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Hart to Hart: An Unforgettable Reunion
Unforgettable!
That one word best describes the evening I had last week, attending the Hart to Hart Reunion at the Paley Center for Media. As I drove home after the event, one song that aired on the radio during my drive was “Unforgettable” – the duet version by the late (great) Nat King Cole and his daughter Natalie Cole. As the first few notes of that song began, it struck a chord and tied up the entire evening perfectly.
Robert Wagner & Stefanie Powers / Wireimage
The panel was unforgettable and not just because there was a packed crowd of excited fans of the beloved 80’s series inside the theatre at the Paley Center, but because all of us had the chance to watch an episode of Hart to Hart
Both of these illustrious actors exuded such class and charm all the while showcasing what it means to be a true celebrity: accepting the praise from their admirers with grace and humility while, in return, embracing the audience (metaphorically speaking) as if they were an old friend who had come for a much-overdue visit.
Robert Wagner / Wireimage
Moderated by William Keck from TV Guide Magazine, the audience was invited behind the velvet rope, getting a glimpse inside Mr. Wagner and Ms. Powers lives from the time they first met on the set of the legendary movie West Side Story (which starred Mr. Wagner’s wife (the late) Natalie Wood) through their work together (albeit one episode) on the TV show It Takes A Thief, leading up to their much beloved TV series Hart to Hart and the eight made-for-TV movies that followed.
Prior to their reminiscing about their time together on this popular series and much more, Mr. Wagner and Ms. Powers joined the audience in watching the season premiere of Hart to Hart from season five (the series’ last season on the air), which explained how Jonathan Hart and Jennifer Edwards first met. Once up on stage, they were asked what they had been talking to each other about during the screening and they each joked that not only was this episode their personal favorite but they also kept having the giggles over the villain in the episode whose bowler hat and wide framed glasses was rather humorous to watch.
In talking about how Hart to Hart came to be, Mr. Wagner mentioned that what he had in mind was making a TV show similar to the popular The Thin Man films and then the talk turned to the casting process for Jennifer. At first not only was Mr. Wagner’s wife Natalie Wood considered for the part, so was actress Lindsay Wagner (who, of course, went on to become The Bionic Woman) and the late Suzanne Pleshette (who, of course, is best known for her work on The Bob Newhart Show).
Stefanie Powers / Wireimage
But as it turned out both Mr. Wagner and the late Tom Mankiewicz (who served as writer, director and creative consultant for the show) both believed that Ms. Powers was perfect for the role of Jennifer Edwards Hart and fought for her to get the role.
One story that they shared with the audience was the very first scene for which they filmed for Hart to Hart in which a presumed naked Jennifer is seen walking through the Hart’s bedroom, climbing into bed with her husband Jonathan. Awkwardly enough, though, was the fact that Mr. Wagner’s young daughter and his wife were off-stage watching the shot with young Courtney asking why that other lady was getting into bed with daddy. This was met with much laughter by the audience as well as Mr. Wagner and Ms. Powers.
Other topics of discussion during their trip down memory lane were:
- All the locations where Hart to Hart was filmed, including Munich, Greece, England and Australia;
- How the late Lionel Stander (who played Max) was “the glue of the show” and how “he never forgot a line”. They both agreed “it was a family on the show (since we) spent more time with each other than our families” and they had “a wonderful team of crew members” and “had respect for all of our guest stars even though we killed them”;
- Joking about the crazy costumes they or their guest stars would have to wear and some of the action scenes they had to shoot that would not even be possible to arrange now-a-days;
- The reason the Harts never had children was simply because they were always traveling and having their lives threatened. It simply wasn’t feasible to write a child into the mix; and,
- They had eight scripts ready for season six of the series and were all prepared to move forward when the fateful news of the show’s cancellation came down.
Much too quickly the evening was coming to a close with only a few questions from the audience, including Ms. Powers speaking extensively on the efforts of the William Holden Wildlife Foundation for which she is President; if they had seen the Hart to Hart tribute done by the TV series Chuck, which they both stated they hadn’t, but would have to find it on You Tube and if Mr. Wagner could put in a good word for Ms. Powers with the folks at NCIS – where he has guest starred as Tony DiNozzo, Sr. – so she could be brought on as McGee’s mother, allowing a mini Hart to Hart reunion to take place on the series. This was met with a big round of applause by the audience and brought to close a very memorable, nay unforgettable evening.
Hart to Hart aired for five seasons on ABC from 1979 to 1984 with eight made-for-TV movies airing from 1993 to 1996. The duo dedicated 107 hours of their popular series to the Paley Center that night and signed autographs immediately following the event.
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