Takes A Thief based on Cary Grant & Grace Kelly movie to Catch A Thief.
**Also On This Day** On January 7, 1972, the television movie, Killer by Night aired. Dr. Larry Ross (Robert Wagner) is trying to fight a diptheria epidemic when he comes in conflict with a police captain who is using all his resources to track down a cop-killer in a seemingly unrelated case. Also appearing in this movie were Greg Morris, Diane Baker, Mercedes McCambridge (Concord – Airport ’79), and Robert Lansing. The movie featured an original score by Quincy Jones.
**On This Day** On January 7, 1967, How I Spent My Summer Vacation aired as one of the first made-for-television movies. Jack Washington (Robert Wagner) compiles a dossier on a mysterious billionaire, who also happens to be the father of an ex-girlfriend. Aboard her family’s yacht, he begins to get the feeling that he is the victim of a conspiracy. Also appearing in this movie were Jill St John (his wife, Northpole, Around the World in 80 Days, Something to Believe In, The Calling, Banning, and H2H – pilot), Michael Ansara (ITAT – Guess Who’s Coming to Rio), Lola Albright (Switch – Who Killed Lila Craig?), Peter Lawford, and Walter Pidgeon.
**On This Day** On January 4, 1951, Robert Wagner appeared as Private Coffman in his first credited screen role, Halls of Montezuma. A Marine battalion prepares to land on a large Japanese-held island in the Pacific, and the men are ordered to take prisoners in order to gain information about the Japanese fortifications. The movie follows them from the beach, to a Japanese rocket site, and through an enemy-infested jungle as their ex-school teacher leader is transformed into a battle veteran, and his squad becomes a tight fighting unit. Also appearing in this movie were Richard Boone (Sail a Crooked Ship), Richard Widmark (Broken Lance, The Frogman), Jack Palance, Jack Webb, Martin Milner, and Marion Marshall as an uncredited nurse (future wife and ITAT – Thief Glass Riddle).
**On This Day** On December 26, 1957, the movie Stop Over Tokyo aired. United States counterintelligence agent, Mark Fannon (Robert Wagner) is sent to Tokyo to foil a Soviet’s Spy’s (Edmond O’Brien: ITAT – Rock-Bye, Bye, Baby) plot to blow up the U.S. ambassador to Japan at a peace rally. Also appearing in this move are Joan Collins (H2H movie: Two Harts in ¾ Time, Switch – Stung from Beyond) and Larry Keating. The soundtrack was written by John Philip Sousa. Mr. Wagner discussed Ms. Collins in his book.
**On This Day** On December 25, 1999, the movie Play It to the Bone aired. This sports/comedy-drama film also starred Antonio Banderas and Woody Harrelson (Austin Powers: The Spy Who Shagged Me). It follows the adventures of two boxers and best friends who travel to Las Vegas in order to fight each other for the sake of a chance to compete for the middleweight title. Robert Wagner played sleazy Vegas promoter, Hank Goody. Also starring in his film were Lolita Davidovich, Kevin Costner, Lucy Lou, Rod Stewert, and Drew Carey.
**On This Day** On December 22, 1952, Stars and Stripes Forever aired. Set in the 1890s, this movie details how Stars and Stripes Forever, a rousing patriotic march, was written and how the writer, John Philip Sousa, became world-renowned. Eager to impress his boss, musician Private Willie Little (Robert Wagner) presents Marine Corps Band composer John Philip Sousa (Clifton Webb – Titanic) with a reconfigured instrument he has dubbed the “sousaphone.” When the composer leaves the Corps, Little joins Sousa’s new band. Also appearing in the movie were Debra Paget (White Feather and Prince Valiant) and Ruth Hussey.
**On This Day** On December 16, 1974, The Towering Inferno aired. A fire breaks out at the world’s tallest skyscraper during the opening dedication ceremony, trapping society’s most prominent citizens on the top floors. An overworked fire chief and the building’s architect must cooperate in the struggle to save lives and subdue panic, while a corrupt, cost-cutting contractor tries to evade responsibility for the disaster. This suspense thriller won three Academy Awards and has a star-studded cast. Robert Wagner played Bigelow. Also starring were Fred Astair (ITAT– Al Mondy’s father), Paul Newman (Harper, Winning), Susan Blakely (The Concorde… Airport ’79), Faye Dunaway (El padrine, A Man of Faith), Steve McQueen (The War Lover), Robert Vaughn (Hustle), Richard Chamberlain, Jennifer Jones, and William Holden.
**On This Day** On December 7, 2007, Man in the Chair aired. Christopher Plummer (Return of the Pink Panther) starred as Flash Madden, a curmudgeon with a hankering for booze who longs for the days when he worked as a crew member for such cinematic masterpieces as Citizen Kane. He forges a relationship with volatile teenager and film fanatic Cameron Kincaid and becomes an unlikely mentor, helping Cameron make a film to compete in a student competition where the top prize is a film school scholarship and for Cameron, a ticket out of his difficult home life. Robert Wagner played Taylor Moss. Also appearing were George Murdock (Switch – The Twelfth Commandment and five episodes of ITAT – To Sing a Song of Murder, To Lure a Man, Situation Red, Beyond a Teasonable Doubt, and Nice Girls Marry Stockbrokers), and Margaret Blye (H2H– Homemade Murders)
**On This Day** On December 6, 1976, the movie Cat on a Hot Tin Roof aired. This television production of Tennessee Williams’ Pulitzer winning play was about a deep southern family rooted in crisis. The family of rich Mississippi cotton grower Big Daddy (Laurence Oliver) learns he is close to death during a birthday party. A night of surprising revelations follows as each family member speaks their painful truths. Robert Wagner plays Brick, the son of Big Daddy while his actual wife, Natalie Wood (H2H pilot, The Affair, All the Fine Young Cannibals, and Switch – The Cage and the Cruise Ship Murders), played his television wife, Maggie, “The Cat.” Maureen Stapleton also appeared in this production.
