Peter Graves narrates this account of the life and career of Robert John Wagner, from his 1930 birth, in Detroit, Michigan, through his formative years in Belair, California, as he works a series of odd jobs, including caddying for Clark Gable, while aspiring to become a film actor.
Talent Agent Henry Wilson spots the teenage Robert and represents him to audition at 20th Century Fox Studios, at which he is assigned a series of small roles along with his contract.
According to this episode, when Jane Froman (Susan Hayward) sings (Froman's voice) to a wounded soldier (Wagner), Robert becomes an overnight sensation, launching a series of rises and falls throughout his forthcoming decades-long career.
This follows Robert's romantic life, as fans would flood the studio with letters asking whom he's seeing. 20th would respond by fabricating an unfounded romance between Robert and Terry Moore, for example, and saturate the papers and magazines to feed those curious about such notions.
Of course, there's also the lovely Natalie Wood, and Robert's proposing to her, by secretly slipping the ring into her champagne glass. But while Natalie's post-childhood career reaches lofty milestones, Robert's begins to sink into near obscurity, placing a definite strain upon their early marriage.
One standard practice from which this episode detours, veers from the obvious, "But Robert's greatest fame lies just around the corner" sort of segue to build a discussion for his three famous television series, which it naturally does mention because, after all, this "Biography" is produced for television, but this seems to present him to a late 1990's audience quite unfamiliar with his early screen roles.
Robert's marriages are with Natalie Wood (1957-62), Marion Marshall (1963-71), Natalie Wood (1972-81), and Jill St. John (1990-present). With Marion, he welcomes daughter Kate, and with Natalie, her daughter Natasha and their daughter Courtney.
Interview Guests for this episode consist of Mary Scott (Sister), Jill St. John (Wife), Kate Wagner (Daughter), Natasha Gregson Wagner (Daughter), Courtney Wagner (Daughter), Joanne Woodward (Actress), Paul Newman (Actor), Richard Widmark (Actor), Mike Myers (Actor), Mart Crowley (Playwright), and J. Watson Webb, Jr. (Friend).
Archive footage includes Robert Wagner, Hazel Wagner (Mother), Randolph Scott, Karl Malden, Susan Hayward, Thelma Ritter, Adele Longmire, Clifton Webb, Barbara Stanwyck, Audrey Dalton, Terry Moore, Spencer Tracy, Joan Collins, Natalie Wood, Paul Anka, Fabian, Henry Fonda, Pink Panther, David Niven, Peter Sellers, Capucine, Susan Flannery, Eddie Albert, and Stephanie Powers.
Film and Television Clips include a screen glimpse of Robert through the years, in scenes from Wagner family home movies, "Halls of Montezuma" (1950), "With a Song in My Heart" (1952), "Titanic" (1953), "Beneath the 12-Mile Reef" (1953), "Prince Valiant" (1954), "Broken Lance" (1954), "Lord Vanity" costume tests (1954), "A Kiss Before Dying" (1956), "The Longest Day" (1962), "The Pink Panther" (1963), "It Takes a Thief" (1968-70), "Winning" (1969), "The Towering Inferno" (1974), "Switch" (1975-78), "Hart to Hart" (1979-84), and "Austin Powers: International Man of Mystery (1997), in addition to footage of a stage performance of "Love Letters" (1992).
Talent Agent Henry Wilson spots the teenage Robert and represents him to audition at 20th Century Fox Studios, at which he is assigned a series of small roles along with his contract.
According to this episode, when Jane Froman (Susan Hayward) sings (Froman's voice) to a wounded soldier (Wagner), Robert becomes an overnight sensation, launching a series of rises and falls throughout his forthcoming decades-long career.
This follows Robert's romantic life, as fans would flood the studio with letters asking whom he's seeing. 20th would respond by fabricating an unfounded romance between Robert and Terry Moore, for example, and saturate the papers and magazines to feed those curious about such notions.
Of course, there's also the lovely Natalie Wood, and Robert's proposing to her, by secretly slipping the ring into her champagne glass. But while Natalie's post-childhood career reaches lofty milestones, Robert's begins to sink into near obscurity, placing a definite strain upon their early marriage.
One standard practice from which this episode detours, veers from the obvious, "But Robert's greatest fame lies just around the corner" sort of segue to build a discussion for his three famous television series, which it naturally does mention because, after all, this "Biography" is produced for television, but this seems to present him to a late 1990's audience quite unfamiliar with his early screen roles.
Robert's marriages are with Natalie Wood (1957-62), Marion Marshall (1963-71), Natalie Wood (1972-81), and Jill St. John (1990-present). With Marion, he welcomes daughter Kate, and with Natalie, her daughter Natasha and their daughter Courtney.
Interview Guests for this episode consist of Mary Scott (Sister), Jill St. John (Wife), Kate Wagner (Daughter), Natasha Gregson Wagner (Daughter), Courtney Wagner (Daughter), Joanne Woodward (Actress), Paul Newman (Actor), Richard Widmark (Actor), Mike Myers (Actor), Mart Crowley (Playwright), and J. Watson Webb, Jr. (Friend).
Archive footage includes Robert Wagner, Hazel Wagner (Mother), Randolph Scott, Karl Malden, Susan Hayward, Thelma Ritter, Adele Longmire, Clifton Webb, Barbara Stanwyck, Audrey Dalton, Terry Moore, Spencer Tracy, Joan Collins, Natalie Wood, Paul Anka, Fabian, Henry Fonda, Pink Panther, David Niven, Peter Sellers, Capucine, Susan Flannery, Eddie Albert, and Stephanie Powers.
Film and Television Clips include a screen glimpse of Robert through the years, in scenes from Wagner family home movies, "Halls of Montezuma" (1950), "With a Song in My Heart" (1952), "Titanic" (1953), "Beneath the 12-Mile Reef" (1953), "Prince Valiant" (1954), "Broken Lance" (1954), "Lord Vanity" costume tests (1954), "A Kiss Before Dying" (1956), "The Longest Day" (1962), "The Pink Panther" (1963), "It Takes a Thief" (1968-70), "Winning" (1969), "The Towering Inferno" (1974), "Switch" (1975-78), "Hart to Hart" (1979-84), and "Austin Powers: International Man of Mystery (1997), in addition to footage of a stage performance of "Love Letters" (1992).
