Between Peter Graves and his brother, James Arness (Matt Dillon on Gunsmoke), some of us were treated to great entertainment as kids growing up in the 60's and 70's.

Mission Impossible, to me, was one of the coolest shows on television back then and I remember thinking how interesting it was that "Jim Phelps" (Graves) kind of took a back seat in every episode. It made him all the cooler in my eyes.

Here's an article that includes a couple of interesting clips:

Danny Miller: Remembering Peter Graves (http://www.huffingtonpost.com/danny-miller/remembering-peter-graves_b_501645.html)

Goodbye, Peter Graves. You were a classy guy.

I was in the last remaining Lyons Tea Room in the UK in the early 70's (corner of the Strand and St. Martins in the Field, London. I have no idea why I was there unless it was to humour a prospective wife and ex - wife to be!)) when I noticed this incredibly well dressed and distinguished looking guy standing outside on the pavement, opposite Charing Cross rail station, just down the road from the Savoy hotel.

Looked, looked again, did a double take and realised it was Peter Graves.

He kept looking at his watch and then back and forth, up and down the Strand, looked as if he was expecting someone to collect him.

He was still there when we exited the Tea Room some minutes later.

I stopped and asked him if there was anything I could do for him (he obviously wasn't a Pom and not familiar with London) and he asked where so - and - so was (lost in the mists of time).

I said something like "Your best bet is to go over the road to the Station and get a cab, be there in 5 minutes, oh, and by the way, you look as good off screen as you do on".

He was actually embarrassed to be recognised!

He took my advice, said a very nice "thank you" and was gone.

Interestingly, his obit said he was 6' 2". At the time I met him I was 6' 4" and he seemed WAAAY taller than that, maybe he shrunk in the wash, just like I have.

Nice guy.


CS

When I was younger and watching TV in my teenage years, Peter Graves was lead actor in a "western" series set and made in Australia titled "Whiplash".

You just cleared up a problem I was having with my encounter with Mr Graves, which was "how come I knew him so well by sight in the early 70's?"

Whiplash, of course, was running in Oz before I decamped for the Northern Hemisphere.

Very popular program and a real oddity to have a "name" Hollywood actor in an Oz production series, certainly back then.

He took some brave decisions in his time.


CS

PS: Learned just this morning from yet another Obit that in fact Whiplash was not Mr Graves first foray into television series in Australia.

Apparently his first go was in a series called "Fury", about a boy and his untamed black stallion, shot, apparently, entirely in Oz, tho' destined for (very succesful) release in the USA.

I have vague memories of seeing it (in Oz) when I was a kid.

Chris.


"Fury" must have come out when I was in a critical year in high school as I do not recall it.

Might have been also that over here in the West we only then had two commercial channels plus ABC so it may not have been programmed here.

When I was a kid I used to have to walk 27 miles through 4 foot snow drifts..................

Just kidding.

In little old Hobart we only had the pair, ABC and one commercial channel, end of story.

Yeah, the more I flog my one remaining grey cell, the more info it's giving up, definately remember Fury, tho' (as I'm no particular lover of horses) it was overshadowed by his brothers "Gunsmoke" and others of the time.

Sure am going to miss him (Mr Graves), if he hadn't existed, someone would have had to invent him, he was perfect for what he did.


CS

In my youth, "Fury" aired on Saturday mornings just before or after "Sky King." Yes, I do remember Peter Graves in that, it was a good show, Fury was a horse with a human intuition about things.

Also recently passed away, Fess Parker the Disney star who played Davy Crockett and Daniel Boone, and Pernell Roberts, "Adam" of Bonanza fame.

Still among the living, James Arness of course but also Steven Hill. Remember him? "Good morning Mr. Briggs....as always, should any of your IMF force be caught or killed, the secretary will disavow any knowledge of your actions....pfsssssss...."

He was the original IMF team leader on Mission Impossible, before Jim Phelps, and of course "Law and Order."