**On This Day** On December 2, 1953, Beneath the 12-Mile Reef was released. Just off the coast of Florida, two fishing operations have become spiteful business rivals. On one side is Mike Petrakis (Gilbert Roland – H2H The Raid), while on the other is Thomas Rhys (Richard Boone – Halls of Montezuma.) Mounting tension over territory in the Gulf Coast soon leads to violence. However, when the dashing young Tony Petrakis (Robert Wagner) meets the lovely Gwyneth Rhys (Terry Moore – Between Heaven and Hell), the young lovers quickly forget their fathers’ bloody feud and begin a dangerous romance on the high seas. Also starring in this movie was Peter Graves.
**On This Day** On December 1, 1961, the movie Sail a Crooked Ship debuted. Bugsy G. Foglemeyer (Ernie Kovacs) decides to steal a ship in New York City and use it to rob a bank in Boston. The only problem? Neither he nor any of his gang knows how to sail. To remedy this, they kidnap ex-Naval officer Gilbert Barrows (Rober Wagner) and his girlfriend, Elinor (Dolores Hart,) and force him to said the ship. Under Gilbert’s unwilling command, the gang of thieves works together to try to keep the barely seaworthy vessel afloat. Also starring in this movie was Frankie Avalon.
Also on December 1, 2002, the movie A Man of Faith (also called The Calling) was released. Based on the real-life and works of evangelist Leroy Jenkins, a charismatic, modern-era healer must reconcile his relationship with his God after his life and ministry are threatened in this religious-themed drama. Robert Wagner was the executive producer and portrayed “Daddy,” the alcoholic, adopted father of Jenkins. Also starring in this picture was Robert Wagner’s wife, Jill St. John (Northpole, H2H pilot), Damon Chapa (El padrino), and Brad Dourif (El padrino).
**On This Day** On November 26, 1995, the Hallmark Channel movie Hart to Hart: Two Harts in ¾ Time aired. Grief-stricken Jonathan and Jennifer travel to Montreal for the reading of Max’s will after he suddenly dies during surgery. A special gift from Max to the Harts holds the key to murder, intrigue, and suicide. Also starring in this movie was Joan Collins (Stopover Tokyo and Switch – Stung from Beyond). This movie was filmed after Lionel Stander’s death and was dedicated to him.
**On This Day** On November 20, 1973, the television movie The Affair aired. Courtney Patterson (Natalie Wood) is a beautiful young songwriter who is physically disabled due to polio. Her condition has made her emotionally guarded, but when she meets handsome older attorney Marcus Simon (Robert Wagner), she cautiously moves towards romance. Although Courtney remains wary of intimacy, Marcus slowly wins her over. Unfortunately, her family is not supportive of their relationship, providing yet another obstacle that the couple must overcome. The movie starred Natalie Wood (Robert Wagner’s wife, H2H Pilot, Cat on a Hot Tin Roof, All The Fine Young Cannibals, and 2 episodes of Switch – The Cage and the Cruise Ship Murders) and Bruce Davison. Natalie was pregnant with Robert’s child during filming, and when their daughter was born, she was named Courtney after her character in the movie.
**On This Day** On November 19, 1971, the television movie Crosscurrent aired. Robert Wagner played Howard McBride in this movie about two San Francisco detectives who investigate the syndicate contract killing of a shipping tycoon’s son committed on one of the city’s famous cable cars. The trail leads to a drug kingpin, the victim’s sister, a family business associate, a shady physician, and a nervous police captain. Also starring were Carol Lynley (H2H – Hartland Express and ITAT – A Boom at the Top) Jose Ferrer (Airport 79) and Robert Hooks (H2H – Bahama Bound Harts).
**On This Day** On November 16, 1978, the first of the three-part miniseries Pearl aired. The film was based on the novel of the same name by Gerald Green and screenplay was written by Oscar winner Sterling Silliphant (In the Heat of the Night). This star-studded miniseries revolves around the lives of personnel and residents at and around the Pearl Harbor naval base and how they were changed forever on December 6, 1941. Robert Wagner played Captain Cal Lankford. Also appearing in the miniseries were Marion Ross (H2H – Secrets of the Hart), Angie Dickinson, Lesley Ann Warren, Dennis Weaver, and Katherine Helmond.
**On This Day** On November 14, 1956, the film The Mountain premiered in theaters. When a plane crashes near the top of Mont Blanc in the French Alps, Christopher Teller (Robert Wagner) concocts a plan to rob the dead, however, he has no hope of getting to the crash site without the aid of his older brother, Zachary, a skilled mountain climber who wants to leave the dead in peace. Chris pesters Zachary until he finally gives in. When they reach the crash site, they find a badly-injured survivor. Chris wants to leave her there to die, but Zachary insists on bringing her down the mountain. Filmed in France, the movie is filled with spectacular mountain scenery and was nominated for BAFTA film award. Spencer Tracey (Broken Lance) starred as Zachary. Also appearing in the movie were EG Marshall (Broken Lance), Claire Trevor, and William Demarest.
**On This Day** On November 13, 2007, based on the comic strip by Hank Ketcham and the plot of Charles Dickens’ A Christmas Carol, the movie Dennis the Menace aired. In an attempt to receive a bicycle for Christmas, Dennis attempts to bestow his grumpy old neighbor, Mr. Wilson (Robert Wagner) with the holiday spirit but causes his usual disarray of damage along the way. Mr. Wilson threatens Dennis’ parents with lawsuits and forces them to pay for damages and eventually loses his temper with Dennis, telling him there is no such thing as Santa Claus. The angels of Christmas Past, Present, and Future each appear to help save Christmas for Mr. Wilson and the Mitchell family. Also appearing in this movie are Michael Lerner (H2H pilor and H2H Blue and Broken Harted) and Louise Fletcher.
