Just have to say, I thought The Professionals opening credits with the car smashing through the plate glass was the best opening sequence of any UK TV series, of any genre.
At my school you were either a Professsionals or a Starsky and Hutch lad. I know who I was even though Paul Michael Glaser had a really cool jumper in the opening credits. Simon Sent from my BlackBerry® wireless device -----Original Message----- From: Sales <[email protected]> Sender: MoPo List <[email protected]> Date: Fri, 29 Nov 2013 07:49:19 To: <[email protected]> Reply-To: Sales <[email protected]> Subject: [MOPO] Lewis Collins RIP Granted Martin Shaw was the better classically trained and overall better actor between the two. Had Collins been given the chance at Bond he would have fit quite well straight after Moore due to his comic timing and true to life action ability - doing his own stunts and SAS training and acceptance. Furthermore, the womanising aspect that he cultivated in the Professionals fits in nicely with the character of Bond. He would of got my Vote as Bond instead of Moore doing A View To a Kill looking like a Grandad. Yes, the Italian action films he made were not the best and did not do his career any good but as Michael Caine has said in his books, the role of an actor is simple, "stay employed". Caine said of JAWS The Revenge, If someone is going to pay you 50,000 to spend a week in the Bahamas all expenses paid, you would be made not to do it. Collins next big piece of success in my opinion was his excellent supporting role to Caine in the TV mini Series "Jack The Ripper" that won Caine a Golden Globe. Collins did only spasmodic acting post his Ripper days (maybe he suffered from type casting) which is a shame as I believe he had depth beyond been an action man. He moved to LA where he took a course in being a Director (which he completed) with the view of getting behind the camera and finding work in America but like so many others this proved problematic. The computer industry was growing and Collins had an eye for it and before long he had his own business and was very successful at it. They remade "The Professionals" in 1999 but unsuccessfully as we all know. Collins was approached to play a Gordon Jackson type role as head of 'CI5' however prior to release but negotiations broke down and Edward Woodward stepped in and the series only lasted 13 episodes. Collins as the record looks now, left acting at the doorstep by 2002 with a stint on the long running British crime drama "The Bill". Fitting really that he gained worldwide fame on a British crime TV show and his last performance was on another worldwide British crime TV show. Personally, I had always hoped he would return to the screen big or small. He was a part of my Saturday nights as a teenager as one half of the professionals and given the chance could have been so much more later on! Regards to you all Ben www.allaboutmovies.com.au Movie Memorabilia - Original Movie Posters and Lobby Cards Website: www.allaboutmovies.com.au Visit the MoPo Mailing List Web Site at www.filmfan.com ___________________________________________________________________ How to UNSUBSCRIBE from the MoPo Mailing List Send a message addressed to: [email protected] In the BODY of your message type: SIGNOFF MOPO-L The author of this message is solely responsible for its content.
