Ich hab nochmal viele Berichte und Kommentare zu diesem Thema aus dieser Zeit (2002) gesammelt und musste tief graben um einiges zusammen zu kriegen.
Parker's attitude towards Urich has always surprised me. Back when the
Spenser: For Hire was, I guess, at it's peak (roughly 1987 or 1988) on ABC
the New York radio station WNEW (102.7FM) had an interview with him. When
asked about his satisfaction with Robert Urich in the leading role, Parker
said that he had always envisioned Spenser portrayed by a "Young Robert
Mitchum." However, given things as they were he was very satisfied with
Urich in the role.
Parker said that he and Bob Urich were "good friends", and that Urich was
"always on time and always knew his lines".
Parker maintained a cordial business relationship with Urich and said
the two last spoke by phone about six months ago. ``This is such a
shock. It's too soon, and he was too young.''
Wow, I was shocked to read those comments that RBP made. How
insensitive can you get?!
Any problems that RBP has with actors in Spenser movies are only one
person's fault - his own. This is what happens when you happily sell
the rights to one of your most precious creations and let the people
you sell it to do whatever they want with it. After all RBP, as long
as you get paid - who cares about Spenser?
Einige Autorenkollegen waren auch geschockt als sie Parker's Worte gelesen hatten.
Ich frage mich auch was ihn dazu bewogen hat. Wenn die beiden sogar regelmäßigen Telefonkontakt hatten, wie berichtet und er in den 80ern sehr zufrieden mit Urich in der Rolle als Spenser war, warum postet er dann wenige Tage nach Bob's Tod so einen geschmacklosen Schwachsinn? Ich kann nun schon verstehen warum einige Spenser-Fans in den Staaten verärgert waren.
Dennoch gibt es einige die Parker immer noch verteidigen und seinen Beitrag nicht als Beleidigung gegenüber Urich auffassen, sondern als eine Art Ichbezogenheit Parker's.
Jeder hat halt eine andere Meinung dazu. Der Parker-Familie hätte es bestimmt auch nicht gefallen, wenn nach dessen Tod zB Heather sowas ähnliches geschrieben hätte, wie Bob Sassone:
"He wasn't the perfect author...he wasn't a great writer, but he had fingers and owned a typewriter and he knew how to type. A lot of people liked his books, but I can't even say in honor of his memory that he was quite up to writing the "Spenser" books. But then, who is?"