**On This Day** On November 11, 1983, the movie I Am the Cheese debuted. Based on a novel by Robert Cormier, Paul Delmonte / Adam Farmer (Robert MacNaughton ET), decides to take a bike trip to visit his father, a newspaper reporter who was enrolled in the Witness Protection Program, in the hopes this will unlock the mysteries of his subconscious. The family was involved in a car accident which killed his parents, and Paul/Adam was admitted to a government mental asylum. Robert Wagner meets young Paul, who thinks he is a psychiatrist, trying to delve into his troubled past. Also starring in this movie were Hope Lange (In Love and War and The True Story of Jesse James)and Don Murray (Knots Landing.)
**On This Day** On November 10, 2005, the movie Fallen Ones premiered on the Sci Fi Channel. Five thousand years ago, fallen angels had intercourse with human females, and their offspring were a race of giants called Nephilim, who were destroyed by the great flood. The evil angel, Ammon (Navid Negahban) mummified his son, Aramis in an attempt to save him then hides in hell. In the present days, the archaeologist Matt Fletcher (Casper Van Dien) finds Aramis’ tomb while excavating to build a resort for the entrepreneur Morton (Robert Wagner.) When some workers mysteriously vanish, Morton hires the security force of Ammon to find the missing men, however, his real intention is to resurrect Aramis in the eclipse of the moon and dominate the human race with a new breed of giants. In the end, by creating a flood, both Aramis and Ammon are drowned, but not before Ammon reveals he has other children scattered at the four corners of the globe. Also appearing in the movie were Tom Bosley and Kristen Miller.
**On This Day** On November 5, 1993, the movie Hart to Hart Returns aired after a nearly ten-year absence from television. When Jonathan expresses an interest in buying an aircraft company from a friend, he finds himself implicated in a murder case as corrupt defense contractors aim to prevent the takeover. Meanwhile, Jennifer has difficulty getting her latest story published, and Max experiences problems training Freeway Jr. Also starring Mike Conners, Paul Williams (H2H movie Old Friends Never Die), Ken Howard (The Critical List), and Michael Cavanaugh (False Arrest.)
On November 3, 1991, the movie False Arrest debuted. Based on a true story, Donna Mills starred as Joyce Lukezic, a woman who has it all: a luxury home, a handsome husband, and terrific children. But it all comes crashing down when she’s accused of masterminding a brutal triple-homicide. A gripping story of passion and betrayal, Joyce fights to clear her name and avoid the death penalty for a crime that she didn’t commit. Robert Wagner played her husband. Also appearing in this film was Michael Cavanaugh (Hart to Hart Returns.)
**On This Day** Also on this day, October 31, 1951, the film Let’s Make it Legal premiered. Based on the book by Mortimer Braus, My Mother-in-law, Miriam, a gorgeous grandmother (Claudette Colbert) tires of her husband, Hugh’s (Macdonald Carey) gambling habit and divorces him in this comic gem. The nearly-final divorce suddenly gets complicated when Miriam’s old flame (Zachary Scott) comes to town. Their daughter (Barbara Bates) and son-in-law (Robert Wagner) try to get the couple back together as Hugh wages a wild battle to win back his wife. Macdonald Carey (Tom Horton – Days of Our Lives.) and Marilyn Monroe.
**On This Day** On this day October 31, 1958, the film In Love and War was released. The film traces the progress of three Marines on shore leave in San Francisco before they are shipped out to the Pacific during World War II. Rattled by the uncertainty of their futures, each responds differently to being reunited with loved ones. Robert Wagner plays Frankie O’Neill, who copes by hitting the bottle. This film also stars Jeffrey Hunter (White Feather, A Kiss Before Dying, The Longest Day, The True Story of Jesse James, and The Frogman), and Hope Lange (I am the Cheese and The True Story of Jesse James).
**On This Day** On October 30, 1963, the film I sequestrati di Altona, also known as The Condemned of Altona, was released. This is a darkly disturbing film about the von Gerlach family. When the patriarch of the family discovers he is dying, he contacts his youngest son, Werner (Robert Wagner,) to take over his business. The family deals with unsettling memories and guilt over the help they were forced to give during the war. Meanwhile, another son still wearing his German army uniform, is hidden in his father’s house and believes that World War II is still going on. Based on a play written by Jean-Paul Satre, it is called Loser Wins in Great Britain. Also starring Sophia Loren, Maximilian Schell, and Fredric March.
**On This Day** On October 25, 1962, the movie The War Lover was released. Steve McQueen (Towering Inferno) stars as Capt. Buzz Rickson, a hot-shot American Bomber pilot in WW2, stationed in England with his 1st Lt. Ed Boland (Robert Wagner). Both pilots fall for the same girl, and their friendship and comradery begin to fall apart. Boland starts to question Rickson’s judgement after he takes unnecessary risks on their assignments.
**On This Day** On October 24, 1988, the movie Indiscreet aired. Leslie Anne Down stars as a British movie star who falls for an American Diplomat (Robert Wagner), who is posing as a married man. She soon learns that his marriage is an elaborate charade. She takes revenge on him for this, which sparks a romantic misadventure.
**On This Day** On October 22, 1999, the film Crazy In Alabama was released. Melanie Griffith stars as Lucille Vinson, a 1965 abused housewife who’s had enough and murders her husband, cutting off his head. She flees to California (with the head in her purse) to pursue a career in television. Robert Wagner plays Harry Hall. The film is directed by Melanie’s husband at the time, Antonio Banderas. The film also featured Dakota Johnson, Rod Steiger, and Fannie Flagg.
