Roadmap to Success

Abstract

Roadmap to Success Antoinette Winstead A Fortunate Life. Robert Vaughn. Thomas Dunne, 2008. 336 pages; $26.95. Robert Vaughn's wonderfully crafted autobiography, A Fortunate Life, serves as a historical record of not only his life, but also of some of the most exciting and turbulent times in American history. More over, his story provides a subtle yet remarkable roadmap to success. A tale of determination, perseverance, and dedication, Vaughn paints a picture that appears simple, yet, on closer inspection, proves to be a masterpiece of intricately woven detail, gracefully and cleverly [End Page 90] camouflaged as serendipity. Of course, one might consider Vaughn's beginnings serendipitous, having been born into a family of actors. However, unlike his favorite character Hamlet, no vagaries or indecisions mar the path Vaughn craved for himself. It is quite apparent from his recollections that he consciously decided his life's ambition and then doggedly pursued it. The story of his determination to be an actor unfolds in Chapter One, "Hamlet and Me," where he reveals how he was bitten "by the acting bug" at the tender age of four when his mother, Lucy Seward, taught him to recite Hamlet's soliloquy, "To Be or Not To Be." This early introduction to the Bard led him to pursue a career not only in theater, but also in radio, television, and film, culminating in his best-known role as the star on the television hit, The Man From U.N.C.L.E. His determination is further elucidated in Chapter Two, "Discovering Life in Murphy Bed," where in he writes about pursuing his dream by making a permanent move to Los Angeles to both attend college and become a Hollywood actor. Chapters Three through Seven explore his early years in Hollywood and his relationships with various actors, including his long-standing friendship with Natalie Woods, which he details in Chapter Three, "From Jew in a Jockstrap to Natalie's Beau." In this chapter, he also explains how his tenacious pursuit of his life's ambition landed him a role in The Ten Commandments, which opened the floodgates to other roles, eventually leading to his breakout performance in The Young Philadelphians (1959) for which he garnered an Oscar nomination for best supporting actor. The picture he paints seems straightforward, but in Chapters Four through Six, he details, somewhat lightheartedly, how he prepared himself for success through the constant study of his craft. Always positive in his recollections, he also discusses being drafted into the army in 1956, which he presents as a mere bump in the road on his journey to success. Upon careful reading, these three chapters unfold as a practical guide on how to succeed in Hollywood —and in life, for that matter —despite any obstacles placed in one's way. And succeed Vaughn did when he landed the role of "Napoleon Solo" on NBC's The Man From U.N.C.L.E. in 1963, solidifying his place in analogues television history, which he details in Chapter Seven, "Going Solo." With the exception of the last chapter, Thirteen, titillatingly and misleadingly titled, "If You'll Put Your Head Between Marisa's Legs . . ." the remaining five chapters of Vaughn's autobiography, Chapters Eight through Twelve, serve as an historical record of the turbulent years of the 1960s where in Vaughn describes his involvement with the antiwar movement. He also details his personal relationships with Bobby Kennedy and Allard Lowenstein; his "undecided" debate with William F. Buckley; and his brief encounters with both Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. and President Johnson. In addition, he gives a full account of his harrowing experience in Prague during the USSR invasion in 1968. However, the most interesting and intriguing of these historical chapters is Chapter Twelve, "Still Unsolved?" In this chapter, Vaughn presents evidence, gathered through several reliable sources, which points to a possibility of conspiracy in connection to the assassination of Bobby Kennedy. Though merely a theory, it nonetheless opens the door to many unanswered questions that Vaughn shamelessly calls to attention, bringing into focus Vaughn's unabashed, fearless determination to stand for right even if it means being the only one to do so, as illustrated when...