**On This Day** On October 18, 1992, the television miniseries based on the bestselling Danielle Steel novel of the same name, Jewels aired. This five-hour epic romance spans 75 years of love, tragedy, and triumph in the face of heartbreaking adversity. The film was nominated for a Golden Globe Award for Best Miniseries or Motion Picture Made for Television. Robert Wagner played Charles Davenport. The film also starred Annette O’Toole and Anthony Andrews.
**On This Day** On October 11, 1956, the film Between Heaven & Hell premiered. Robert Wagner plays Sam Francis Gifford, a wealthy plantation owner who joins the military when WW2 strikes. He is demoted to the rank of Private after hitting an officer and finds life different as he becomes friends with men he previously would never have associated with. The horrors of war and camaraderie with fellow soldiers affect him and Gifford’s attitude begins to shift toward egalitarianism. This movie also starred Terry Moore (Beneath the 12-Mile Reef), Broderick Crawford(ITAT-Fortune City episode with Stefanie Powers,) and Buddy Ebsen.
**On This Day** On October 7, 1999, the quirky film Forever Fabulous aired. Jean Smart (Lime Street and familiar from Designing Women) played Loreli Daily, a former washed-up beauty queen who is forced to leave Texas under mysterious circumstances. She spends her years overseeing beauty pageants and living vicariously through her daughter. After receiving a letter asking her to oversee a beauty pageant. She begrudgingly returns to Texas with her sleazy boyfriend (Robert Wagner). Soon after hitting the road, a bizarre death occurs which they have to solve while trying to get to Texas. Also stars Jorja Fox (familiar from CSI, ER, and The West Wing.)
**On This Day** On October 9, 2009, the film The Wild Stallion aired. Two 11-year-old girls, Hanna & CJ, become friends over summer vacation after Hanna visits CJ’s ranch. Hanna wants to photograph wild Mustangs for a school project, but the girls soon unearth a secret plot by Mr. Novak (Robert Wagner) that endangers the horses. Along the way, they learn about Mustangs and the legend of the Black Stallion.
**On This Day** On October 5, 1986, the film There Must Be a Pony debuted on ABC. Elizabeth Taylor starred as Marguerite Sydney, a celebrated Hollywood star attempting a comeback after a stay in a mental hospital while trying to re-establish a relationship with her teenage son (Chad Lowe). She also embarked on a risky romance with a mysterious and handsome new suitor (Robert Wagner).
**On This Day** On October 4, 1962, the film The Longest Day premiered. Based on the factual book with the same name written by Cornelius Ryan and directed by the famed Darryl Zanuck, this star studded film tells the story of the invasion of Normandy on D-Day from the Allied and German points of view. Robert Wagner plays a US Army Ranger. Cast includes: Jeffrey Hunter (White Feather, A Kiss Before Dying, In Love and War, and The Frogman), Eddie Albert (Airport 79, Switch), Robert Mitchum (Midway, The Hunters), Roddy McDowell (H2H – the pilot episode, ITAT – Boom at the Top) Henry Fonda (Midway), John Wayne, Sal Munro, Paul Anka, Peter Lawford and Sean Connery.
** On This Day** On September 24, 1954, the Western film Broken Lance was released. Cattle baron Matt Devereaux (Spencer Tracy) raids a copper smelter that is polluting his water then divides his property amongst his sons. Son Joe (Robert Wagner) takes responsibility for the raid and gets three years in prison. His three half-brothers despise him which leads to extreme family conflict. Spencer Tracey also starred with Robert Wagner in The Mountain. Also starring in this movie were E.G. Marshall (The Mountain), Richard Widmark (The Frogman), Hugh O’Brian, and Jean Peters. Screenwriter Philip Yordan won an Academy Award for this movie and Katy Jurado (who played Wagner’s mother) was nominated for Best Supporting Actress.
** On This Day** On September 22, 1960, the movie All the Fine Young Cannibals was released. Two young couples cope with the fact that one member of each partnership had a premarital affair which produced a baby. The film was the first Robert Wagner and Natalie Wood (H2H pilot, two episodes of Switch: The Cage and The Cruise Ship Murders, Cat on a Hot Tin Roof, and The Affair) made as husband and wife. The movie also starred George Hamilton (H2H movie: Till Death Us Do Hart.)
** On This Day** On September 16, 1972, the pilot episode of The Streets of San Francisco aired. Detectives Stone (Karl Malden) and Keller (Michael Douglas) try to reconstruct the final days of a murdered woman in order to find clues to identify her killer. Based on the detective novel Poor, Poor Ophelia. Robert Wagner played attorney David Farr. The episode also starred Andrew Dugan (Loring Michaels in Bahama Bound Harts – H2H, two episodes of Switch, and the uncredited narrator for the Splendour in the Grass trailer.)
** On This Day** On September 11, 1978, the two-part television movie The Critical List aired. Based on a novel by Marshall Goldberg, a hospital director in line for a federal cabinet post (Lloyd Bridges) finds his private life may jeopardize that appointment then he discovers himself in the middle of a scandal involving stolen federal health funds. Robert Wagner played the role of Dr. Nick Sloan. Also starring Buddy Ebsen (Between Heaven and Hell), Barbara Parkins (To Catch a King), Melinda Dillon, and Lou Gossett, Jr.
** On This Day** On September 4, 1968, the comedy Don’t Just Stand There was released. Young writer Kendall Flanagin (Barbara Rhoades) is sent to Europe to complete a sex novel by the famous authoress, Sabine Manning (Glynis Johns), who has decided to stop writing. Lawrence Colby (Robert Wagner) is sent by Manning’s publisher, Marine Randall (Mary Tyler Moore) to rescue her, but he finds in a case of mistaken identity that Flanagin has been kidnapped by French gangsters. This movie also starred Harvey Korman (Curse of the Pink Panther), Stuart Margolin (three episodes of ITAT: Sagalis in The Great Chess Gambit, Dimitri Stauro in The Land of the Land, and a prison chaplain in A Thief is a Thief), Barbara Rhoades (Switch, ITAT – Hilda in A Spot of Trouble), Joseph Bernard (Death at Love House, ITAT – Boris in Locked in the Cradle of the Key), Ken Howard (H2H Returns) and Glynis Johns (Mary Poppins.)
**On This Day** On September 3, 1976, the movie Death at Love House premiered. Donna and Joel Gregory (Kate Jackson and Robert Wagner) are researching a book about long-dead Hollywood goddess Lorna Love. Joel, whose father had an affair with Lorna, becomes obsessed with her while staying at her haunted estate and interviewing old “friends.” Donna must break the spell to save her marriage and their lives. This movie also includes Joan Blondell (Switch – Mrs. Lear), John Carradine (The True Story of Jesse James), Dorothy Lamont (H2H in Max’s Waltz as Katherine Prince), and Joseph Bernard (ITAT as Boris in Locked in the Cradle of the Key).
**On This Day** On August 31, 2000, the movie Becoming Dick debuted on television. This is the story of a struggling New York actor who discovers the formula for success and suddenly finds himself more rich and famous than he could have imagined. Robert Wagner plays the role of Edward, the butler.
Also **On This Day** August 31, 2003, Mystery Woman aired. Famous writer, Jack Stenning (Robert Wagner) is found hanged in his office. Initially, police conclude that it was a suicide, but when Samantha Kinsey, ownr of Seller ‘Mystery Woman’ bookshop starts an investigation, she discovers there is a chance he was murdered. This film was the first of eleven made-for-television mystery films released by the Hallmark Channel. Also appearing in the movie were J.E. Freeman and William Moses.
**On This Day** On August 28, 1953, The Silver Whip was released. Young Jess Harker (Robert Wagner) plans to leave town, but sympathetic stagecoach armed guard Race Crim (Dale Robertson) persuades his boss to give Jess a job as the stage driver. While he is transporting a shipment of gold, the stagecoach is robbed by six armed robbers, and Jess is injured. Three of the robbers are killed, however, three others escape with the gold. One is later killed and another is caught. Jess gets fired as the driver but is appointed as a deputy as he tries to capture the final robber who escaped. Rory Calhoun played the sheriff (H2H Harts in High Noon) Chuck Connors also appeared in an uncredited role.
Also **On This Date** On August 27, 2005, the film Little Victim aired. Little Victim is a whimsical dark comedy about what lies at the end of a rainbow and the diminutive measure of a man. Also appearing in this movie are Brian Ronalds and Laura Durant (both in Netherbeast Incorporated.)
**On This Day** On August 27, 2000, the movie Rockets Red Glare premiered. A troubled 17-year-old Todd Baker restores a Mercury Redstone rocket as a science project with the help of his ex-astronaut grandfather Gus Baker (Robert Wagner.) When a NASA emergency leave a space shuttle and its crew in danger, Todd’s rocket is the only one ready for immediate launch. This film also stars Marilu Henner.
**On This Day** On August 26, 1958, the film The Hunters premiered. Directed by Dick Powell, The Hunters is a romantic melodrama with an aviation angle based on the novel of the same name. Robert Mitchum (Midway) plays Air Force pilot Major Cleve Saville, who was in charge of a group of young flyboys in 1952 Korea. Among the men under Saville’s command are cocksure Lt. Ed Peil (Robert Wagner.) Saville and Peil are sent out to rescue a downed pilot who happens to be married to the woman Saville loves.
Also **On This Day** in 1996, the movie Hart to Hart: Till Death Do Us Hart premiered. The Harts travel to Munich where Jennifer is to donate bone marrow to a little boy who has leukemia named Max. The doctor is amazed that Jennifer looks exactly like his fiancée, who disappears just before the wedding. Jennifer decides to pretend to be the doctor’s fiancée at a party where mayhem ensues. This movie also guest-starred George Hamilton. This was the last of eight Hart to Hart movies.
**On This Day** On August 25, 1979, the pilot film Hart to Hart premiered on ABC. A friend of Jonathan Hart’s is killed in a car accident just after leaving a health farm, apparently committing suicide. With no indications of any troubles, the Harts are suspicious and go undercover at the farm to find out what happened. Robert Wagner stars as Jonathan Hart and Stefanie Powers plays his wife Jennifer. This pilot had an all-star cast including a brief appearance by Wagner’s late wife, Natalie Wood (All the Fine Young Cannibals, Cat on a Hot Tin Roof) and a supporting role by his current wife, Jill St. John (Banning, How I Spent My Summer Vacation, Northpole, Seinfield – “The Yada Yada” episode, Something to Believe In, Around the World in 80 Days. Also appearing were Rodney McDowell (Jeremy Sennet – H2H – Home is Where the Hart is) and Stella Stevens
**On This Day** On August 12, 1983, the movie Curse of the Pink Panther was released. When legendary Inspector Clouseau goes missing, the New York Police Department is enlisted to find him. While traveling to France, Sergeant Clifton Sleigh bumbles his way into and out of trouble as he encounters a number of characters from Clouseau’s past, including charismatic jewel thief Charles Litton (longtime friend David Niven) and his womanizing nephew, George (Robert Wagner.) This film also starred Roger Moore and Capucine (Lily Von Borg – H2H – Hart of Diamonds)
**On This Day** On August 9, 1991, the movie Delirious was released. John Candy stars as a soap opera writer who has an accident and wakes up in the fictional town he writes about. He soon realizes he can control the events that happen by writing about them until he accidentally breaks his typewriter. Robert Wagner plays the hilarious role of Jack Gates who winds up in this fictional town.
**On This Day** On August 3, 1979, The Concorde… Airport ’79 premiered. American based Federation World Airlines acquires a Concorde jet, which will make its inaugural commercial flight from Washington, D.C. to Paris then to Moscow as a goodwill gesture prior to the 1980 Olympic Games. Among those on board is Maggie Whelan, a television reporter who is taking both legs of the trip. Just after boarding at Dulles International Airport, she receives conclusive documentation indicating that her aerospace contractor boyfriend, Dr. Kevin Harrison (Robert Wagner) is complicit in illegally selling arms to enemy regimes. Regardless, Maggie still loves Kevin, who vows to do the right thing by making a public statement to his illegal activities. Maggie intends on making an on-air report of the story once she arrives in Moscow. Kevin, however, has other thoughts. He plans on destroying the documents with the most convenient way being to bring down the Concorde with Maggie on board. He initially wants the attack on the plane to appear as a technical error then pins it on one of the many activist groups opposed to either the Concorde itself or the upcoming Olympics. Concorde pilots Joe Petroni and Paul Metrand do whatever they have to do to combat the attacks on the plane, unaware of who the mastermind behind the attack is. Also appearing in this film are Eddie Albert (Switch), Frank Parker (H2H – Slow Boat to Murder), Nicolas Coster (Fred Brunis – H2H-Blue & Broken Harted), David Warner (Mr. Bowlly – H2H – Two Harts are better than One), John Davidson, and Charo.
**On This Day** On July 30, 2001, the movie The Retrievers premiered. The Lowry family moves to a small town in Northern California where they adopt a stray golden retriever named Pilot. They discover Pilot is pregnant, and she soon has a litter of puppies. The family grows attached to the puppies but know they need to start giving them away. Once the puppies are in their new homes, Pilot and the family miss them, so they head out to reunite the mother and puppies. Robert Wagner plays the role of Durham Haysworth, who adopts one of the puppies. Betty White (Hot in Cleveland) also makes an appearance in this family-fun movie
**On This Day** On July 25, 1952, the film What Price Glory premiered. Directed by John Ford, this was originally intended as a musical, but was later filmed as a comedy-drama. Against the backdrop of the WWI battlefield, a group of Marines deal with personal and romantic issues. Robert Wagner plays Private Lewisohn and sings a romantic duet with Marisa Pavan (Pier Angeli’s twin sister.) The star-studded cast included James Cagney, William Demarest (My Three Sons and The Mountain) Henry Morgan (uncredited, Mash) and Dan Daily.
**On This Day**On July 22, 2002, Austin Powers in Goldmember premiered. Upon learning that his father has been kidnapped, Austin Powers must travel to 1975 and defeat the aptly named villain, Goldmember, who is working with Dr. Evil. Robert Wagner reprises his role as Number 2 in this star-studded cast.
**On This Day** On July 21, 1967, the moving Banning was released. Robert Wagner plays a playboy golf pro who is down on his luck and kicked off the circuit for alleged cheated. He uses his talents to hustle golf and women while trying to stay ahead of an irate loan shark. Also starring in this movie was his future wife, Jill St. John (Northpole, Seinfield “The Yada Yada” episode, Something to Believe In, Around the World in 80 Days, & H2H pilot) and Gene Hackman.
**On This Day** On July 16, 1953, the movie With a Song in My Heart premiered. Based on a true story, aspiring actress Jane Froman lands a job in radio with the help of pianist Don Ross, whom she later marries. Jane’s popularity soars, and she leaves on a European tour, but she suffers serious leg injuries when her plane crashes near Lisbon. Unable to walk without crutches, Jane, nevertheless, goes on to entertain the Allied Troops in World War II. Robert Wagner has a brief and touching part as a shell-shocked veteran. The real Jane Froman dubbed all the songs. Susan Hayward starred as Jane Froman and was discussed in Robert Wagner’s book. Also starring in this movie were Thelma Ritter (Titanic and uncredited in Miracle on 34th Street with Natalie Wood) Rory Calhoun (H2H Harts at High Noon) David Wayne (Switch – Dancer) and Helen Westcott (Switch – The Four Horsemen.)
**On This Day** On July 11, 2002, the movie Nancy & Frank, A Manhattan Love Story was released in Germany. In this romantic urban love story, Hungarian-born Nancy is working as an escort-lady to finance her studies in behaviorism at Columbia University. At a party on a yacht, she meets the German businessman, Frank. Robert Wagner plays real estate mogul, Curtis Sherman, the owner of the yacht. Curtis doesn’t like the developing relationship between Nancy and Frank, so he attempts to sabotage them. Nancy, not ready to give up her love, goes on the counter-offensive
**On This Day** On July 7, 1950, Happy Years, a comedy full of the charm and innocence of a lost era, was released. In an uncredited role, Robert Wagner made his film debut. During the turn of the century, a young American boy gets sent to a posh prep school to, hopefully, reform the troublemaker into a responsible young man. In his book Pieces of My Heart, Robert said his father knew the director, William Wellman, who put him in the movie, and he earned, “precisely $37.50 for the part. Also appearing in this movie were Dean Stockwell (H2H Hart’s Desire and Quantum Leap) Leo G. Carroll (The Man From U.N.C.L.E. and The Girl From U.N.C.L.E.) Dwayne Hickman (also uncredited, Dobie Gillis), Scotty Beckett (Our Gang) and Leon Ames (one of the 19 actors who established the Screen Actors Guild.)
**On This Day** On June 29, 1951, The Frogman was released. Based on a true story, after their former leader is killed in action, a strict-disciplinarian takes charge of an elite team of Navy divers who distrust him. While on the submarine, he sends out a group on a dangerous mission and deals with a Japanese torpedo threatening the boat. Robert Wagner played Lieutenant Franklin. The movie also starred Richard Widmark (Broken Lance) and Jeffrey Hunter (A Kiss Before Dying, In Love and War, The True Story of Jesse James, and White Feather.)
**On This Day** On June 19, 1959, the movie Say One For Me was released. When Holly LeMaise’s father falls ill, she takes a job working as a showgirl in a nightclub to pay his medical bills. The featured entertainer at the club, Tony Vincent (played by Robert Wagner) is known as a playboy, and they eventually fall in love. Tony must choose between Holly and singing on a nationally televised program. The film also starred Bing Crosby (featured in Wagner’s book), Debbie Reynolds (discussed at length in his book), and Stella Steven in her movie debut (H2H pilot.)
**On This Day** On June 18, 1976, the film Midway was released. A dramatization of the Battle of Midway in WWII, the film follows the breaking of Japanese encryption codes which reveal a plan to attack. Issues that Japanese-Americans dealt with during this time are explored. An all-star cast included Cliff Robertson (Brainstorm with Natalie Wood), Eddie Albert (Switch and Airport ’79), James Shigeta (ITAT – Fong Sing), Robert Mitchum (The Hunters), Charlton Heston, Henry Fonda, Hal Holbrook, and Glenn Ford. Robert Wagner played Lieutenant Commander Ernest L. Blake.
**On This Day**On June 12, 1956, the film A Kiss Before Dying was released. Based on Ira Levin’s novel of the same name, Bud Corliss (played by Robert Wagner) pursues heiress Dorothy Kingship in order to obtain her family mining fortune. Fearing her father will disinherit her when she becomes pregnant, Bud murders his fiancée and makes it look like a suicide. Unaware of his relationship with Dorothy, Bud later begins dating her grieving sister, Ellen who begins to question his intentions. The movie also starred Jeffrey Hunter (The Frogman, In Love and War, White Feather, and The True Story of Jesse James), Joanne Woodward as Dorothy (Winning), and Virginia Leith as Ellen (White Feather.)
**On This Day** On June 8, 1999, the movie Austin Powers: The Spy Who Shagged Me premiered. Dr. Evil is back and has invented a new time machine allowing him to go back to the 1960s to steal Austin Powers’ mojo, inadvertently leaving him “shagless.” Robert Wagner reprises his role as Number 2 with Rob Lowe plays a younger Number 2 when they go back in time, perfectly capturing Robert Wagner’s voice and mannerisms. The movie stars Mike Myers, Rob Lowe, and Michael York (all in Goldmember and International Man of Mystery), Heather Graham (Lost in Space), and Elizabeth Hurley (International Man of Mystery.)
**On This Day** On May 22, 1969, the movie Winning aired. A rising star on the race circuit dreams of winning the Indianapolis 500, but in order to achieve that dream, he risks losing his wife to his rival (played by Robert Wagner.) This movie also starred Paul Newman (Towering Inferno, Harper), Joanne Woodward (A Kiss Before Dying), and Richard Thomas (of The Walton’s fame.)
**On This Day** On May 14, 2004, El padrino: The Latin Godfather was released. A young Mexican-American man masters the world of drug dealing as he questions his role in a culture where corruption rules the streets and government. Faye Dunaway (The Towering Inferno) also starred in this film.
**On This Day** On May 7, 1999, Dragon: The Bruce Lee Story, based on the life and career of martial arts superstar Bruce Lee was released. Robert Wagner played the role of Bill Krieger, a television producer who gave Bruce his first break in The Green Lantern.
**On This Day** On May 6, 1994, the Hart to Hart movie Old Friends Never Die aired. The Harts attend a publisher’s murder mystery party on a private island, but they begin to suspect it’s real when Jennifer overhears a plot for murder. Also starring in this movie were Mike Farrell (attended grammar school with Natalie Wood), James Shigeta (ITAT – Fong Sing episode, Midway), Vicki Lawrence, and Fred Willard.
**On This Day** On May 5, 2006, the television movie Hoot aired. When young Roy moved from Montana to the Florida Gulf Coast, he befriends Beatrice and her brother, and they show him their hideaway where they care for a flock of wild owls. When they discover a restaurant will be built where the owls live, they ask a local policeman to help save the birds. Robert Wagner played the mayor in this movie which also starred Luke Wilson (Around the World in 80 Days.)
**On This Day** On May 2, 1997, Austin Powers: International Man of Mystery was released. The 1960’s secret agent is is brought out of cryofreeze to oppose his greatest enemy in the 1990’s, where his social attitudes are glaringly out of place. Robert Wagner played Number 2, the man in charge of Dr. Evil’s empire while he was frozen. This movie also starred Mimi Rogers (H2H Hartstruck – Robin Wall). As a side note, Mike Myers wrote the character of Number 2 specifically with Robert Wagner in mind.
**On This Day** On May 1, 2007, Hustle 4th season episode As One Flew Out of the Cuckoo’s Nest, One Flew In aired. This British television series featured a sophisticated group of con artists who fleece the marks they encounter. In this episode, they try to convince a greedy American businessman (Robert Wagner) to buy the Hollywood Hills sign. This episode also starred Robert vaughn (Dancing in the Dark, Towering Inferno.)
**On This Day** On April 16, 1989, Around the World in 80 Days aired. Based on the Jules Verne classic, Phileas Fogg (Pierce Brosnan) wages his fortune that he can travel around the globe in 80 days while being pursued as the suspect in a bank robbery by Inspector Fix (Peter Ustinov.) Robert Wagner played Alfred Bennett, who became involved with Phileas Fogg. This was a star-studded extravaganza with many guest stars including Jill St. John (H2H pilot, Banning, How I spent my summer Vacation) Jack Klugman, Lee Remick, Stephen Nichols, and Roddy McDowell (H2H pilot and a lifelong friend.)
**On This Day** Also on this day in 1999, No Vacancy was released. When two drug addicts staying at an old motel mess with the wrong prostitutes, they have to answer to Mr. Tangerine, a pimp played by Robert Wagner. Also staying at the motel are Lillian (Christina Ricci,) a 21-year-old drifter engaged to a philandering loser who gets locked in her room with a strange man and a failed violinist in the room next to them who won’t stop playing his instrument. This film also starred Lolita Davidovich (Play It to the Bone.)
**On This Day** On April 11, 1953, the movie Titanic was released. An unhappily married couple struggles to deal with their problems while on board the ill-fated luxury liner. In his book, Pieces of My Heart, Robert Wagner discusses this movie and some of the co-stars. Also starring in this movie were Barbara Stanwyck, Clifton Webb (Stars and Stripes Forever), Brian Ahern (Prince Valiant), and Thelma Ritter (With a Song in my Heart and her first movie appearance in an uncredited role with a young Natalie Wood in Miracle on 34th Street.)
**On This Day** On April 5, 1954, Prince Valiant premiered. Young Prince Valiant (Robert Wagner) vows to become a member of the Knights of the Round Table in order to return his father to the throne and restore the Christian faith to their homeland. During his knight training, he falls for a princess and unmasks the Black Knight. The movie also starred Janet Leigh (Harper) and Debra Paget (White Feather, Stars and Stripes Forever, and Broken Arrow.)
**On This Day** On March 30, 2007, the independent film Netherbeast Incorporated was released. Robert Wagner played the role of President James A. Garfield in this movie about a new type of flesh-eating vampires who work for a telephone company in Arizona and refer to themselves as Netherfolk. The movie also starred Darrell Hammond (Saturday Night Live), Judd Nelson, and Steve Burns (the original host of the long-running preschool series, Blues Clues.)
**On This Day**On March 28, 1999, the television movie Fatal Error aired. Robert Wagner played a villian who was helping spread a deadly virus in Seattle. Antonio Sabato, Jr. starred as Jack Doulan, who rushed against time to stop the lethal pathogen.
On March 25, 1994, the Hart to Hart movie Crimes of the Hart debuted. Jennifer writes a play that a Broadway producer wants to produce, but he is secretly obsessed with Jennifer and tries to frame Jonathan for murder. The movie guest stars Alan Rachins (LA Law) as David Kramer and Richard Belzer (Law and Order) as Frank Giordano, the hilarious police detective.
**On This Day** On March 24,1996, the Hart to Hart movie Harts in High Season aired. When Jonathan and Jennifer Hart travel to Australia to purchase a game ranch from Jennifer’s ex-boyfriend Elliott Manning, he is supposedly murdered. Jonathan is implicated in his death, forcing him to clear his name. James Brolin starred as Elliott Manning.
**On This Day** On this day March 22, 1957, The True Story of Jesse James premiered. Having fought with the Confederacy during the Civil War, Jesse James (Robert Wagner) and his brother Frank dream of a farm life in Missouri. They assemble a gang of outlaws, robbing trains and becoming folk heroes in the process. Also starring Jeffrey Hunter (White Feather, A Kiss Before Dying, and In Love and War), Hope Lange (I am the Cheese), and John Carradine (Around the World in 80 Days).
**On This Day** On March 20, 1964, The Pink Panther premiered. Directed by Blake Edwards, the movie follows a bumbling Inspector Clouseau as he travels to Rome to catch the Phantom, a notorious jewel thief before he conducts his most daring heist yet: a princess’s priceless diamond with a slight imperfection, a flaw in the center which resembles a pink panther. Robert Wagner starred in the hilarious role of George Lytton. Also starred Peter Sellers , David Niven, and Capucine (H2H Hart of Diamonds)
**On This Day** Also on this date in 1998, the movie Wild Things was released. A police detective uncovers a conspiracy behind a case involving a high school guidance counselor when accusations of rape are made against him by two female students. Robert Wagner played the role of Tom Baxter in this film which also starred Kevin Bacon, Denise Richards, Bill Murray, and Matt Dillon.
**On This Day** On March 11, 2001, the film Sol Goode debuted. Robert Wagner played the father of Sol, a charismatic twenty-something-year-old who relied on his charm, good looks, and fast talk to glide through life until his luck runs out. Faced with eviction from his house, the loss of his car, and the threat of having to find a real job, Sol realizes that the life he’s been leading no longer makes him happy.Through self-examination, he finds that being a womanizing hustler is unfulfilling and true happiness lies with his best friend, Chloe, who, unfortunately, knows him all too well. The result is a wickedly funny heartfelt story as Sol seeks to win her over. Also appearing in this movie were Natasha Gregson Wagner (Robert Wagner’s daughter, H2H Secrets of the Hart, Jason Bateman as Sol (H2H Secrets of the Hart) and Christina Pickles (St. Elsewhere) as Sol’s mother. Carmen Electra made a cameo appearance.
**On This Day** On March 6, 1995, the Hart to Hart movie Secrets of the Hart aired. While helping with a charity auction for the orphanage where Jonathan grew up, the Harts discover a heart-shaped locket that leads them to Maureen, a woman who says she’s Jonathan’s long-lost sister. Marion Ross (Pearl) guest starred as Maureen. Also making an appearance in the movie was Robert Wagner’s daughter, Natasha as Tibby and Jason Bateman (Sol Goode) as Stuart Morris. Donald Trump made a cameo appearance. This movie marked the final appearance by Lionel Stander as Max.
